We Found Another Train Museum: North Carolina Transportation Museum

There's a transportation museum in the area the Haltermans hadn't visited?  There was!  Recently, Kim and Elijah took a guided tour of Spencer, NC,'s North Carolina Transportation Museum with an organized group from Roanoke's Virginia Museum of Transportation.  We saw Roanoke's engineering landmark 611 under restoration on our trip, but even if you have no special purpose in going, it is easy to make a day of train fun or family fun at this museum.  The museum is in fact more fully described by the term site--it's big.

If you like to think about such things, it's easy to marvel about how this place stays so attractive--even for a self-professed museum snob like Kim--with a mainly volunteer workforce.  It includes a restored depot, an impressive roundhouse, and other exhibit buildings, all in restored railroad structures like shops buildings.  A Wright flyer replica is on display, as are many restored train engines ranging from steam to electric diesels.  You can take a 25-minute train ride and a standing ride on a turntable for minimal extra cost.  Elijah particularly enjoyed seeing the five fire vehicles under restoration in the back shops building--but know you can't get too close to these and need to see them from a viewing platform.  This place is a vast 57 acres, and if you are traveling with any transportation buffs (including vehicle-minded preschoolers), you can make a day of it.  Kim has many friends who take kids day tripping to the North Carolina Zoo and is a bit surprised more folks don't make similar pilgrimages to this site, too.  It's a hidden gem that's more reasonably priced. 

If you go, know that Spencer's a small place but this site is not--dress for walking in the weather.  It's a great place for a picnic--there's a shelter.  Going on a field trip?  This site seems able to customize things for your group.  Going as an adult, no kids?  Check out the excursion offerings and make it a weekend or take a special tour and make it more informative.  There's a toy museum in the area, too.  We felt very close to Winston-Salem, which would make combining a repeat trip with an excursion to Old Salem doable.

Transportation is Everywhere: The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum

Since Elijah's birth, our family has learned a lot about transportation thanks to his interest in it.  During a recent trip to Pennsylvania, this interest inspired us to discover the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum, a gorgeous facility devoted mainly to antique cars. 

It's not your average transportation-type museum--in fact, it is a Smithsonian affiliate.  The building is clean and classy; the set up is on theme and beautiful; you will quickly see why it moonlights as a wedding reception venue.  Areas of the museum are designed to look like, say, a drive-in movie theater, providing a wonderful backdrop that allows you to explain often-forgotten technologies to young kids.  There's a permanent display of cars ranging up to the 1980s, and there are changing vehicle exhibits, too.  When we were there, a small fire engine was on display to Elijah's delight.  An impressive collection of buses forms a bus-museum-within-a-museum and includes a bus featured in the movie Forrest Gump and a bus that featured stewardess-type service.  Other vehicles on display include a hearse used to transport alcohol during prohibition and a collection of a dozen or so early motorcycles.  Expect a nod to visual art as well; a gallery was full of vehicle photos, and there were cases of hood ornaments. 

Within the collection, you'll also find delights of Americana including an actual diner (yep, the real thing) that you can enter and a room of model train displays with a few interactive components.  These components of the museum are different than antique cars, but they sure are fun. 

If you go, know you are very, very close to the Hershey's Chocolate attractions, including Chocolate World, which easily can be paired with a museum visit in a single travel day.  Within the museum, you'll find a children's play area featuring a few train tables and various toys as well as tables near vending machines--it's a comfortable place to give kids a break.  There's a AAA museum entry discount--always ask. 

More Trains and Local History: The C & O Railway Heritage Center

If there are trains, we will come.  On our way back from Nana's house recently, we made a quick stop at Clifton Forge's C and O Railway Heritage Center, a truly focused site for corporate and local history that is also very kid friendly.  An indoor-outdoor museum situated around a restored depot, the center celebrates the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and many related ventures, including Clifton Forge's former C and O Hospital.  For us, there are nifty family connections: Granny Helen was a C and O secretary, working as the first female employee in her department; Kim's Great Grandfather Painter once worked at the depot, too. 

Anchored by a model train display of the C and O's main line, the depot building features an extensive exhibit of C and O history, professionally presented.  Significantly, there's a small but beautiful selection of "rolling stock" (trains for the uninitiated) on display.  You can enter two cabooses, a passenger car, a baggage car, and a dining car--all of which have been lovingly restored.  In our humble opinion, they are the best restored cars we've seen in Virginia.  On good weather days, you'll also find a working miniature train outside, big enough for riding in a loop with the kids, and there's a well-stocked gift shop with local history books and nifty local logo T-shirts.  You can also climb up a replica of JD Cabin, a signal tower.

If you go, know that the staffing is thin--if someone else is there, you may have to wait for a tour to conclude before you can pay admission.  A visit like ours will take an hour or so unless there is a special event.  We've been by on some of their special events days in the past--they tend to be well-organized and generally "worth it," if more crowded, if you are interested.  For a nearby meal, we recommend Vic's for something simple and tasty.  Clifton Forge is a nice place to visit, as is Alleghany County.  Please click the links to see some of our other trips.

The Ratcliffe: A Local History Museum That's Fun For Kids

 

If you've been exploring our blog, you know Justin and Kim will enjoy just about any type of museum, and we're raising our kids in the hope they'll be able to do the same.  Pulaski's Ratcliffe Memorial Transportation Museum makes it simple to get kids--or anyone--interested in local history, whether or not you know much about Southwest Virginia.   The Ratcliffe's presentation is impressive, including appropriate signage and an attractive museum catalogue for sale to those interested.  If you know local history and local museums, you do not take these things for granted. 

The collection features prominent transportation-related items, most notably two antique fire engines from the town's early departments and an extremely impressive model train layout of Pulaski, VA.  The layout was crafted as a life-long hobby of a local dentist, and it was obviously a realistic model of the town, even to our first-time visitor eyes.  Most of the structures in the model are made of reused cereal and shoe boxes, and you can see professional photos of them on the museum's Facebook page.  Expect the majority of the rest of the collection to showcase Pulaski history.  There are photographs of workers from local industries, architectural components from local theatres, and signage from local stores.  For kids, there's a "train table" for play.

The museum's friendly staff welcomed us warmly and provided nifty information as we toured, even allowing Elijah to access one of the antique fire engines.   He can describe its parts, including its hand-cranked siren, quite well, and he'd be happy to give you a tour if you want to take him on your trip!  If you go, know there is a playground nearby, and it looks like a decent spot for a simple picnic.  We didn't readily find lots of other tourist stops or shops, but there are plenty of fast food outlets for lunch.

A New Treasure: Discovering the Danville Science Center

Inspired by a field trip at Kim's school, we headed out to the Danville Science Center--a place we'd barely heard of but thoroughly enjoyed.  The center is full of interactive exhibits and play areas--and it's worth the drive from Roanoke. 

Permanent exhibits span two buildings and include rocks, small "stuffed" animals, and a few live animals like a lizard and a turtle.  There's a large temporary exhibit space, and exhibits rotate reasonably frequently.  There are also seasonal attractions like a butterfly garden.  Elijah was a huge fan of the From Here to There temporary exhibit, enjoying the "air tubes" for moving balls very much.  Picture a large see-thru bank or pharmacy drive thru that you can control, and you'll get the idea.  This exhibit has a small "ball pit" with building toys including various simple machines (a ramp, a gear and pulley system, etc.), and both Elijah and Gwen could have stayed in it all day.  While the museum isn't as expansive as some similar museums, there was plenty for us to do--and in a visit of about three and a half hours, we didn't even make it upstairs.  This, of course, is a sign we'll have to go back.

The site itself is interesting and features a restored active train station--complete with a model layout of the city and a red caboose you can play in.  A recently-added Digital Dome Theater is prominent in the center's architecture.  On our trip, the kids took in their first such show, seeing a film about the solar system and a sky show.  We understand why the dome is advertised as the best theater of this type in the region.  The technology for the sky show was particularly impressive, and our guide was able to show us a 3-D model of our galaxy. 

If you go, expect a kid-friendly place, including a small room for snacking (bring your own) and a gift shop with low-cost items (we picked up a globe keychain for less than a quarter).  The staff spoke genuinely to the kids, which is always a friendly plus.  In fact, Kim recommends it as one of the best science museums we've been to for preschool-to-elementary aged kids.  On a warmer day, pack a picnic--there are lovely, if urban, grounds for it--and take in a walk across the river on a nearby pedestrian bridge.  Another plus?  Admission is more reasonably-priced than many similar attractions in the region.  If you live close, the center's birthday parties sound like a great deal.  On the day we visited, a group of young kids were launching toy rockets as part of their planned party activities--Elijah would love it.

The Tiniest Train Museum: The Augusta County Railroad Museum

Let us introduce you to the Augusta County Railroad Museum, a wonderful storefront museum full of intricate model railroad layouts.  Staffed by welcoming railroad club members, the large displays on view are well-loved and detailed.  There's even a scavenger hunt all ages can enjoy that will help you focus on those details, including a funeral procession, a ski lift, and a subway station.  The museum was a real treat for our 4-year-old railfan:  he very much enjoyed wandering among the trains, working the controls on the young engineers model, and picking up a free back issue of Model Railroader magazine.  We're sure Elijah will mention it all when he sees club members at Virginia Museum of Transportation events in Roanoke. 

If you go, check the museum schedule:  they are only open on particular weekends.  Plan to spend at least a half hour enjoying the displays and the company of club members.  From the museum, you are within easy driving distance of the Green Valley Book Fair, the giant Factory Antique Mall, and other Halterman adventures tagged Up I-81.

We Found a "Secret" Train Event!

One recent weekend in Roanoke, we heard from friends that the folks at Norfolk Southern's Shaffer's Crossing were having an open house.  An apparently unadvertised event for family and friends, we were lucky to know about it and be able to go. Attending reminded Kim of company picnics at Covington's old Hercules plant:  The employees were taking a great deal of pride in showing off their workplace, and there were tons of little freebies.  Elijah's favorite parts were climbing aboard a parked train and getting a new bandana sporting the NS logo.   Someday, we know he'll be impressed with the photo of himself in front of a real turntable that we took, too!

Things That Go

Kim and Elijah took a day trip to Roanoke's Virginia Museum of Transportation, an excellent toddler site! Elijah loved the museum's noted model railway exhibit. The exhibit, which includes viewing windows at toddler eye height, can also be viewed from the museum's upper deck, adding to the thrill. There's a train engine to climb inside on the interior of the museum, and on a warmer day, one can opt to go outside to the railyard for more stock to see up close, including the famous 611 steam engine. Visitors older than Elijah will also appreciate the attention to the human side of railroading, as rail travel passes and personal stories are also displayed.

The automotive gallery was new to us and impressive, particularly for its inclusion of vintage signage. There's even a set of Burma Shave roadside signs! Around the holidays, the museum boasts lovely Christmas trim, a nice addition. Unfortunately, the aviation gallery remains closed from last winter's storms, but you can still take in the delightfully detailed circus train display and the infamous rocket.

We were inspired to purchase a grandparent's membership to allow infinite visits for Elijah. If you go, remember to park very near the museum building to avoid a fee and consider coupling your visit with a trip to the wonderful O. Winston Link rail photography museum. A visitor from farther afield with an interest in the rails could make a nice weekend in the area with trips to see Roanoke's rail heritage as well as similar sites in Clifton Forge, Virginia.

Related Link:
Virginia Museum of Transportation

Time for Trains!

Kim received a nifty Mother's Day gift: tickets to Gettysburg's Lincoln Train Museum! The museum became our last stop prior to heading out of town. Elijah was fascinated with the model train "in the air" on bridges across the gift shop ceiling. Kim and Justin enjoyed the expansive collection of model trains, including unusual antiques harkening to holidays, advertisements, and "real" railroads. There's also a collection of train Christmas ornaments and a Polar Express display.

For those who like to watch models move (like us!), there is a large layout with three trains and a "circle only" display that is approximately four feet tall. There's also a train you ride: yep, a model train car with a movie about Lincoln's train trip to Gettysburg! It moves gently and put Elijah to sleep. The museum's history is interesting on its own, as when the museum initially opened, the train ride was a major technological innovation.

We judge this homey museum, with its delightful, well-kept collection, to be a good stop. In the area and looking for another cool place? Try Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum--it's free and in Weird Pennsylvania!

Renaissance Clifton Forge

After I received word about a train layout that would be visiting the Clifton Forge Armory this weekend, we decided to head over to Alleghany County on Saturday. For those who don't know, Granny Helen was a C and O employee in Clifton Forge during the rail system's heyday, and her father worked at the Depot that has been redeveloped in to the C and O Railway Heritage Center. There is something about the train events that connects us to our past. So, we picked up Granny Helen and headed off to the train show.

The train show was good fun with a very local feel--saw lots of familiar faces, including some family that had yet to meet Elijah. There was an interactive S gauge display, manned by enthusiastic members of a regional club, that featured about 10 running trains and many features powered by natural gas, including a watchtower you could set "on fire" and then "put out." The club members were proud of their handiwork and took delight in watching adults morph into kids, pushing display buttons to see what they controlled. There were also vendors: vendors who sold Justin a book about the Powhatan Arrow, sold me 4 new postcards, and taught Granny Helen that she has a relic--a C and O plate valued at $300+. And for those who had gender-segregated 8th grade PE in the CF Armory, please know it still smells like a gym class happened there yesterday.

While Elijah played with the Grannies, Justin and I snuck into Clifton Forge proper on a mini surprise date Justin planned, seeing a town that seems to be (finally) experiencing a legitimate rebirth. We spent some time at the Allegheny Highlands Arts and Crafts Center--a mainstay that's still a unique place to shop--and window-shopped Fire and Light, a gallery run by a blacksmith and a photographer.

We also shopped the big antique store, having fun listening to the proprietor tell a ghost story. The store, once Rooklin's Department Store (the one that closed in the 1960s), was run by a gentleman who wished to be buried in Alleghany but wound up buried in Pennsylvania. He reportedly haunts the place, walking around at night and engaging in minor mischief. We bought an old Rooklin's shirt box (it will make a good paper memories box) for just $2. It had been found in the basement of the store. It turns out my great grandmother won a big prize one Christmas--a $25 gift certificate to the store--which bought a lot of people presents.

We'd heard a lot of good about Jack Mason's Tavern (JMT's) from Facebook friends in the area and decided to have lunch there. It's a beautiful place--a Clifton Forge take on a pub with a train mural, a stained glass griffon, and a relic or two of the hardware store it used to be. The decor is classy but casual/cozy. It was not hurting for business, as Justin and I got the only remaining table in the place. And the food was good--Justin had sweet potato fries with a raspberry dip that was quite yummy, and our turkey sandwiches had real, non-processed, tender turkey on them. But the service was bad. Not rude bad, but uncoordinated bad. We waited 20 minutes to be acknowledged, and then, we had to make specific, separate requests to have our table cleaned, receive menus, and get silverware. I got jealous of the table next door, as they heard about the special of the day that I would have ordered had I known it existed. My salad wasn't served, and when this was discovered, the waitress kindly pointed out it was sitting in the back. Wow. They lost a T-shirt and dessert sale in the melee, especially since they didn't offer us an apology of any detail or discounted anything. But, we will try it again sometime, as a bunch of our friends can't be wrong. And the staff was genuinely sweet, if a bit timid about admitting their errors. We wish the business luck, but in the evening, we were off to a known oldie but goodie, the original Cucci's in Covington. Elijah enjoyed some Cucci's sauce, clearly proving that he is his mother's child.