CSX celebrates its heritage with $5 million donation to museum

CSX Corp. is known today as a Class 1 railroad spanning 21,000 miles of track across the eastern United States and Canada. But the carrier started out way back in 1827, when the newly chartered Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad launched a tiny network of horse-drawn train cars.

That story is coming full circle, after CSX—now headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida—donated $5 million to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The gift is a major part of the museum’s $30 million capital campaign in anticipation of the B&O Railroad’s 200-year anniversary in 2027.

The donation will be used to build the “CSX Bicentennial Garden,” an amphitheater and multi-use space that can host local organizations and community gatherings. The museum’s overhaul will also improve the overall campus flow; add state-of-the-art educational space, including an Innovation Hall focused on present-day and future railroad technology; house extensive historical archives; and spark community economic development.

“CSX is proud to support the future of the B&O Railroad Museum and help expand its role in the community,” Joe Hinrichs, CSX president and CEO, said in a release. “As the successor to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, CSX has been an integral part of the Maryland economy for generations. We are thrilled to be able to deliver this substantial contribution and serve as a catalyst of growth for this iconic institution and the Baltimore community.”