Dear Friends of the B&O Railroad Museum:

The first year anniversary of the Roundhouse roof collapse on February 17th is quickly approaching. This tragic event was the worst natural disaster to strike an American museum. Exactly half (11 bays) of the historic 1884 Roundhouse roof collapsed on the oldest and most comprehensive collection of American railroad equipment and artifacts. Over 20,000 square feet of roofing (made up of 500,000 pounds of iron, wood, slate, and snow) struck and severely damaged the contents in the Roundhouse. It has been estimated (based on the construction of a new state of the art Restoration Facility) that it will take at least six years to repair all the damaged locomotives and rolling stock.

In addition to the immediate challenges of reconstructing the Roundhouse, the Museum was faced with "code"* upgrades throughout all its facilities. The Museum must address these "code" and regulatory issues before reopening its doors the public. This has become an opportunity for the Museum, during its period of reconstruction, to solve these challenges and enhance its visitor experience.

Plans have been formulated to solve these issues and improve the entire Museum experience for years to come. Details on these plans for the New B&O Railroad Museum will be released on the anniversary of the collapse, February 17, 2004, through all major Baltimore network stations as well as on the Museum website.

*IBC, ADA, local and state building codes

For more details on the accessibility and code challenges clicking here.