Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad — Attraction in Portland

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad is a cute little railroad museum that preserves important rail history in the beautiful coastal city of Portland. This place was part of my father and I's 2021 East Coast US trip on our itinerary, after having a delightful breakfast and coffee downtown, the railroad was just right next door to the cafe, so we took a short walk over and were ready to check it out and boy, was it an incredible experience!

The staff were very friendly and helpful throughout getting everyone on board the train for a comfortable scenic ride starting from the station by the Harborside all the way up to an old railroad bride that is no longer in service but held a lot of historical significance, the ride was short but sweet on a 1.5 mile stretch of track that took us back and forth as many times as we wanted to thanks to our ticket.

At the end of the line is a lovely green space park near the water that you can stretch your legs at and enjoy the views as you lay over. If you're lucky enough, the staff are more than happy to let you climb aboard the locomotive and have you ring the bell and blow the whistle which I thought was a wonderful treat as not very many places get the chance to offer this kind of experience, I certainly loved it alongside the happy families who rode with us.

The museum itself was also pretty fun to check out with a variety of equipment on display and educational information plaques provided with loads of historical significance on how Portland became what it is today thanks to the railroad. In conclusion, I'm very thankful we found this place, it deserves to be put on everyone's radar when visiting Maine. All the money spent goes to a good cause in keeping railroad history alive, definitely stop by when you can when...

Ok. So we purchased 1st class tickets about 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time. 1st class tickets were for reserved seating. We boarded about 5 minutes before the scheduled departure. There were some women already in our seats. I explained that we had reserved seats and that they were sitting in our seats. She said that when she boarded she was told that she could sit anywhere. Not wanting to cause a scene I found the conductor. His explanation was that they had some handicapped people on board and that they had given them priority seating and had to remove some seats to take care of the situation (extra room for wheel chairs and scooters was needed) I have no problem with that by the way. So in my opinion those people that would have had those seats, the situation should have been explained to them and options should have been offered to them. Instead they made it a free for all. I have traveled all over the world and a reserved seat is a reserved seat. Instead I was offered a fold out seat, refund, or could reschedule. My gripe was the process. Why even have reserved seating and have people pay extra when you ignore it? In my opinion the money spent on this narrow gauge trip was not worth it. They had recorded dialog for the whole trip. Maybe a mile long. Time to get out at the reverse point and more dialog. You could easily have walked the straight route in about the same amount of time as the train is traveling just a little faster than a...

We had a delightful family outing at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum last Sunday with my niece, her husband, and their three young children.

Our experience started well at the gift shop, which offered a fun selection of souvenirs and drinks perfect for our upcoming ride (though perhaps the term "museum" is a bit generous, as it seemed limited to a single case of artifacts). The train conductor was absolutely charming, fully embracing an "old-timey" vibe that added to the fun for everyone.

The ride itself is perfectly suited for little ones – just long enough to hold their attention, but not so long that they get restless. While the kids loved taking in the views of the beautiful Maine coastline from the windows, the adults truly appreciated the historical insights and information shared over the loudspeaker. The halfway stop was a pleasant bonus, allowing us all to stretch our legs and enjoy seeing boats out on the ocean.

We wholeheartedly recommend the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum for anyone seeking a unique and enjoyable experience, especially if you're traveling with small children. It's a charming step back in time along the...