The Whippany Museum is a train show and railroad museum located in the Whippany part of Hanover Township in Morris County, New Jersey. This town was one of the founding members of the New Jersey Railroad. The museum was built around a restored locomotive called the Queen of the Hills. The Whippany is close to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (PRA) in Linden and the Susquehanna Park Theatre Company in Hanover. This is a wonderful place for people who love locomotives and the history of them to learn about the various uses of these magnificent locomotives throughout the years.
In addition to the train, the museum features model railroads of all sizes and speeds. You can visit the depot that once shipped wood and coal to New York City and Pennsylvania. You will also get to see a reconstructed freight house that operated here until it was closed down in 1972. The depot was constructed from original parts and even has a functioning freight house and power plant.
Another attraction in this area is the preserved New Jersey State House. Built around a new state law requiring major structure additions to be approved before taking possession of the building, the architects took extra safety precautions by adding a slide to the front of the building for the last train in New Jersey to leave the depot. The last train left the depot on Christmas Eve of Tipu Sultan, better known as the ” Sultan of Siam” as he conquers modern day Pakistan. The slide is made of cast stone and looks like the final train that left the whippany station.
Traveling through this museum is similar to traveling through any of the other six states that are part of the New Jersey shore line. You will find many buildings and structures that remind you of the past. In addition to the historic buildings, the museum will give you a taste of what life was like during the days of the rail road. One train station that is there today was designed by architecturally correct Thomas Jefferson himself. There is even a model locomotive that can be driven around the tracks in Thomas Jefferson’s original style station.
If you love your New Jersey railroads, or if you simply want to see what was once accomplished in the past, the Whippany railroad museum would be a great place to spend your vacation. If you are looking for more of a cultural experience, you may want to consider a trip to the NJ Transit system and take one of their guided train rides. On each train ride, you will see many different scenes, many from the New Jersey railroads and the early American civilization of New Jersey.
As you can see, the Whippany Museum will provide hours of interesting train rides, and educational experiences that you will never forget. No matter whether you are from New Jersey or just visiting for the day, you will not want to leave this unique museum. In addition to the train rides, there are many other things to do in New Jersey. Whether you enjoy a walk on the NJ Transit system, or simply want to be close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Monmouth Beach boardwalk, there is plenty to do in Jersey City, New Jersey.
