New Jersey’s Whippany Railway Museum celebrates the past through historic railway and train exhibits. It has been a popular destination for visitors interested in railroad history for over fifty years. The museum also hosts a variety of exciting events throughout the year, including train rides.
The museum is dedicated to the preservation of railroad heritage and history through restoration, preservation, interpretation and operation of historic railroad equipment and artifacts. Its collections include locomotives, carriages and other railroad equipment. It is home to a large assortment of vintage rail cars, many of which have been restored and preserved by volunteers. It is open on select Sundays from May through October for visitors to climb aboard and explore the cars.
There are several excursions available throughout the year, allowing guests to experience a train ride on a scenic route. These excursions provide the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy the scenic beauty of northern New Jersey while visiting the Whippany Railway Museum.
During the holidays, the museum offers a special train ride that is sure to delight children and adults alike. The Polar Express Train Ride takes travelers on a whimsical journey to the “North Pole.” Once there, they will team up with Santa who will return them to their home stations with gifts for each passenger. The show includes scripted scenes, live singing and dancing, and a great deal of audience interaction. This is a highly sought-after event, so be sure to book tickets early.
The Museum has a large collection of railroad cars from historic railroads that once served New Jersey and the surrounding area. It has a number of historic cabooses on display, which are a great way to spend the day with the kids. They can get a sense of what it was like to work as a railroader by riding in one of the cabooses, which are equipped with a full kitchen and sleeping quarters.
Visitors can also step aboard a restored upper-class club car for a relaxing experience. These cars were once used by railroad employees to travel between the main station and their workplaces. They can take in the scenery and listen to the clickety-clack of the wheels as they pass over the tracks.
Those who visit the Museum will have the chance to see a unique model train layout, which is built entirely by volunteer designers and builders. The layout features a wide variety of trains, a town, and villages. It is a labor of love that took thousands of hours of planning, design and construction by volunteers. It is custom fit, fully wired for electricity, landscaped, and test-run, which makes it a stunning sight to behold.
During the fall season, the Museum host a special family-friendly event called the Autumn Harvest and Halloween Crafts & Vendor Fair. The event includes train rides on the Morristown and Erie Railway, as well as a crafts and vendor fair. There is also a special pumpkin patch that kids can enjoy.
