Among the best-known railway museums in the United States, this sprawling attraction has something for everyone. The museum’s collection includes more than a dozen steam locomotives (and their tenders), railway artifacts, a railcar and even a historic telegraph station.
The museum also offers a range of hands-on activities to help visitors understand how steam engines worked. These include the chance to operate a miniature traction engine and an opportunity to drive a train simulator. There’s also a heritage centre packed with fascinating exhibits and a kids’ train-themed playground. A visit to the museum is a day out with the family that will leave you with some great memories.
When you’re ready to relax, there are also a number of restaurants at the museum. The buffet is a popular choice for lunch, while the snack bar is perfect for a quick bite. There’s also a gift shop and plenty of parking available on site.
The museum was once home to the largest steam train repair facility in the Southeast, and it still has several restored pieces of rolling stock. In addition, the museum also hosts an annual festival featuring live music and a number of events celebrating railroad history.
The collection at the museum is a testament to the ingenuity of engineers and inventors. One of the most interesting locomotives on display is Baldwin’s 4460, a 2-6-0 Camel-style steam engine built in 1889. This unique locomotive has a one-piece cast frame which combines the steam chests and cylinders, eliminating the need for individual parts to be bolted together. It is displayed at the far corner of the Roberts Pavilion.
Another interesting locomotive at the museum is a GG1 electric from the Pennsylvania Railroad. These trains were the fastest steam-powered trains in the world during their heyday in the ’30s and ’40s. Several of these are displayed on the tracks at the museum, including the infamous ‘Miracle of the Rails’ train that carried General Eisenhower while he was visiting England.
There is also a series of coaches from the train that served as Adolf Hitler’s command train during his 1955 visit to Moscow. Besides the steam locomotives and passenger cars, there is also a model railway shed, steam crane, a snow plough and a dining car.
Founded by seafood industrialist F. Nelson Blount, the Steamtown Foundation would become a non-profit in 1964. Blount’s impressive collection included Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy 4012 and Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 757. In the 1960s, Steamtown began running steam excursions to draw more visitors. However, due to air quality regulations and declining attendance, Steamtown would eventually cease operations in the 1970s.
Today, the Steamtown National Historic Site(external link opens in a new tab) is run by the nonprofit Steamtown, USA Foundation. The museum operates as a federally-designated National Historic Landmark, and features many of the same collections as its predecessor. The museum has also added a few new pieces of equipment over the years, such as the GP7 diesel locomotive and the Union Pacific 0-6-0T “Big Boy” 4012. In addition to its historic railway displays, the museum hosts various events throughout the year, and also offers a train-themed playground for children.
