1 / 2Reading Railroad Heritage Museum
📍 Hamburg, NY
Museum featuring 70+ Reading Railroad locomotives in an outdoor display yard, plus indoor model train layouts, a recreated 1930s station agent's office, and interactive push-button exhibits. Toddlers love the wooden train play area.
The staff at this museum were wonderful!!! They were setting up the Christmas train while we visited and even gave a personal run of one of the setups. My son loved playing with some of the wooden trains in the lobby area. He also enjoyed some of the trains with interactive push buttons. The day was cold and windy so he didn’t have a very long attention span for the large outside trains. I found the history of the trains wonderful but it would have been better to visit without my son to see the outside trains or do split parenting to allow my son to stay inside to play.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
An excellent destination for toddlers and train-loving kids at any age. The combination of outdoor locomotive exploration, interactive indoor models, and hands-on play area covers multiple interests in a single visit. Plan to visit in warmer weather to fully explore the outdoor collection — cold temperatures limit yard time for young children.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →191 Google reviews
LeRoy Titman
a year ago
“The staff at this museum were wonderful!!! They were setting up the Christmas train while we visited and even gave a personal run of one of the setups. My son loved playing with some of the wooden trains in the lobby area. He also enjoyed some of the trains with interactive push buttons. The day was cold and windy so he didn’t have a very long attention span for the large outside trains. I found the history of the trains wonderful but it would have been better to visit without my son to see the outside trains or do split parenting to allow my son to stay inside to play.”
Jesse
6 months ago
“What a wonderful little place. It was our toddlers favorite so far out of all the museums... and we've been to a lot of train museums! We got a tour of a fascinating old locomotive... explored several trains, the museum has a lot of interactive pieces with models. They playground is a blast. They have a train that you can pretend is a real engine and makes all the noises and was of intrest to the kids and to the adults. Would def recommend if youre in the area.”
Bryan Rhoads
2 months ago
“It was a great stop for being in the area. I thought the history as well as the train displays were very cool. They had a little section in the gift shop for kids to play and the theater movie is pretty cool for the older folks. I thought the price was pretty reasonable. It’s a great way to spend nine dollars and take up an hour or two of your time. I would come back.”
Trains and stuff
a year ago
“While not the largest museum, they have the largest collection of one single railroad in the country. 99% of their collection is for the Reading Railroad. With a few good sized model train layouts, it's a really nice place to visit. The staff are friendly and helpful”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Reading Railroad Heritage Museum holds the largest single-railroad collection in the country — over 70 locomotives and cars displayed in an outdoor yard toured by knowledgeable docents on weekends. Indoor exhibits include multiple model train layouts, memorabilia, and a 15-minute orientation film about Reading Railroad history. A wooden train play area in the lobby keeps toddlers engaged. Staff frequently provide personal demonstrations and informal tours beyond the scheduled sessions.