Trains once housed throngs of the nation's aristocrats and coal deposits, which led to an inordinate amount of melted monocles and top hats reporting the black lung. Experience locomotives through a clearer lens with today's Groupon to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. Choose between two options:

• For $50, you get a one-year family membership, which is good for two adults and up to four children under the age of 18 (a $100 value).
• For $30, you get a one-year individual membership (a $60 value).

As the treasured sites of the first commercial long-distance track and passenger station in America, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and Ellicott City Station harbor some of the oldest and most comprehensive collections of train relics in the world. At B&O, museum goers weave through the 40-acre campus to discover more than 200 pieces of finely preserved locomotive and rolling-stock materials, which are flanked by hundreds of thousands of artifacts such as tools, art, uniforms, and memorabilia. For more train-laden tutelage, visitors can peruse the Ellicott City Station––the oldest surviving railroad station in America––which hosts myriad seasonal exhibits and education programs that trumpet the history of transportation and travel. Both sites' trainy displays expertly lay out a timeline of America's railroad industry, its impact on culture, and the foolhardiness of starry-eyed tycoons.

Along with unlimited free admission to the museum and station, members can experience the bumps and gremlin-based braking systems of another era with B&O's free train rides Wednesdays through Sundays from April to December. Members can also take advantage of a 10% discount at the on-site and online store and receive advanced notice of special events and programs, such as The War Came By Train exhibit, which will feature the world's largest assemblage of railroad equipment used during the Civil War.

Reviews

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum is a Frommer's Very Highly Recommended Destination. Thirteen TripAdvisors give it an average of four owl eyes, and eight Yelpers give it an average of four stars.

• It's still filled with an awe-inspiring collection of engines and rolling stock. – Frommer's
• The B&O Railroad Museum is for train lovers. The restored equipment is top notch and lovingly cared for. The displays make good use of audio and video to enhance the experience. – Sparky1954, TripAdvisor