The Best Train Museums in NY and the Surrounding Area

Wantagh Museum

1700 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh

516-826-8767

Hours: Sundays, 2-4pm, from mid-April to mid-November (hours are subject to change because the museum is staffed completely by volunteers)

Cost: By donation

Built in 1812, the museum resides in three structures: The Station, The “Jamaica” Railroad Car, and the Original Wantagh Post Office.

Take a tour of the Jamaica car, which was a parlor car complete with solarium (a room built for the purpose of enjoying sunlight), cooking facilities, and air-conditioning. Visitors can also walk through the post office and view the historical photos on display in the station.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of Long Island’s railroad history. The Museum is housed inside the Historic, Presidential Railroad Station of Theodore Roosevelt which is undergoing restoration back to its 1902 appearance.

There are many, various displays about trains and the people who operate them. Kids can ring a steam locomotive bell and see how a steam locomotive operates as well as marvel at an operating 8ft by 12 ft O gauge model railroad.

they have an additional property located at the East end of the current LIRR rail yard that contains a fully restored and functional 1904 steam locomotive turntable with demonstration rides at 1&3 on Saturdays.

There are also diesel and electric locomotive simulators as well as restored and in restoration railroad cars that are open for visitors.

A full size display piece from the LIRR Pavilion at the 1964/1965 New York Worlds Fair can be a great photo op and  For the little ones, there is a Garden Railway that they can control. The volunteers can be seen working on various projects each Saturday, weather permitting.

Train Museums in New Jersey

Northlandz

495 U.S. 202, Flemington

908-782-4022

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Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 10am-6pm

Cost: $36

The Whippanong Valley Railroad, an “O” gauge model railroad, is the centerpiece in the main exhibit area of the museum building. Excursion Train Rides include a collection of restored, vintage cabooses from historic rail lines that once served New Jersey and the metropolitan area.

Passengers can climb aboard the caboose of their choice and take a 45-minute ride as railroaders did for more than 100 years. The 10-mile ride travels the route of the Historic Whippanong Trail through Whippany, East Hanover, Livingston, and Roseland in Morris and Essex counties.

Train Museums in Brooklyn

New York Transit Museum

99 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights

718-694-1600

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Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm

Cost: $10; $5 children ages 2-17 and seniors 62 and older; free for children younger than 2; free for senior citizens 62 and older on Wednesdays

Exhibits include: Steel, Stone, & Backbone: Building New York’s Subways 1900-1925; Moving the Millions; On the Streets: New York’s Trolleys and Buses; and Fare Collection are some long-term gallery exhibitions at the museum.

They explore the history of New York subways, trolleys, buses, platforms, and the various fares and collection devices used throughout public transportation’s history in NYC. The museum includes more than 50 derailed model trolleys and a resident expert on the subject.