Mrs. D and I will be attending the ECLSTS on Friday and then heading to the B&O Museum on Saturday. I’ve never been to the museum and was wondering what else might be around that area that would be good to check out. Any info would be great! Thanks.
-Kevin.
Just off the top of my head…
Fort McHenry, the Baltimore Aquarium and Maritime Museum are near the “Inner Harbor” area of Baltimore.
the National Zoo is a short hop away
The Pennsylvania RR Museum, and Strasburg RR, Toy Train Museum, are around a little bump in the road called Strasburg near Lancaster
The Franklin Institute, USS Olympia, Art Museum (the place with the steps from “Rocky”) and Natural History Museum in Philly Are all cool places if you have an extra day
The Franklin Institute, if I remember correctly is the home of the Baldwin 60000, correct Mik?
J.D. Gallaway said:
The Franklin Institute, if I remember correctly is the home of the Baldwin 60000, correct Mik?
Yep, it’s even animated… it moves back and forth about 10 feet.
Dieseldude,
You will enjoy the B&O Museum. I spent most of the day there. Lots of stuff to see also. This year they have the 150 th anniversary of the Civil War stuff going on. Take the train ride, when I was there year and a half ago it was a extra buck or two. It takes you out past some back shops on the original right of way. there is alot of Locomotives and some rolling stock out in the parking area so take a few digital sd cards with ya… Also Ellicot City has a railroad station museum, very interesting to see also nearby. I believe tickets are sold at the B&O museum as a package deal to.
I have done a lot of Civil War Living history at Fort McHenry also. They have built a new visitor center since I was last there, not sure what is in it now . The old centre had some really neat stuff in it, so new one should be better. Enjoy your trip wish I could go to the ECLSTS…maybe next year…Travis
Thanks for the information, everybody.
-Kevin.
Kevin, where you coming from? (state is exact enough.) If you are coming from the south, you might want to consider places like Spencer NC for the museum there, or the Civil War & Locomotive museum in Kennesaw, which is the home of “The General” from the Andrews’ Raid during the Civil War.
JD- I’m coming from Buffalo- your old stomping grounds, I believe (I might be wrong… Niagara Live Steamers)? Thanks for the info on the Spencer museum. It might be a bit out of the way for this trip. but something good to know about for a future trip.
-Kevin.
dieseldude . said:
JD- I’m coming from Buffalo- your old stomping grounds, I believe (I might be wrong… Niagara Live Steamers)? Thanks for the info on the Spencer museum. It might be a bit out of the way for this trip. but something good to know about for a future trip.
-Kevin.
Then I recommend a side trip to the Pennsylvania RR Museum, which is next door to the Strasburg RR.
I agree. Let your wife go with some other Ladies to the outlet malls in Lancaster and you’ll have all the time you want to enjoy the Alcove.
Ric- You won’t believe this… but… the wife actually LOVES train shows and has been counting down the weeks until YORK!!! She’s a keeper, for sure! Unfortunately, she also LOVES Dress Barn and I think we may end up going there on the way home. Unless, of course I spend all the money at the ECLSTS. I’ll certainly try my best!!!
-Kevin.
Depending on what route you take, the Railroader’s Memorial Museum, an Horseshoe Curve site in Altoona are pretty interesting as well. Sadly, there’s not a whole lot to see at the East Broad Top this time of year but forlorn buildings in the snow. (Gettysburg battlefield has the same problem)
There’s also the PA Military Museum in Boalsburg (near State College) The Daniel Boone homestead near Birdsboro,
There are also decent car museums in Philly, Turbotville, Hershey, Huntingdon, and Clearfield.
If you go through Clearfield, I highly recommend the food at Aunt Lou’s Cafe at the truck stop off I-80.
I also loved the Capitol Diner in Harrisburg. There’s this neat little Sandwich shop (Isaac’s?) just a quarter mile from the Strasburg RR that peddles a mean Reuben, too.
Kevin, yes that is my home area… I spent five years working the excursion on the Arcade & Attica until the state senate pissed me off enough to make me leave the state. Moved to Harrisburg and spent a couple years volunteering with the Middletown & Hummelstown. Hired on with NS ten months after moving to PA… that move was the best thing I ever did. I’m now an engineer out of Altoona, in fact I am expecting a helper assignment later this afternoon. And yes, I was with NFLS, great time there.
I’m partial to the Altoona Railroaders’ Memorial Museum as well, though there is obvious bias, lol. Catch is I’m not certain if they will be open in time for the show.
I managed to catch Spencer and Kennesaw on my way back from McDonough GA when I went down to the NS Training Facility there. When I went down to McDonough the third time for my Engineer training, I managed to snag a weekend to travel a bit north to the homestead of our favorite Federal Garden Railway Administration inspector.
Thanks again to one and all for the great tips.
-Kevin.