SS B&O Station Open House: Hands-On Activities [Brains Plus Reptile Petting Zoo]

The Silver Spring Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station hosts a hands-on science day combining brain science with reptiles. Visitors can explore how animal and human brains differ, handle 3D brain models, learn about reptile species, and meet live reptiles. The open house also includes railroad-themed activities for families.

When: October 3, 2026

Hours: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Schedule: Brain activities run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The reptile talk begins at 1:00 p.m.

Brain Activities: Members of the Laboratory for Evolutionary Neuroscience at The George Washington University will present a pop-up exhibit with 3D brain models. Hands-on activities explore how brains come in different shapes and sizes and what they reveal about how animals think, behave, and evolve.

Reptile Talk: Professor Emeritus Ray Bosmans of the Mid Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society will discuss different kinds of reptiles and allow visitors to touch them. Attendees can also ask questions about keeping turtles as pets.

Ongoing Activities: Visitors can watch trains and wave to engineers, view a model railroad layout, play with a toy train set, and see photographs and memorabilia documenting the railroad’s history and Silver Spring’s past.

Presented by: Montgomery Preservation Inc.

Tickets: Free

Ages: Not specified.

Accessibility: No accessibility information is currently available for this event.

Venue: Silver Spring Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station

Address: 8100 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910