The Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum opened in April. This four-room museum, located in Central Station downtown, tells the story of the importance of train service to Memphis and the Mid-South. Three model railroads give children a miniature feel for the rumbling rails. The museum is open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Central Train Station. Admission is $3/adults, $1/3-12. Learn more, at mrtm.org, or read our blog post at memphisparent.com.
Summer vacations can be a great time to ride or visit train museums. Thomas the Tank Engine will pull into stations around the Southeast. The schedule is listed at traintraveling.com/events/thomas/south.shtml. Another destination for train lovers is Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This Wild West theme park features rides, carnival games, gem mining, and of course, the Tweetsie railroad. Visit tweetsie.com for more.
Closer to home, Jackson, Tennessee, sports the Casey Jones Village, (caseyjones.org), as well as the N.C. and St. L. Depot and Railroad Museum in the old depot in Jackson. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and the museum offers HO gauge model trains, two train cars to explore, and even allows little engineers to run the trains.