CHESAPEAKE BEACH, MD
At a Glance
- TypeHeritage railroad & tourist attraction
- LocationCHESAPEAKE BEACH, MD
- Rating4.7 ★60 Google reviews
About Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum
Free local-history museum in the original 1898 Chesapeake Beach Railway depot; static exhibits, no operating rides.
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
Plan Your Visit
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible restroom · accessible parking
- HoursMonday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMTuesday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMWednesday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMThursday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMFriday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMSaturday: 1:00 – 4:00 PMSunday: 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Find the Depot
The Trains
The museum's signature piece of rolling stock is the Dolores, a Chesapeake Beach Railway passenger car preserved at the site. When most of the railway's cars were burned and sold for scrap, the Dolores and a companion car, the San Juan, were transferred to the East Washington Railway, where the pair later housed railroad employees; the museum intended to acquire the San Juan as well, but that car — once the company president's car — was destroyed by fire the night before it was to be brought over. Around the surviving coach, the 1898 station, part of which began as an open passenger boarding area that was later enclosed, holds static artifacts and exhibits on the railway and local history; there are no operating rides.
History
See full history
The Chesapeake Beach depot was erected in 1898 for the Chesapeake Beach Railway, the line Colorado railroad builder Otto Mears drove roughly 27 miles through Maryland farm country from Washington, D.C. to a planned bayfront resort town, where he and his business associates established hotels, beaches, casinos, and a boardwalk between Baltimore and Washington. The first train arrived at the station on June 9, 1900, and excursionists came for some 35 years until the Great Depression and the growing popularity of cars drained the business; the last train left on April 15, 1935. The two-section, hip-roofed station survived, and in 1979 Gerald and Fred Donovan dedicated it as a museum to the Calvert County Board of Commissioners, with the Calvert County Historical Society maintaining the building and its exhibits. The Chesapeake Beach Railway Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and the museum's artifacts, exhibits, and programs commemorate the railway and the resort town it created.
Around the Depot
The Bowie Railroad MuseumMuseum·★ 4.5 (44)25 miView →
National Railway Historical Society, D.c. ChapterTrain Ride34 miView →
National Capital Historical Museum of Transportation, Inc.Museum·★ 4.7 (350)37 miView →
National Capital Trolley MuseumTrain Ride·★ 4.7 (350)38 miView →Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail TrailheadPark·★ 4.2 (17)<1 miDirections →Butterflies & Wishes Tea & SweetsGift Shop·★ 4.7 (100)<1 miDirections →Chesapeake Beach Water ParkThemed Attraction·★ 3.9 (876)<1 miDirections →(Buddy Kellam’s) Bucs CornerPark·★ 5 (1)<1 miDirections →
Chesapeake Beach Railway MuseumMuseum·★ 4.7 (60)<1 miDirections →Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial ParkPark·★ 4.7 (139)<1 miDirections →Overview ParkPark·★ 4 (4)<1 miDirections →Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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Tours & Activities near Chesapeake Beach
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum located?
CHESAPEAKE BEACH, MD 20732
How do I get tickets to Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum?
Tickets and current schedules are available on the operator's official website at http://www.cbrm.org.