Harris Tower & Museum — Attraction in Harrisburg

My son is a railfanner so after being told about this location from the local rail community, we drove up. We expected to just stand in the parking lot, filming the trains. No one told us that the tower was a museum!! We were invited into the air conditioned tower and encouraged to set up the cameras at the windows that overlook the whole yard! While waiting, my son was taught how to use the interlocking machine (the manual switches) that used to control the switches IN the yard. The schedule that they use is the ACTUAL 1943 Harrisburg schedule, simulating all the activity that over 100 passenger trains bring with it.

In the distance, the GG-1 #4859 is on display in the station and while you cannot tour the inside, if you ask the guards at the Amtrak Security desk, you MAY be able to get up close to it.

Overall, the docents in the museum treat you like family and are more than willing to share their own joy of Railroad History and operations...

I lived in Harrisburg most of my life and didn’t realize this existed until recently. My children love trains and all things train related. We ended up spending almost two hours there. The staff let them set switches on the old equipment. The best part by far was the front row seat for watching trains go by. One of the staff members kindly opened a window at their level so they could get an even better look. They loved it and have been begging to go back. I don’t know if a non-rail fan would spend so much time there but it is definitely worth a visit. Free parking right next to it… it is usually for permitted state workers but is open and available to visitors on the weekends when the tower is open. I would check when it is open. I believe it is...

This place was amazing. It was my last stop on the 2022 candlelight tour. I could have spent hours here learning about this place in particular and the rail history in Harrisburg in particular. I never knew how interesting railroad history was, I was never drawn to it. But going here and learning about it from the docents was mind blowing. Go when you have a chance and talk to the people that are there to...