Homeschool Day | B&O Railroad Museum

Join us for our first Homeschool Day of the school year!

Throughout the day, we’re offering highly engaging educational programming focused on history — just for homeschool students! Student activities include story time, tours, and workshops.

Kids will be able to bring a bagged lunch and enjoy it outside under our pavilion or at our picnic tables around campus.

Pre-registration required. FREE for Maryland Students. $17 for Non-Maryland Students. $10 per adult.

Schedule of Student Activities

Your Homeschool Day ticket includes full Museum admission and your choice of two (2) student activities!

Time	Activity Type	Activity Title	Activity Description	Recommended Grades
10:30 to 11AM	Tour	The B&O Goes Bananas: The Journey from Trees to Your Table	On this tour, we will uncover the story behind the first time that trains were used in warfare – the American Civil War. We will explore not only the connection that many pieces in our collection have to the American Civil War, but also the importance that the B&O Railroad itself had to the outcome of the war.	PreK – Grade 2
10:30 to 11:15AM	Workshop	What’s In That Train Car?	In this workshop, students will examine model train cars to learn what types of goods they would carry. They will then design their own freight train by cutting and pasting objects inside various paper freight car worksheets.	PreK – Grade 2
1 PM	*Storytime*	Railroad Engineer Olive Dennis by Kaye Baillie	In this Railroad Storytime session, we will read the story about Olive Dennis and then design our own B&O Chine pattern just like Olive did!	PreK – Grade 5
1 to 1:30PM	*Tour*	Iron War Horses: The B&O’s Contribution During Global Conflict	On this tour, we will explore the B&O’s involvement in Conflicts both at home and abroad like the Civil War, World War I and World War II. From locomotives to troop sleeper cars and even the Merci Train, we will see on this tour how integral the railroad has been in the war effort and recovery.	Grades 3+
2 to 2:30PM	*Tour*	From Slavery to Civil Rights: The African American Railroading Legacy	During this tour, we will explore the legacy of African Americans on the railroad. From the building of the railroad to the fight for Civil Rights, we will use our historic collection of objects and rail cars to explore the past 200 years of history.	Grades 4+
2:30 to 3 PM	Workshop	Primary Source Detective	In this workshop, students will use primacy sources related to the railroad experience of African Americans to build a timeline of the African American Railroad Legacy.	Grades 4+