Baltimore’s B&O Museum Begins $38 Million Restoration, Expansion

Earth movers and dump trucks are so frenetic in Southwest Baltimore that it seems like they’ve got a train to catch. They do. The B&O Museum is hurrying toward a remake of its historic campus in time for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the rail line, nearly 15 months away.

“This is transformative for us,” said Kris Hoellen, the museum’s director. “And it’s transformative for Southwest Baltimore.”

This is no ordinary collection. The museum claims to own the most comprehensive collection of 19th-century rail rolling stock in the Western Hemisphere.

Yet, because of current space constraints, it does not have room to display and engage its visitors about new railroad technological innovations.

Donors include CSX Transportation, State of Maryland, Watkins Family Foundation, the Marvin Weiner Foundation, Harbor Bank, Bank of America*, the Bunting Family Foundation*, Sherman Family Foundation*, France-Merrick Foundation*, Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, Truist Charitable Fund*, Allegis Foundation, South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, Fancy Hill Foundation and members of the Museum’s board of directors.