American railroading was born in Baltimore, and its cathedral still stands. The B&O Railroad Museum preserves the Mount Clare complex — the nation’s first passenger station, the first mile of commercial track in the United States, and the magnificent 1884 Roundhouse, a 22-sided ‘temple of steam’ holding one of the world’s great locomotive collections.
The museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, rolls out the full story: the little Tom Thumb of 1830, Civil War engines, Pullman luxury and the diesel age, with many locomotives restored to gleaming life. Mile One Express train rides run along that first mile on operating days, and the museum’s restoration shop lets visitors watch history being rebuilt.
The B&O Railroad Museum is at 901 West Pratt Street. Hours, train ride days and tickets are at borail.org — railroad fans should give it half a day, minimum.
