Kentucky Railway Museum

About this activity

It was actually back in 1948 that the Kentucky Railway Museum started in humble beginnings, but a small group of rail enthusiasts who formed a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Then, in the early 1950s, the Chapter asked the then thriving Louisville and Nashville Railroad for a donation of a steam locomotive, which then went onto to form the heart of a very special railway museum. 

In 1954, the museum was officially chartered, and with a few more additions of land and steam locomotive #152, the Kentucky Railway Museum opened to families just like yours on Memorial Day 1958!

The museum grew as more rail equipment and artifacts filled the exhibits, and by the early 1960s, over 100,000 visitors walked through the doors!

Today, the whole family can enjoy not only seeing these amazing historic locomotives close up, you can actually enjoy a RIDE on them!

The Kentucky Railway Museum offers a number of train rides that allow you to actually experience this incredible part of Louisville's history. Take a nostalgic trip aboard L&N’s Historic Lebanon Branch for a 90 minute weekend adventure, or feel the adventure with a robber on the loose! You can be on guard for a gang of robbers that are rumored to be in the New Haven area (so watch out!) This interactive Train Robbery experience is fun for all ages, and kids might just feel like they're in the movies (or actually in the 1900s!)

For those future train conductors over 13 years old, you can experience railroading from the cab of the locomotive! Kids can actually ride WITH the engineer and crew during the train ride, as you ride the Historic Lebanon Branch. 

The Kentucky Railway Museum also hosts a number of super fun seasonal events too, like the Easter Eggspress complete with Easter Bunny, and a 90 minute train ride and museum experience for those Spring Breakers!

Of course, a train ride during the festive season wouldn't be complete without a visit from Santa Claus! Kids can journey to the North Pole to pick up a very important passenger (yes, we mean Santa!) and enjoy the holidays in style!

With annual train shows too, the Kentucky Railway Museum is ready, so are you? 

All aboard for family fun! Choo Choo!