MR Peter Osborne

The Trains of Our Memory MR Peter Osborne

Fifty years ago the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission chose Strasburg, Pennsylvania as the site for its new railroad museum. The small town, situated in Lancaster County was, and remains, a major tourist destination with its farms, the Amish, and the Strasburg Rail Road. Since its opening in 1975, the museum has been a popular attraction. Thousands of visitors come every year to see its remarkable world class collection of more than one hundred pieces of rolling stock including locomotives, passenger and freight cars and unique pieces of equipment. There are representatives of the earliest steam locomotives and passenger cars in the nation right up to more modern equipment that has been recently retired from service. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is also home to an important archive of railroad materials including photographs, books, railroad history and artifacts. The collection includes resources on the railroads that were active in Pennsylvania. There are interactive exhibits, videos, model train layouts, regular programs and events for a variety of interests and expertise. Visitors can climb up into steam and diesel locomotives and passenger coaches. Find out why this museum is called the flagship of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission's collection of historic sites and museums.