Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum

About this museum

The story of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, begins with a railroad and a dream. In the 1890s, developer Otto Mears conceived of a seaside resort town on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, connected to Washington, D.C., by a purpose - built rail line - a destination where city residents could escape summer heat in the days before air conditioning made such escapes less urgent. The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum, housed in the original 1898 Chesapeake Beach Railway station, tells that story with evident care and affection. The building itself is the first artifact: a handsome Victorian - era rail station that has been impeccably restored, offering visitors a sense of what arrival at a seaside resort felt like in the Gilded Age. Inside, exhibits trace the history of the railway, the resort's brief but vivid heyday, and the community of Chesapeake Beach itself - from its founding ambitions through the decline of the resort era and into the present - day town. The photographs alone are worth the visit: images of swimmers, boardwalk revelers, and early automobile tourists that capture a world just on the edge of modernity. The Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum is free to visit, supported by the Town of Chesapeake Beach and dedicated volunteers who keep the history alive. The museum is open Saturdays from 1PM to 4PM, with additional seasonal hours - check chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com for the latest schedule. The museum is located at 4155 Mears Avenue in Chesapeake Beach. Paired with a walk along the waterfront and perhaps a meal at one of the town's restaurants overlooking the Bay, it makes for a genuinely satisfying day trip from the Washington metro area.