The B&O Railroad Museum rebrand gives the Baltimore institution a national identity as it prepares for the 2027 bicentennial of American railroading and advances a major campus transformation.

B&O Railroad Museum Rebrand Expands Its Scope
Shown: Kris Hoellen, executive director, and Francis Smyth, chair, in front of the new sign for the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation.
Photo – National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation

The museum has adopted the name National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation⁠, supported by a new logo and visual identity. According to the official rebranding announcement⁠, the change reflects a broader national mission while keeping the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at the center of the institution’s exhibitions, collections and educational work. 

B&O Railroad Museum rebrand expands the institution’s mission

The museum occupies a 40-acre Baltimore campus⁠ where the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the nation’s first common carrier railroad, was founded. The site is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a Smithsonian Affiliate and part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. 

“Nearly 200 years ago, a bold vision launched from this very place transformed our nation,” said Kris Hoellen, the museum’s executive director. “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.”

Museum officials say the B&O identity will remain the foundation of the expanded institution rather than being displaced by the new name. The museum will continue interpreting the railroad’s role in the economic, social and technological development of the United States.

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Aerial rendering of the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation campus transformation in Baltimore
Aerial rendering shows the planned South Car Works entrance, public spaces and historic Roundhouse campus in Baltimore.

B&O Railroad Museum rebrand aligns with $38 million expansion

The rebrand comes during a $38 million campus transformation⁠ centered on the restoration of the historic South Car Works. The project will create a new visitor entrance, gathering spaces, an outdoor amphitheater, educational classrooms and an Innovation Hall focused on modern and emerging railway technologies. 

The expansion will also make the museum’s archive publicly accessible for the first time. Its collection contains more than 30 million documents, including photographs, corporate records and other materials tracing the development and impact of American railroading. 

Groundbreaking took place in May 2025, and the museum has reported raising $28 million toward the $38 million goal. The Innovation Hall⁠ is expected to open in 2027, connecting the historic birthplace of American railroading with exhibits on automation, sustainability, freight systems, passenger mobility and future rail technology.

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