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.