Exploring Elkhart County: The New York Central Railroad Museum

My wife and I had the pleasure to visit Elkhart county for a romantic weekend a few weeks ago. This is the fifth post in a five post series about our adventure in Elkhart County.

The Heritage Driving Tour also led us to this gem. I’m a bit of a railroad nut and I was very excited to discover the New York Central Railroad Museum.

The museum has a very nice journey through the history of railroads in the area. There are many fine things on display, including artifacts from our rich railroad history. The displays are very informative, exciting and worth the admission price. There is also a fantastic selection of model trains on display.

By far the best feature of the museum is the fact that you can actually go into old trains, sit in the engineers seat, turn levers and explore the inner working of the many trains on display. Most museums block stuff like that off but here, you’re free to explore. It’s a great way to get a hands on feel of history.

They have countless pieces of railroad machinery on display, including a massive old steam engine, passenger cars, cabooses and much more. The railyard is very long and well worth walking all the way to the end.

When we got to the end of the railyard, we were treated to a true wonder: an old South Shore Line car. I LOVE the South Shore Railroad and it was so much fun to climb into the old railcar and step back in history. The car was very old and was showing it’s age. It was a shame that it was in such disrepair – it would be so cool if someone would step into restore it to it’s former glory.

All in all, the Railroad Museum is worth a visit if you’re into trains. Admission is only $5 and it’s well worth it. Best of all, if you’re hungry they’re going to be having a restaurant opening soon.

For more information, check out their website here.