Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Awesome place. Lots of trains. Great for kids. 7yo and 4yo had lots to look at and interact with, but also interesting for us grown kids. We went around Christmas time and they had some themed decor which was as nice touch... Bonus points. Part of the xmas fun, they had an actual telegram operator sending wish lists to the North Pole. Very cool!

I highly recommend this museum --it's amazing! There are trains from many eras, and the whole way it's set up puts you back into a world of what feels like an old fashioned train station. It's very interactive and educational, and it also has a children's play area. You're able to go into some of the trains a bit, others you can walk into a platform to peer inside. There's a nice gift shop that can fit almost every price range as well, and the museum is situated in the stunning Amish Country right across the street from the Strasburg Railroad.

Wow. What a great place to bring your entire family to able to enjoy and learn everything trains. So much volunteer work that has gone into this museum. They have a wonderful clean selection of exhibits on display to experience. You can really appreciate the amount of work that they have achieved for everyone's enjoyment. Thank you

Great family trip! Huge space to walk through with historical trains and historic machinery. Lots to see! Don't miss the second floor with miniature train layout.

Great place. You can meet not only history but also the people who operated this equipment. The exhibits are fantastic, and across the street, you can experience a train ride from that era.

Me amd my Mom visited this museum years ago. Few museums are as wonderful, as detailed, as large, and as fun to visit. Good for all ages. A must if you are in the area. Then cross the road and visit the station! And it wasn't crowded. This place needs to become world famous!

This museum is huge and so fun for kids and train lovers alike, don’t miss it! We did a train ride then walked across the street to the museum, which worked well. The level of investment in this museum is impressive- it is clean and very well laid out with loads of interactive options for the kids. My family of 5 - kids ages 10, 7 and 4 - could have been just in the museum for 3+ hours easily. They have SO MANY locomotives! Plus a replica “main street”, lego cities (with legos to play with!), books, a tiny city/town/farm area with a challenge of finding several scenes…then ALL the trains! So many! They are all clean and shiny and a whistle. It’s great!

Super giant museum of giant steam engines, carts, miniatures, and many fun sights. You get to go inside many of the passenger carts, conductor and engineer compartments, and marvel at the spectacular size of these classic marvels of engineering and manufacturing. Multi floor with the top housing the large running miniatures which operates like real working trains. Great place to spend a could of hours with the family!

Right across the street from the Strasburg Rail Road (literally just a crosswalk away), the Railroad Museum of PA is a must if you're in the area. We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon after a train ride, and wow... this place has more than 100 locomotives and railroad cars inside the building. Not mini replicas. Not models. REAL trains. The sheer size of them up close was mind-blowing! Some cars are open to explore, and even the ones you can't go inside are close enough to touch and grab great photos. Admission was only $10, and we spent a solid 2.5 hours wandering through--even as total non-train buffs. Train lovers could easily make a full day of it. Staff were friendly, and volunteers were spread throughout the museum to answer questions and share fun facts about the trains, which made the visit even better. Just inside the entrance is a well-stocked gift shop with tons of novelty items and unique finds--definitely worth a peek before you head out. Beyond the trains, there are interactive exhibits--Legos, a mini town with history lessons, and even dress-up spots for kids. It's very family-friendly, but smaller kids may lose steam (pun intended ) walking the long rows of cars. Overall? This was a fun, different, history-packed experience that was absolutely worth the ticket price. I don't know that I need to go back, but I'm really glad I went once!

I was a big train buff growing up, with my father's Lionel set, and we frequently visited both here and Strasburg Railroad just across the street, so it's both amazing and nostalgic to see the museum and their collection flourishing today. You're in for a treat with lots of different locomotives and train cars, with a lot of climb on/in options for the kiddos. Staff are friendly, museum is constantly being updated/modernized, and there's ample parking. PS - in keeping with the train theme, if you want a casual lunch nearby with beautiful views of the rolling hills and a free (albeit small) petting zoo for the kids, check out Casey Jones Restaurant (at the Red Caboose Motel): https://www.yelp.com/biz/casey-jones-restaurant-ronks

This museum was an amazing value. This is one of the best collections of trains that I have seen. I like how some of the sections are hands on. Pennsylvania Amish country has many great attractions.

This is a wonderful museum and perfect for kids. I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania and remember how special it was to come here when I was in first grade. It felt equally special coming back with my own kids and seeing their excitement to climb aboard the real-life trains and enjoy all the interactive exhibits. This place was so much fun while I was a kid but they majorly improved it. If you have kids, head straight to platform 1 where you'll find building stations, interactive trains, a full-on village with shops and a lego train bed that blew us away. Upstairs doesn't have quite as much, but you'll find a train layout and a nice overlook of all the major engines and train cars below. This is well worth the stop!

If you're a railroad aficionado, why are you reading reviews?! Just go! You'll love this museum! (Walking through, I kept thinking of Sheldon Cooper on "Big Bang.") I'm reliant on trains. I take Amtrak to NY and grew up on NYC subways. But am I really interested? Not so much. If you're with somebody who is, I'll tell you why you might tag along. -- There are a lot of locomotives and engines to see. (Stop yawning!) -- Information throughout might pique your interest. I never knew the caboose served as the conductor's office where he "conducted" official train business. Who ever thought about the importance of track uniformity as railroads multiplied nationwide? And it's fascinating to learn about the mechanics and perils of the original braking system. (Seriously! I enjoyed learning this stuff more than I liked looking at the trains.) -- I love old advertisements and like any business, there were great ads for the railroads and areas they serviced. -- Cool to see the dining car and beautiful dishware -- which I'm guessing was filled with lead. -- If you're with kids, there are hands-on things for them to try. You're in luck if Junior's been wanting to couple two train cars. (And look at the official terminology you'll walk away with! Coupling!) -- The museum is climate controlled. You won't have to schlep along in the heat or cold. -- The picturesque environs of Strasburg is worthy of the drive . -- And ... drumroll please ... when you're done, there are some good antique stores in the area!

Great museum at a great price. So many engines and cars to see inside as well as outside along with model train layouts and many interactive activities for kids. There's also a couple short videos about trains and their history.

The Railroad museum is an awesome place for those who are into trains, and an okay place for those who aren't. One thing I'd stress to people with small kids is that this probably isn't the place for you. The day we went, a dozen or so adults were setting up their model train displays in the middle of the large train yard. These adults weren't excited for little people to be near the trains. Debatably these adults weren't excited for ANY people to be near their trains. Which is totally understandable given the amount of detail and precision they were pouring into their displays. Just stressing the toddler point a bit more, though they do have a few small areas for kids, like a Lego model train, the thing you'll find yourself saying most often is "don't climb on that." And as if these folks are experts in how you minds operate, you'll see dozens (hundreds?) of signs repeating that sentiment. Still, for train nuts, this place is pretty awesome. The train yard is huge, and it sits a stone's throw away from the oldest continually operating Railroad in North America. There's a nice gift shop attached, and there are plenty of plaques on display to show just what you're looking at throughout the museum. So in short, do check this place out, but maybe wait until your kids are in grade school before you bring them along.

If you are a fan of trains this is the museum for you! It is huge and well air conditioned so it is a great thing to do with kids on a hot or rainy summer day. The displays are really well done and have great interactive options for kids. The staff are super knowledgeable and friendly. And prices are really reasonable.

This place was near my motel ("The Red Caboose Motel, ironically) so I had to check it out. What a massive and cool space. I walked up and down each row of trains and also across the bridge in the middle. Really cool to see all of the different trains and also peek inside a few of them. There is a little Main Street USA set that is pretty cool, too with life size mannequins in the windows. There is also a section of miniatures that I loved photographing. Wasn't expecting so much cool stuff! There is an outdoor area that you don't want to miss. That is where all of the old abandoned, rusty trains are. Anyone into trains would love this museum and even if you are not specifically into trains -- it's still really cool. They are just so massive and interesting. I was there almost 3 hours!

One of my two favorite museums in Pennsylvania, alongside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One of the most extensive collections of locomotives and motive power anywhere, with many finally preserved examples from the golden age of railroading restored to their former glory. You can't see many of these engines, in this good of condition, anywhere else in the world. There's plenty to see and do at this museum for visitors of all ages, ranging from activities for the kids, to a few model railroad layouts, to great photo opportunities for rail fans. You can easily spend several hours here and the facility is wonderfully modern, maintained and climate controlled. You can also view many exhibits outside, those many of these are in dire need of preservation ASAP. This area is a dream for people who enjoy trains. When you're done with the museum, the Strasburg Railroad is across the street, and both the Choo Choo Barn and the National Toy Train Museum are quick drives away. My family has been coming here for more than 35 years and we never get tired of it. If you've never been, check it off the list. If it's been a while, come back again and re-discover the history.

Amazing collection of steam and diesel locomotives & rolling stock. My kids loved the coal shoveling activity and seeing underneath the steam engine. We stayed 3hrs and could have stayed longer, except it was closing time. Comparable to the B&O Museum in Baltimore. They should allow buying tickets online and scan in with a QR or something, because we waited in line about 15min and we saw a long line later when we came back to the lobby. Additional signage with info about what's on display would be a good addition too.

We drove down to Strasburg to do trains for the day. First stop was the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Parking was easy, they have a lot adjacent to the museum. It helped too that we were there in the fall and during the week. The museum is gigantic and filled with trains, and two toy train displays. We spent 4 hours at the museum exploring the trains, the history of the trains and railroad history. Mr. B is a train buff and I enjoy them. We found this museum to be extremely impressive. The staff were helpful, both toy train displays had docents next to them to talk about them, which was fun. There was so much history in this building and we thoroughly enjoyed the time. There are quite a few trains outside, so don't skip those exhibits. Great photo ops. Great museum for kids and big kids alike.

Amazing display of railroad history! All the exhibits have been meticulously restored! Highly recommend going!

If you're planning a day to ride the Strasburg railway, make sure you plan a couple hours to visit this museum across the street. We booked an afternoon train ride, so we stopped in here for a couple of hours before lunch. Parking was found on the side. It was a decent sized parking lot that was full when we left around noon. The staff was friendly and I thought the pricing was fair. I think I spent $26 total with my AAA discount. Just about every aspect of trains from the buildings, tools, different types of rail cars, equipment on a train and how locomotives work was touched on. If you have little ones it's hard to read all of the displays, but the amount of rail cars and locomotives inside the building was impressive. It gave us all plenty to look at! I wish a few more of the rail cars were open for a walk through, but some had lighting with platforms so you could see the inside details through the windows. One of the cooler exhibits has you go down steps and allows you to fully walk under a steam locomotive to check out the equipment underneath. You can also walk through an old train station, check out the inside of a caboose, climb aboard the inside of an old GP30 Conrail diesel train from the 1960's as well as a standard freight Pennsylvania Railroad No. 2846 Steam Train built in 1905. My kids really enjoyed the plastic shovels to shovel stuffed "coal" into a make believe fire and ringing the bell outside. https://rrmuseumpa.org/ is their website and it provides details of the entire collection they have. You can even do a virtual tour. The weather was nice enough to check out their outside collection. It's a shame to see some of the trains and cars in rough shape, but we got some great outdoor pics with the kids. The building was clean and the staff inside the museum were helpful and very informative. You can tell they love what they do. Definitely put this on your list of places to hit up if your in the area!

Bottom Line: A large and wonderful museum great for all ages that is dedicated to telling the story of Pennsylvania's railroad history. I love this museum and for that reason it gets the honor, such that it is, as my 2,400th Yelp review! I love trains and I was excited to visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. They were closed for much of the pandemic and each week or so I would methodically check their website to see when they were reopening. At last, they reopened in May and I immediately planned my trip to the museum. As a train enthusiast I pretty much loved it all but here are some of the highlights: - Most exhibits are inside a large temperature controlled building. The building has a catwalk midway which offers a great view of the impressive collection of steam, electric and diesel locomotives and various rolling stock. There are some trains outside in the yard that are presumably in the queue for restoration. - There are lots of historically significant locomotives at this museum. Several Here are a couple that stick out in my mind: --- A movie star of a steam loco, No. 1223, which appeared in a few films --- PRR 7002 from the early 1900s which was touted as the world's fastest locomotive at the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair --- Pennsylvania RR 4935 GG1 electric locomotive from the 1940s - The Main Street exhibit with the station, baggage room, freight depot, shops, etc. was neat. I had fun weighing freight and determining the shipping price. I also enjoyed picking up various tickets to look at travel times between popular PA towns. - My husband and I enjoyed the interactive exhibits that are likely designed for kids. We had fun racing each other shoveling "coal" and met a friendly volunteer in that section who cheered us on. - This is the only train museum I can recall where I got to go in a pit underneath the locos to see the types of tools used to work on them and the undercarriage of the locos. Well done! - The signage throughout the museum was great. Locos and rolling stock were generally well labeled but I also enjoyed various displays about things like standard gauge, RPO stamps, train cars, etc. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a Smithsonian Affiliate and I thought admission was very reasonable at $10 for adults. Overall this is a terrific museum!

If you love all things railroad, this is a bucket list stop. all I can say is WOW! Amazing preservation work! looking foward to coming back!

Great place to spend a few hours. There's diesel type trains you're able to view and step upon. A spacious place to interact with the vehicles and explore. There's those props to make it seem like you're in that time period with designs built all around. Toy Railroads trains to control and a giant working rail circle outside.

We visited RMOP on a Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day. We didn't have too high an expectation partly due to the pricing of admission, which is only $10 for a regular adult ticket. But we ended up having a great time.  After spending the morning on a hot day across the street at Day Out with Thomas event, it felt so nice to be indoors where it's air conditioned!! The entrance is on the main road, and it's a long walk from the parking lot. Just follow the arrows and signs. I loved the atrium just inside the entrance, as well as the facade outside.  Their modern designs were stark contrast to the historic theme and exhibits. The main hall houses numerous locomotives from different eras and technologies - stream, electric, and diesel.  You can get onto a few of them. Just keep an eye out on signs at each train. It's a great place to go back in time and admire the grandeur of these monstrous steel decapods. My favorites are No. 1223, John Bull, and the 20 Tahoe. Then there's the interactive section which is on the first isle street set immediately to the right as you enter the main hall. There you can find the Western Union telegraph demonstration, a short video presentation, a long stretch of model trains and rails which you can have hands-on control and switching, and finally a meticulously built miniature model village and railroad layout with trains moving through them.  Don't forget the train yard outside to the right of the main hall, the cat walk/observation bridge at the center divide for a good overlook, and the second floor gallery where you can find paintings, placards, exhibits, and another miniature village.

I think before Covid you may have been able to walk through some of the trains in the museum (although not all that many) but this time around it seemed even less. This is a drawback for kids although there are some things for them to do. If you are an adult and a true train enthusiast you'll probably have a great time.

I was not even that into trains as a kid, however this place managed to find a spot in my brain that I never knew even existed, turned me back into a kid, and made me love trains. You will become a train person no matter what sort of disgruntled soul you are. I truly think I had more fun here than my kids did, and they seemed to have a blast (I may have been projecting however). If you want to spend an afternoon learning about a major part of the industrial revolution of America, and stand in awe at some giant machinery, there's no better place. Come get your inner kid on.

I'm not sure if it's the train capital of PA or of USA, but if you or someone you know is a train addict, this area of lancaster is a must see! Right across the road from an excursion train station, this beautiful museum is open almost all day. There's a ton of locomotives inside and out, lots of activities to do and see, lots of hands on activities and exploring can be done! My bf is obsessed and was so happy while we were there! They have a beautiful observation bridge overlooking the entire museum with a few hidden gems only to be seen from up above. Highly recommend!

We ended up finishing one of Amish tours earlier than expected, and needed to kill time before dinner. We weren't sure what to do, and we stumbled upon this place. We figured, why not? None of us have significant interest in trains, but we weren't sure what else to do. However, to our surprise, we really enjoyed this museum. There are several rows of retired/donated trains that are restored for viewing. You can go into some of them, and others you can look in. It is really impressive the way everything is laid out, the descriptions and history, the huge trains inside and outside, and just how well everything is taken care of (the train, the building itself, how everything is so thoughtfully laid out). You wish all museums took as much care as here. Don't hesitate to come here, even if you aren't a train buff. Highly recommended.

If you love trains and railroad history this is the place for you! I loved being able to see up close the early transportation methods and living up to their former glory.

There is more here than I expected. This museum is impressive. Entry cost for an adult - just $10. Great place to bring kids. And then there is the Strasburg railroad experience right across the street. But be careful crossing that street. I mean... exercise extreme caution. I saw drivers not paying attention to the 25 mph speed limit. I can just imagine somebody getting excited about seeing an arriving steam locomotive across the street and forgetting to stop and look. That crosswalk needs high intensity LED flashing crossing lights that people can activate before crossing - with signs for drivers which say "flashing lights = stop."

If you're a fan of the foam (Holla!) or even if you're just a fan of history then the Railroad Museum of PA is a must visit as this place has a world class collection of engines, cars, equipment and artifacts that date from the beginning of railroading in the state up to the AEM-7 that Amtrak donated last year. The backbone of the museum is the lot of items from the Pennsylvania Railroad who figured out very idea the PR value of preservation. Even in the 1950's when the scrapping of steam became THE thing to do, the PRR managed to save at least one engine from the majority of their different classes of engines. That preservation continued into the early 1960's when money issues began to curtail their ability to expand or maintain the collection. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania resolved in 1963 to build a State Railroad Museum and in 1965 selected a site adjacent to the Strasburg Railroad (the oldest continuously operated short-line railroad in the United States), and broke ground for the Museum facility in 1972. The main hall has two floors. The second floor has a pedestrian walkway which overlooks the main hall's first floor. It also houses a small art gallery and their archives. The main hall's 1st floor houses the bulk of the collection with an outside yard which has even more pieces that is open weather permitting. Hopefully at some point in the future money can be found to build the six stall roundhouse that was suppose to be started three years ago. It would help to get a few more pieces under cover which are currently rotting to hell outside. If you go and really get into reading about the displays you can easily spend two to three hours here no problem. Also worth a visit is their gift shop which has a large collection of books and collectibles which would be near impossible to find anywhere else under one roof. If you go: Adult (ages 12 - 64) $10 Senior Citizen (65+) $ 9 Youth (3 - 11) $ 8 Age 2 and under FREE January, February, March, November and December: Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Sunday, 12:00 pm through 5:00 pm. April through October: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Sunday, 12:00 pm through 5:00 pm. The museum is open on most holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day plus they also have a large slate of special events that take place throughout the year. Combo tickets are sold at the museum for a ride on the Strasburg Railroad (on days they operate) and at the railroad they sell combo tickets for admission to the museum. Both places should be mandatory to any area visit.

I discovered this museum while at the Strasburg railroad. It's a great museum that has dozens of life size ( presumably real) trains of all sorts from all eras. Some are inside and others outside. Along side were displays such as a ticket office, baggage room, and pub. Upstairs was a small train display commonly seen at local fairs. Next to this was a bridge that overlooked the large trains. A great way to see trains.

Excellent educational place to enjoy the history of Railroads made fun & easy for both Adults & Children. Decent array of different displays make it a worthwhile excursion to pass the time leisurely.

Hadn't been here in many years. It's still in top shape, clean and very well Maintained. You can leisurely review, read, study, and take pictures of all the exhibits. The staff is polite and the entrance fee very reasonable. These are actual trains from all periods of time in which you can view, touch, and learn about. One of the many different places to visit in the area. Highly recommended for every, even if your not a train enthusiast.

This is a beautiful Museum with a lot of history. it's a great place to take a family. the people are nice the museum is very well-kept up with and the people are just so nice.. they also have a train set up inside where the kids can play. It's so fun. Especially if you're into trains!!

We had so much fun with our almost 2 year Old ! She loves trains and this was the perfect indoor place to see them! We were able to get on a few of them and she loved walking around and looking at everything. $10/adult and she was free. They do offer a AAA discount.

This is a must stop, must see place when in the area of Strasburg. You don't even have to love trains to love this place because it doesn't just speak trains, it speaks our history and what it was that made our country the dynamic economic and industrial might it is through those trains. The giant steam driven locomotives are awesomely impressive to look at and automatically create a wonderment of how exciting transportation aboard them was. Yes, the newer diesel electrics of today may be more powerful but in no way do they look as mighty as these massive steam driven giants of the past. Just looking as them gives a sense of what the power they and the railroad barons must have wielded. The entire set up, displays and everything could be better, clean, open, people friendly and with plenty of entertainment and things to do for the kids too. I've been to several other railroad museums but none that could even begin to compare to this.

My 7 year old loves polar express and he love this. Trains are roped off you can not go in because of COVID but we still had a great time. Def worth the money.

The second you walk into this place, you are immediately taken by the sheer grandeur and physical magnitude of the size of these old trains. The trains are huge and so impressive. There have to be 20+ train cars here, all extremely well maintained / restored. There's some small, old school toy trains to play with, and tracks you can switch around, as well as a train driving simulator (where you will likely run over a cow). The "street scenes" are pretty cool as well, and feels like a well done theme park. It's a very cool way to spend an hour or two (max), especially if you need an indoor activity on a rainy day. Only real criticism is that the number of train cars you can go in is extremely limited (maybe two or so).

It is an excellent railroad museum. The indoor exhibits are in excellent shape, the display literature is informative, the ability to go into and under the trains is awesome, and the hands-on model train sections are fun. I came as a kid 20+ years ago and recently came again, but in the winter when it was cooler outside. I bet when the weather is warmer the outside exhibits will be even nicer. If you like trains, this place is a great way to spend an afternoon.

This simply just has to be one of my favorite places in all of the Northeast. Having had toy trains as a child and still an avid collector, I just love to walk among the giant steam and Diesel engines that did so much to shape our great nation. When you get a chance to go up to these giant behemoths, you stand in awe at the size and sheer brute strength of these iron horses. Once inside, you'll marvel at the number of locomotives on display as well as the other exhibits. All restored in all of their glory, you can spend hours looking inside and even going inside some of the engines to see the coal boxes and the controls of these beautiful trains. A walk through the door and you can go outside to see other engines that are in various states of restoration. A current big project is the restoration of the enormous round-a-bout turn-style which allowed locomotives to be turned in the opposite direction or passed off to different tracks for either change of route or to be serviced at a round house maintenance facility. Children will love this museum with so many "hands-on activities" and even a small exhibit where they can play with model trains on layouts. Plan on spending several hours to see all of the engines and exhibits and don't miss going to the second floor to see some artifacts from the Pennsylvania Railroad boardroom from the turn of the last century. Truly a must see for any train enthusiast or history buff that wants to imagine the building of a country on steel rails and the locomotives that made it happen!

This is truly one of my favorite places around. I'm not a train enthusiast but they have a tremendous collection. You won't get to go inside all the trains. Typically, they have three open or maybe four. There are volunteers at those spots who can answer most questions you have involving those trains and the railroad history. The station area is.a nice touch with fake shopfronts that eventually lead you into the kids area. There you will find a Thomas the Tank area as well as a working train set. There is also a section where they can run the trains and switches. They also have an outdoor trap yard of trains in various states of disrepair that you can visit. The best part is a working turntable! Incredible!

Train geeks of the world, unite and take over! This is our mecca, and it's time for hajj. It is not a "cheap" experience, but worth every dollar. Most of what is housed in the facility is the last in the world. This is run by mostly volunteers who devote a silly-large amount of hours to preserve a piece of American/Pennsylvanian history. I never leave there disappointed and have been back multiple times.

I would not recommend the museum to anyone. The staff (with the exception of one gentleman) was incredibly rude. There is no upkeep being done to the trains as all of it looks run down, empty, or just rusting and falling apart (their outside train yard). Their entire model train exhibit didn't work. They shut down large portions of their exhibit well before they said they were going to close it. It may have been a fun experience in the past, but it is no longer.

Totally surprised by just how great this museum is. Even if you are not a rail fan this is more than worth the price of admission, which is quite modest at $10. The staff truly love the place and the engines on display and they know TONS of interesting details about each and every piece. I have to say the greatest thing I saw was the Amtrack clacking flipboard that was a part of 30th Street Station before being replaced by a digital board. I remember the day it was retired. Social media was mourning it like it was truly a death in the family for everyone who grew up with the sound of that flipboard at 30th Street. So cool to see it being stored at the museum. The guide told us it was on loan from Amtrack and there are plans to have it displayed in the museum. So very cool!

Love this place if you have kids that love trains this is the place to take them. You can wake around the trains and go on some to see the in side ask the people onboard question and learn new thing about Trains that never could be teachable in books or in classrooms see a big engine in person is something my boys loved . I learned my older son Knows a lot about trains more then me. I loved that the had veterans their to teach the people about what was happening during the wars and how the train helped, love the old army cars very nice touch my boys had a lot of questions about the clothing and guns used back in those days . Love this experience Great to see them learning and loving it at the same time. Thank you

They do not let you on many trains. I was disappointed. Also there is a safety/ fall concern. Down one of the first isles is an area to go under the trains. The only safety mechanism to keep someone from falling is a piece of lattice, poorly placed and a chain link. The area does not have a warning notice on this side. The other side has stairs leading down to the underground area.

Took my two little ones on a tour of this museum a few days ago. It really is a fantastic trip. It is also an excellent alternative to the noise and commotion of Strasburg Railroad across the street if you are traveling with someone with sensory sensitivities. The prices are extremely reasonable, and they sell a combo ticket for admission to the museum and a standard excursion train at Strasburg. You could easily spend the better part of the day exploring both sites. Nearly as fascinating as touring the restored retired displays in the museum is the "boneyard" outside, filled with numerous engines are cars in various states of restoration (or disrepair depending on your point of view). There is also a sizable children's section that allows for a more hands-on experience for a variety of ages, from simple toy trains and tracks and push button displays all the way up to a multi-stem STEM project. At $10 for adults and $8 for kids 3-11 (cheaper with the Strasburg combo ticket, $1 cheaper still if you're a AAA member with card, and additional discounts for active duty military), if you have even a passing interest in trains this place is a must see when in the area.

If you're in Strasburg, this is a must-see! The museum has a wonderful set-up, even if it's hard to read everything in a chronological sense. When you walk in you almost have no idea how cool things are going to become; after entering and walking under an awesome wall display of a giant model train, a signal and a train wheel, you walk by the store and past a small train layout in the main lobby; additionally, while in that part of the building you can also read multiple banners and timelines on the lobby walls that discuss the different railways that operate(d) in America and the basic history of the railway and evolution of the steam train. Very nice introduction for what's about to come! It's recommended for new folks that you start in the lobby/on the 2nd level. The lobby, as I just reviewed, has all the general railway information. The second floor has artifacts from a famous station, a special exhibit that changes periodically (this time it was rail-fan photos from 2012), and a walk-way over the main part of the museum: a MASSIVE room with four rows of rails, each one lined end to end with trains and railcars. It's a little piece of heaven for rail fans and will help visitors get situated before entering the "not-maze" below. Once in the main part of the building, you'll love walking between, in and on these massive machines; most of them have an info board on one side or the other, so you can read about and observe the trains/cars by aisle - again, it won't really be in a chronological order, but it will be interesting nonetheless. If it's open feel free to explore the outside yard, which has additional locomotives and cars that don't have info cards yet and just can't fit into the main building. Make sure as you go that you take extra time to check out the walls of the massive room as well, because they contain lots of additional information and rail items, including switches and signs. There's even a simulator where you can operate a diesel engine. Plus, as an added bonus, one wall is lined not only with models of general 1900s downtown shops and a station house (which are a wonderful touch!), you can also walk through a kid friendly-hands on room filled with Legos, toys and other fun little trinkets. All in all, absolutely loved my experience here and I can promise this museum has something for anyone who walks in. I can't wait for the planned round house to open in the future, at which point I'll have to make a trip to see this place again and can hopefully learn more about the trains that were outside of the main museum! NOTE - if you're looking to ride the Strasburg Railway as well, they sell packaged discount tickets to this museum, so make sure you take advantage of that deal!

Great Museum. Many restored trains inside dating back to the 1800's. Discount with AAA membership. Combo ticket available with Strasburg Railroad train ride across the street. Plan on spending 2 hours here.

Queue The Kinks - Last of the Steam-Powered Trains. This place is fascinating. It cuts right through America's shared history and gives a window into the past more impressive and deeply felt here than at many other museums. There's a lot to look at and a lot to see which more than justifies the price. I have an inexplicable fondness for trains but even so, people I've gone with left this place with very positive feelings and appeared to have enjoyed it at least as much as I had. You don't need to be a kid to enjoy this. This museum is for everyone.

What an awesome place this is!!!! If you're a train enthusiast, you need to visit here. Trains, trains, and MORE trains. I will let my pictures speak for this place, as my review will just consist of the awesomeness of this place. My favorite display was the Lego Land. Pretty darn cool. This area has quite a bit of train things to do and visit, but don't miss this Museum if you're ever in the area!!! $10 per person to get in, but they do have Active Duty (not retired military as I am.. And that always upsets me!!!!!!!!!!) and AAA discounts. Kids will love it and can possibly spend hours here. Highly recommended for all ages!!

The railroad buff and hobbyists would call this place heaven. For those who can't understand them will call this place a railroad cart / engine graveyard. For me, seeing the restoration of many different type of engines and carts were pretty amazing. However, there were so many different engines / carts, I got overloaded quickly. I recommend that you follow this sequence during your visit: checkout the museum, take a rest by going across the street for a quick ride on the actual "train-to-nowhere," then come back to visit the museum ground again. A nice attraction and a must visit if you are in PA.

Another inspiring dedication to the railroad history of the US. The collection of 100 pieces of rail equipment is truly impressive; view the locomotive roster http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/locomotiveroster.pdf; 22 of their pieces are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fortunately the Pennsylvania RR saved some examples of certain classes of steam powered locomotives. The pieces inside the museum bldg are immaculate but those outside are definitely showing weathering wear. My favorites were the GG1, DD1 (outside), 4-8-2 Mountain type (outside). The significance of this collection on one site has no equal in the US.

Gigantic indoor museum of railroading history. This fun place had exhibits that were interesting to our 3 year old and 70 year old mother. Be sure to check out the second floor indoor bridge.