Georgia State Railroad Museum — Attraction in Savannah

We absolutely loved this museum. We were on a hop on/hop off tour of Savannah, and our 6-year old son wanted to hop off here. We hopped off to humor him, but it ended up being the highlight of our day in Savannah for all of us. First, the staff is so passionate about trains and the restoration work they are doing, you can't help but get excited about trains - even though I previously had no real interest in them. Our "tour guide," Bill, was a former journalist who now volunteers at the Museum. He is extremely knowledgeable about both trains and this history of the roundhouse. He gave a handcar demonstration, and all who wanted to could operate the handcar for a ride. Then we went on a steam engine ride - short but informative, and they demonstrated how the roundhouse worked while we were on the train, so we were on the train as it moved, which the children liked. Then, Bill gave us a tour of the locomotives and showed us the restoration work that they are undertaking. So many people stayed on the tour that they decided to also give us a tour of the Executive Cars, even though there was not a tour scheduled while we were there. The best things about this museum is that a) it is very much a "hands on" museum - the staff removed the "do not climb on this" signs so that we could explore the train cars - and they made everything accessible - not off limits, although obviously they pointed out where we needed to exercise caution and b) the staff is wonderful and Bill, in particular, had such a passion and excitement for sharing his knowledge that his enthusiasm for trains and history was contagious. We ended up staying at this site for 3 1/2 hours - far longer than we thought we would. There is also a children's museum there, but it closed by the time we were done with the railroad museum. For us, this was definitely worth the stop, and we hope that they succeed in their continued...

It’s a really interesting museum which is located in between the Savannah History Museum and the Savannah Children Museum! Here, you get to learn about the history of the railroads that traverse the state of Georgia and even stretch all the way to various places in the U.S.A., including the Altlantica-Pacifica railroad and the Georgia Pacific railroad. The museum is mainly an outdoor experience, because you get to stand at a train station and might even see a train go to the turntable, and the person who operates it, slowly spins the turntable until it’s in its correct spot in the station. At the entrance of the museum, there is a little gift shop and the man at the front desk is happy to answer questions that you may have and manages the museum throughout the day! When I went here with family, we were able to go inside a train and see what it looked like. There were built-in beds without mattresses, as well as a sink and a refrigerator and freezer, which were both locked. Depending on how long it takes to explore the entire museum, I recommend a 2-3 hour self guided tour, if you want or need to slowly read everything on the display boards next to each artifact, for a class project. However, if you’re here for a leisurely visit, the. explore the place for as long as you want to! This museum should be in the top 5 places in Savannah that you’ll want to check out while in town! It’s a place that’ll not...

Took my wife and 2 year-old son to this museum today and was very warmly welcomed by the staff. Although the admission may seem a bit steep given the exhibits on display, I would gladly go back and pay it over again (and more) due to the fact that this railroad museum actually maintains and operates the equipment on site. The Roundtable still operates, many of the locomotives still operate and a dedicated staff of technicians work diligently to keep the equipment operating. I was very impressed with the amount of work that has gone into keeping this facility up and running.

There is a family learning center that has a handful of things to keep the really young ones entertained in the air conditioning if you need a break, but it is the only part of the museum that is air conditioned. Just imagine what those blacksmiths and engineers had to deal with in the not-so-distant past to keep these engines and the facility in operating condition!

Certain exhibits are only running on certain days so if there's something you definitely want to do (train rides, tours, etc.) be sure to call in advance so you know what's going to be available before you arrive.

Lastly, the local model train club has an enormous and very interesting setup in the old Storehouse that is worth a look. It's a very good representation of the city...