Empire State Railway Museum

Had the best experience at this railway museum. It’s like taking a trip back in time with so many cool artifacts and photos of the old railroad station. The volunteers and guide were very sweet to me and my son. All so enthusiastic to share the history and explore the caboose. It’s free but donation based and really was a cool place to see how the Catskills railway used to be!

Excellent trip either for train enthusiasts or smaller children. The price is right and there is ample parking with beautiful views of the mountains. There’s a small museum in an old antique and a beautifully restored train station high up in the Catskill mountains. This is a very historical railroad and this was one of the stops. The team of volunteers that run this beautiful piece of historical magnificence are awesome and you can see they put a lot of time and love into the restoration of these beautiful machines. This is not a long and in-depth trip, but absolutely worth it.

Cute little gem with tons of history, Steve was our tour guide, very kind and welcoming. Great views!!

Awesome museum and very friendly people, kids had a blast and this tour was the highlight of their trip! We were invited to see a special steam train in the barn which they were restoring and it’s wonderful to see people are so passionate that they dedicate their energy and time to restore historical trains. Shout out to Miko!

Really enjoyed this attraction. It's at the Catskills rail adventure place....we were there to ride the rails. Wish the ESL adventure was longer.... it was great!

I had actually planned to take more pictures while I was here but I became so enthralled with the history and information the volunteers had during their tour. This museum is free but has the option to give donations. They have a little gift shop as well. They have a lot of original parts of the building, and a great little recreation of what the train station(s) looked like back in the day, it is made with as much accuracy as was possible, so it is really neat to look at. You certainly learn a lot from here, including about how trains used to stay on time, money security in the old building, and an overall history of the area. Although this is not at all by fault of the museum, we had asked if we could look at the trains and were given permission as long as we stayed on the grass but when we were on the grass, a girl from the business next door yelled at us that we weren't allowed over there, so come communication with that business may be needed.

We had a great time! We even got a full tour of the premises and a caboose by one of the volunteer restorers. Everything is in wonderful condition. This is a gem for any train lover.

Fascinating place near the Catskills mountains. Hand cranked individual rolling stock running on a dedicated railroad track, with some old carriages and memorabilia . To avoid disappointment book your ride in advance as it’s very popular

Had the best experience at this railway museum. It's like taking a trip back in time with so many cool artifacts and photos of the old railroad station. The volunteers and tour guide were very sweet to me and my son. All so enthusiastic to share the history and explore the caboose. It's free but donation based and really was a cool place to see how the Catskills railway used to be!

This place is completely volunteer-run, which is awesome. I admire their dedication. Everyone here is very knowledgeable about trains (both here and otherwise), and is very willing to answer any questions. I have been here quite a few times, and I will definitely be back again. I even have their hat! (It's a great hat.)

This place was lovely but unfortunately museum was closed for the season. Nice chairs with fire pit to take in the pretty views and historic spot

Given that this is a labor of love, and all work is provided by devoted local volunteers, the experience is pretty good. If more people would come to visit and learn, then the museum would have more resources to increase in size and scope. Not everything has to flash, whizz, and bang to be interesting. Try learning about the past and avoid the hype machine. C'mon, this ain't the Smithsonian!

The train ride 4 + Museum 2= 3 for overall experience During my labor day weekend stay in Phoenicia my boyfriend and his family (four 20 & 30 somethings, two retirees and a 14 month old) decided to take a ride on the railroad on a beautiful day. It was scenic, relaxing and something we could all enjoy. The ride had great views of the Esopus River but It didn't go to a high elevation or through the mountains as we expected but it was still a fun excursion for kids and adults! The museum, a stop on the train ride was small but had some cool photos and miniature train sets.

Pretty weak experience, it takes about 15 minutes to walk through the 'museum' 'train ride' is about 15 minutes, I don't think they do that anymore because when the hurricane hit it took out the track. You will spend more time trying to decided what or if you should buy souvenirs at their prices than you will 'walking' through this 'museum' although, you can pretty much see the whole thing just standing in the front door. The model RR layout of the old station is neat but that's about the extent of it. Not great for kids they will get bored in 2 minutes or less.