Maryland tourist railroads you must visit include renovated depots and stations in the Old Line State. Here’s our list of must-see tourist railroads, museums, and displays — for almost every region in Maryland.
Bowie Railroad Museum
This museum consists of a renovated freight station, a switch tower, a waiting shed, and a caboose. The station and tower contain photos and artifacts. The museum is open Friday through Sunday. The Old Town Bowie Welcome Center and Interactive Children’s Museum are next to the railroad museum.
Location: 8614 Chestnut Ave, Bowie
Phone: 301-832-7126
Website: cityofbowie.org/293/Bowie-Railroad-Museum
E-mail: sproctor@cityofbowie.org
Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum
From 1900 until 1935, the Chesapeake Beach Railway carried passengers to the Chesapeake Beach resort in cars such as the Dolores, which is on display. Housed in the original station, the museum exhibits photographs and artifacts of the railroad and the resort. The museum is open daily, from 1 to 4 p.m., April through October. Special events also take place throughout the year.
Location: 4155 Mears Avenue, Chesapeake Beach
Phone: 410-257-3892
Website: chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com
E-mail: cbrailway@calvertcountymd.gov
Ellicott City Station
Completed in 1831, Ellicott City Station could be the oldest surviving railroad station in the country. The main depot building is located on the B&O Railroad’s historic Old Main Line, including a car house to repair the earliest engines and an 1863 turntable. The museum displays a replica of the first horse-drawn passenger railcar, the Pioneer, a 1927 caboose, and an HO-scale model of the first thirteen miles of the Main Line. The museum is operated by the Howard County (MD) Department of Recreation and Parks. It is open Wednesday through Sunday year-round.
Location: 3711 Maryland Avenue, Ellicott City
Phone: 410-313-1945
Website: howardcountymd.gov/ecborail
E-mail: Jfeirson@howardcountymd.gov
Gaithersburg Community Museum
The museum features permanent and rotating exhibits in a restored 1884 B&O freight house. Also on display are a B&O Budd Rail Diesel Car, a 1918 Buffalo Creek & Gauley steam locomotive, and a C&O bay window caboose. You can also visit the adjacent History Park and restored station, which is now a MARC station. Museum hours vary by season. Please call or check the website before visiting.
Location: 9 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg
Phone: 301-258-6160
Website: gaithersburgmd.gov/about-us/city-facilities/gaithersburg-community-museum
E-mail: museum@gaithersburgmd.gov
Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
Located near the roundhouse site in a historic building, the museum presents local rail history through artifacts, photos, and model train layouts. A Baldwin diesel, two Western Maryland cabooses, and a Hagerstown & Frederick trolley are on display. It is open Friday through Sunday year-round.
Location: 296 South Burhans Boulevard, Hagerstown
Phone: 301-739-4665
Website: roundhouse.org
E-mail: info@roundhouse.org
