The national museum of railroad history and innovation will develop and install a new, permanent 12,000 square-foot immersive, multimedia exhibition that explores how rail technologies shape…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded The B&O Railroad Museum, Inc., $1.846 million on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to develop and install a permanent 12,000 square-foot immersive multimedia exhibition exploring how rail technologies shape everyday life, national infrastructure, and workforce opportunities in the United States.

The museum will fabricate and install the exhibition and develop new educational programming, curriculum guides, tours, and hands-on workshops linking exhibition themes to U.S. history, civics, and STEAM education. Working railroad employees—engineers, technicians, and yard operators—will participate directly to inform exhibition storytelling and reflect modern rail operations. The project runs through August 31, 2027, at the museum's location in Baltimore, Maryland. Outcomes include increased public understanding of how rail transportation shapes daily life and technological innovation in transportation systems, and heightened awareness of career pathways in transportation and infrastructure industries.

The national museum of railroad history and innovation will develop and install a new, permanent 12,000 square-foot immersive, multimedia exhibition that explores how rail technologies shape everyday life, national infrastructure, and workforce opportunities in the united states. Project activities will include fabrication and installation of the exhibition, and developing new educational programming, curriculum guides, tours, and hands-on workshops to link the exhibition's themes to U.S. History, civics, and steam (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) education. The project will involve direct participation from working railroad employees, including engineers, technicians, and yard operators, to inform exhibition storytelling and reflect the realities of modern rail operations. The outcome of project activities will be increased public understanding of how rail transportation shapes daily life and how technological innovation is transforming transportation systems, and an increased awareness of career pathways in transportation and infrastructure industries.