Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario

The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario is located in Smiths Falls, just outside of Ottawa. The museum is deemed a National Historic Site and the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Depending on how much you love trains and whether or not you manage to go for a ride, you can expect to spend anywhere from an hour to three here.

The museum itself is the original train station and yard dating back to the early 1900s, 1912 to be exact. Admission is inexpensive, 2 adults + 2 children is $20. The museum is generally open from May to October, but for specific dates it is recommended to check the website.

As to be expected from a railway museum, there are numerous train cars around the property, most of which you're able to enter and take a walk through. The main building has several exhibits including the original Operator's room which still has a working telegraph machine. Several of the cars have exhibits setup inside as well, such as the dental car pictured here.

Even the cars that don't contain a specific exhibit have numerous bits of history that can be found within, and if nothing else, kids and adults alike can climb around and see what life would have been like from a particular seat, such as the guy riding the caboose.

One of the more unique things about the offerings from the railway museum is the ability to actually spend a night in one of three cabooses. The stay involves an overnight in a caboose of your choosing (subject to it being available of course) with fresh linens provided. The stay also includes a contenintal style breakfast the following morning. As the caboose was not traditionally a luxurious space filled with amenities, access to the showers and rest rooms on site are thankfully provided.

The museum also offers short (~2km) train rides at certain points of the year, which can be an fun way to get your children on a train without having to take a longer trip for the experience. There is also the option of the handcar, which is available for rides every day (weather permitting).

School trips and group tours are also welcome. For everything else about the museum that I didn't cover here, please visit their website