The B&O Railroad Museum, the birthplace of American railroading, marked a milestone in its history on Wednesday, May 14, with a groundbreaking ceremony for its Campus Transformation Plan, in preparation for the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027. The Museum will restore its South Car Works building, the oldest, continuously operating railroad repair facility in the country (1869-1990). The South Car Works will become the Museum’s new entrance, thereby reconfiguring the Museum’s campus flow to face Southwest Baltimore for the purpose of sparking community economic development. This landmark project will usher in a new era for the Museum.
Key elements of the Campus Transformation Plan include restoring the South Car Works Building to the become the Museum’s new entrance and to include the following elements:
- Innovation Hall: This dynamic space will be dedicated to showcasing the present and future of railroading technology using interactive exhibits.
- Amphitheater for Community Use: The plan will re-orient the Museum campus to face Southwest Baltimore. This will include the creation of a new amphitheater and garden, known as the CSX Bicentennial Garden, providing a vibrant free community space and acting as a catalyst for the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood.
- Archival Space: The Museum’s nationally significant archival collection, currently housing over 30 million documents, will be relocated and placed on public view for the first time. This will create greater access for researchers to study the Museum’s invaluable historical collections and students to learn about railroading careers and history.
- Smart Educational Classrooms: The project will introduce two smart classroom spaces, to help the Museum accommodate its growing educational program. The classrooms are intentionally placed adjacent to the archives to allow students to learn how to use original source material.
-via Press Release
