b&o railroad station museum

Something for visitors of all ages, train buffs, history buffs, little kids. The bonus is that a real train runs right by the museum at intervals announced by the ringing of the bell so that everyone can go to the platform and watch. Admission is so reasonable that even a short visit is doable.

The train gardens are great for the kids to see in action. The only real hands on adventure for kids is the real caboose that they can go into and explore.I wish there was more active narrative for the kids and adults so a better understanding of the relationship to the civil war and the years before and after.

Fans of trains and train gardens will enjoy this historic spot. At Christmas time there is a Lego train garden in addition to the regular garden, which is tremendous. Caboose is really fun for kids and the railroad and Civil War history will interest the adults.

Staff well informed with historical points; large than expected museum; grounds well maintained; well worth returning!

This is a nice little museum. Don't expect full size locomotives. It is the only free activity on in historic Ellicott City. I usually stay about 15 minutes.

If you are downtown Ellicott City or perhaps just venturing through the Baltimore area, this is a great spot to stop in and see a slice of history. From the civil war to so much else passed through this station. The town around it is also worth exploration!

A great piece of history The trains going by were a plus. One again the people running it were friendly and helpful

The B & O Railroad Museum offers the most amazing look into railroad history that I have ever experienced! If you have even a mild interest in the inner workings of the railway system, how railroads grew and evolved into what we see today, or you just like climbing about in antique rail cars, then this is the place for you! Just pulling into the parking lot starts my imagination right up, as I am literally surrounded by trains and locomotives of all age, size, and color. It brings the mind to wonder where they have been, and what stories they have to tell. The entrance of the historical station looks much like it did in old photographs, and I can almost envision the likes of Edgar Allan Poe stepping through the door to board a train. Once inside, the ticket options include the attractions of this vast museum, Mile One Express train rides, and Choo Choo Blueville... just for kids. They even have special events on sale, with crowd pleasers like Choo Choo Soul! The interactive exhibits, walk through experiences, and historical artifacts on display are nothing short of inspiring, culminating in the beauty of the 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse.

We got married at the B&O Railroad Station Museum in Ellicott City and it was awesome! The staff was super helpful, even moving big displays around so that our guests would have more room. It is CHEAP to use and they give you and your guests access to the entire museum, so that people have the ability to wander around before the ceremony starts. There are many places to take unique photos, and if you have a short informal ceremony you can do it outside so your guests can stand on the ramp and look down on your ceremony, which was great because we had a lot of Deaf friends so they could see the interpreters no matter where they were. It's not the fanciest, but it is a great value and a beautiful location.

We went there this past weekend, with the kids ages 9,10,14. They all enjoyed the visit. The docent in the beginning was very sweet and welcoming. The kids were thrilled at being able to touch certain things, and play in the caboose.

A friendly greeting on arrival to this informative museum, starting at ground level then ascending to trackside level with more displays and the goods shed containing a model railway layout.It was here that I met the interesting custodian (part time) and after I had watched the layout for a while, spent over an hour talking about many subjects, making this a very enjoyable visit. I can't guarantee that he will always be there, but ask him if he has been to Scotland and if he has it's the right man.

the lego displays at christmas were pretty cool, but had they not been there my nephews would have been very bored at the exhibits.

Personally disappointed with B&O Museum. Even my 3 year old wasn't impressed. Not much to see/do.I would not visit here again.

This is a fascinating museum, the rotunda building Is particularly interesting and well restored with an enormous number of exhibits. Some of the elderly volunteers are a bit unnecessarily grumpy with the children and need to lighten up, they should try to be a bit more welcoming rather than behaving like prison guards. The train ride down the sidings is a big underwhelming and I wouldn't advise doing it for the extra cost, the commentary is quite difficult to hear above the general hubbub in the train. I travelled to the museum by the free city charm bus, but felt a little insecure as it's situated in a bit of a dodgy area of the city.

This is indeed a wonderful museum that kids as well as adults will like. It is full of railroad related history. Some trains you can only see, and some trains are allowed to be climbed onto. You can get inside some of the trains and pretend to be a train operator :-) There are also small model trains located outside that you can start by press of a button. Whenever you're in Baltimore area, I highly recommend visiting this place.