As the nation prepares to commemorate the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027, the B&O Railroad Museum, birthplace of American railroading, today announced it will become the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, reflecting its expanded national mission to preserve and interpret America’s railroad heritage while exploring the innovations shaping the future of rail transportation.
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Kris Hoellen, Executive Director, and Francis Smyth, Board Chair, stand in front of the newly installed sign for the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation.
Rooted in the place where American railroading began, the museum’s new name reflects a broader vision that honors the extraordinary legacy of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad while embracing rail’s continuing role in shaping America’s future.
“Nearly 200 years ago, a bold vision launched from this very place transformed our nation,” said Kris Hoellen, executive director of the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation. “As we prepare to commemorate the bicentennial of American railroading, we are embracing a name that reflects both our responsibility to preserve one of America’s greatest transportation stories and our commitment to exploring where rail transportation is headed next.”
Located on the 40-acre campus where the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad—the nation’s first common carrier railroad—was founded, the museum occupies one of the most significant railroad sites in the United States. The campus is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a Smithsonian Affiliate and a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, preserving nationally significant collections and the historic B&O buildings and grounds where American railroading began.
While the institution’s name is changing, its commitment to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad remains unwavering. The story of the nation’s first common carrier railroad will continue to be central to the museum’s exhibitions, collections, educational programs and historic campus.
“The B&O is not being left behind—it is the foundation upon which the museum’s expanded role as a nationally significant institution is built,” added Hoellen. “With today’s announcement, we celebrate the past, the present and the possible.”
The announcement comes as the museum continues its transformative $38 million campus expansion, one of the most significant investments in its history. The project includes new visitor experiences, expanded gathering spaces and an outdoor amphitheater. As part of the expansion, the museum will also provide public access to its nationally significant railroad archives for the first time in its history. Comprising more than 30 million documents, the archives represent one of the nation’s most important collections chronicling the history, development and impact of American railroading. The expansion will culminate in the opening of the Innovation Hall in 2027.
Opening in 2027 as part of the nation’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary of American railroading, the Innovation Hall will introduce a first-of-its-kind museum experience showcasing the present and future of railroading technologies. Through immersive exhibits and interactive experiences, visitors will explore engineering, automation, sustainability, freight systems, passenger mobility and emerging innovations shaping the next generation of rail transportation. Together, the museum’s historic campus and Innovation Hall will connect the place where American railroading began with the technologies shaping its future.
“This announcement represents a defining moment for one of our nation’s most significant cultural institutions,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “The birthplace of American railroading has long preserved a story that began in Maryland and transformed America. As the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, it will continue to honor that extraordinary legacy while helping future generations understand rail’s continuing importance to our economy, our communities and our future.”
“As the direct corporate descendant of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, CSX is especially proud to celebrate this historic milestone,” said Steve Angel, president and CEO of CSX. “The B&O lives on today through the railroad industry it helped create. We are proud to support an institution that honors this extraordinary legacy while embracing the innovation that continues to shape rail transportation.”
The announcement also introduces a new visual identity and logo that reflect the museum’s broader vision while honoring its historic roots.
“Our story began here,” Hoellen said. “As the birthplace of American railroading, we have a responsibility to preserve that extraordinary legacy, explore how rail continues to shape our lives today, and inspire what is possible for the future. That is the vision behind the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation.”
About the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation
The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation is the birthplace of American railroading, located on the historic grounds of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the nation’s first common carrier railroad. Situated on a 40-acre National Historic Landmark campus in Baltimore and recognized as a Smithsonian Affiliate and a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, the museum preserves one of the nation’s most significant collections of railroad history while exploring the innovation and technologies shaping the future of rail transportation.
As the birthplace of American railroading, the museum is uniquely positioned to help the nation commemorate the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027 while preserving the legacy of the industry’s first two centuries and exploring the possibilities that will shape its next century.
For more information on the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, visit www.nationalrailroad.org.
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