Steamtown National Historic Site Reviews

If interested in train or local industry history at all this is a must visit. National park property covers many acres of old Lakawanna rail yard with a huge variety of exhibits, tours and train rides. At least a half day activity.

We were there 3 hours and still didn't see everything. After October first there was no admission charge or you can get in on your national park service pass for Seniors.

Steamtown is operated by the National Park Service. Next door, there is the street car/trolley museum. The trolley museum has a separate ride and entrance fee. Steamtown is free to enter, but you can pay $6 (May 2024) for a 45 minute steam train ride. The steam trains were used around 100 years ago.

We are from California. Went to Upstate New York for vacation and took an hour drive to Scranton, PA to see this site. We spent about 2.5 hrs there and learned so much!! Took a lot of great pics and it was free when we went on a weekday. Definitely recommend it!

One must remember this is a National Park. There is no charge for parking. No charge for admission. All personnel are helpful in all areas of railroading. Large collection of old steam engines. A railroad buff's dream location. Kids would love this place. Train rides at specific times are available for a reasonable charge. Open 7 days. Terrific place for train lovers.

You start off with a short film that gives you an overview and then you can roam the exhibits at your leisure. The museum not only talks about steam engines, but shows the historical development of the area that was instigated by the advent of steam engines. There are several exhibits that you can touch and walk through. Although we didn't avail ourselves of the opportunity, you can also listen to talks by park rangers.
This is a great place for children as well, but grown-ups might get so engrossed in the exhibits that they don't want to consider little one's shorter attention span.

Extensive and impressive collection of steam locomotives. Particularly, the roundhouse was interesting to look at. However, the train ride was a disappointment: the guide was curt and uninformed, it was a diesel rather than a steam engine and we saw very little.

We stopped on the way back from a long road trip and only arrived at about 4pm, but because it is free it was totally worth spending even less than an hour to check it out. We watched as they maneuvered an engine into place to move one of their other trains back into the roundhouse for the night, and quickly walked up and down the indoor exhibits and trains until they closed at 5pm. There appeared to be many engaging and child-friendly activities and exhibits, although the Technology section seemed a little overwhelming with several audio features that could be heard at any one place. In total, it was an amazing experience that probably would have been epic if we'd had the time to properly explore, especially the prospect of paying for an excursion on a train! If we pass this way again we will definitely dedicate more time!!

We were there on a day when none of the exhibits were operating. Had a not so narrative tour guide and made the tour long. Lots of artifacts in the museum. Good for younger children and railroad buffs.

We visited Steamtown NPS, Railfest 2017 this our 4th year attending, this year we were able to photograph Baldwin #26, GTW 6039, and F3 #663.

Each Railfest has a different theme, this year's was Steam to Diesel. Plenty of old trains cars and power units on display. Many VIP's volunteers in service to the park. Help make the weekend fun and informative.

Caboose rides, Scranton Limited Rides sometime diesel sometimes behind the #26 Baldwin. Shop Tours. Just to many to mention here.

Steamtown is open all year, a great place to visit, for $7.00 a person. You can fill a whole day here exploring trains, and memorabilia. Plus kids can become a park ranger. Check at the visitor center and the staff will help you fill your day with fun and history.

The Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society and the Steamtown National Historic Site are pleased to announce a very special Railfest 2017 activity: a night photo session at the park to benefit the restoration of Project3713.

With three individual scenes lit and staged by Railman & Railroad editor Steve Barry, it is guaranteed to be a unique event. Scenes will be: See information below.

- Grand Trunk Western 4-8-2 #6039 in a roundhouse/turntable pose
- Baldwin #26 under steam with a freight train by the sand tower
- The A-B-A DL&W painted F3’s at the Mattes Street Tower
Details of the shoot:

If you are into trains this is the place to go. ! Very nostalgic and informative museum, but plan to spend the day looking at all the train exhibits. We also took the steam ride that takes you up through the gorge and it was very enjoyable and scenic. Definitely, take the guided tour as they take you through the workshops and detail a lot of history about Steamtown and the history of trains in the United States.

This place is great for anyone who loves trains. They have several pieces of equipment on display ranging from steam engines to diesel locomotives. It is conveniently located near the Marketplace and the trolley museum. For those that enjoy active railway operations, they operate a steam train and house some of their locomotives in the Delaware & Lackawanna yard, which uses ALCO diesel locomotives. There is also a roundhouse and a turntable. Whether your kid likes trains or you are an enthusiast, this is the place for you.

Steamtown contains many well-maintained steam locomotives from the early to mid-1900s. The site is on an old railyard with maintenance facilities and a large working turntable. Exhibits show why steam engines trains were used in the 1800s and 1900s and why they were replaced. You can take a short ride on an old train with docents who explain the workings of these old trains.

As a railroad fan, how could one not enjoy this? No cost to visit (and only $6 for the short train ride around the site). I enjoyed strolling through the museum exhibits and the roundhouse. I wish we were able to explore the roundhouse on the ground level (to see the engines closer), and be able to explore more of the trains in the yard (most of the yard is off limits), but I would recommend a visit to anyone with an interest in trains!

Craig Hockenberry: Steamtown National Historic Site was a great stop in Scranton, PA. The staff was amazing, kind and very helpful. The movie was very helpful and I had the chance to interact with several workers. Great place I highly recommend spending 2 hours. The exhibits were well done and I felt like I left there with an amazing understand of the importance of trains and the impact they had on America.

Craig Hockenberry

Steamtown has a great story to tell about how the Railroads changed the course of the country in the 1800s. The exhibits are informative and the collection is great! The Roundhouse is amazing! We loved it!

Like the mills in Lowell this Historic Site presents an era of American history. The overall size of the site is that of a train yard with lots of trims. The train are mostly steam even though there are a couple of diesel locomotive and a huge diesel motor. The museum is extremely interesting showing not only the tools of railroading but also the cause and effects of the industry.
I really enjoyed both the movie and the the train ride.
Lots of fun.

We found the Steamtown National Historic Site on accident while exploring the Steamtown Mall. We excited out of the black of the mall, onto the observation bridge that leads overtop the trains and onto the property of the SNHS. We were impressed by the number of old trains, the beautiful round house and it’s all free to explore! If you like trains or exploring National Historic Sites, this is a must see.

A really interesting place to visit. We only had about an hour so did a quick stroll through. About 2 hours or more is probably a good amount of time to spend. It was also very cold the day we visited so we did not spend a lot of time outside. The rangers were helpful and offered a tour, but because of our time constraint had to decline. There was something of interest for all of my children, elementary-high school ages.

A lot of steam engines to view in the roundhouse. So glad to see these preserved even though only a few of them operate now and most will never run again. The displays throughout the museum were very interesting and will engage all ages. Only five dollars for a short ride on a steam operated passenger train. Worth every second and dollar spent here and more.

Steamtown is a reasonably well capitalized museum with a disappointing curation of displays. Much of it is themed towards children and rolling stock and engines are in some cases simply shoved into roundhouse tracks with no information or interpretation. The museum could be on the level of the California State RR Museum in Sacramento or the Pennsylvania State RR Museum in Strasburg but lacks the thematic strength of those two locations. On the other hand the seasonal excursions sponsored by Steamtown are an incomparable draw that makes Steamtown a place to at least stop for a visit.

I have a lot of great memories of this place as a child but it truly is a shame to see it all go to dust. They don't seem to take care of it like they use to, such a shame.

We paid the $5 each to ride the train. Unfortunately we could not hear the tour guide on the train because small children were a little excited and loud, but it was pleasant. Maybe a microphone? Kids have the opportunity to climb on some trains and ring some bells. The museum is very nice and the rangers are very knowledgeable and friendly. Don't forget the Junior Ranger program!

Take a walk back in time.A time when steam ruled the rails. See some of the most unique pieces in rail history. Tour the museum, take a ride on the train in season and take home msome good memories.

Any site in the US National Parks system is OK by me. This historic site is truly fascinating and so worth a visit. If you love US History then this is a great place to see when in Scranton.

I am not necessarily a train person, but I was with a group of folks that wanted to visit, and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. Even if you don't know much about trains (I don't) you will appreciate all the historic relics on site. It's pretty amazing to see them up-close and to imagine all that went into building them. The train ride is fun, and the museum is interesting. I especially liked the models and descriptions of all the people who would be on/around the trains. A real gem in Scranton.

My husband and I spent a day at the Steamtown National Historic Site in the summer. The exhibits and movies were all very well done and interesting. My husband liked the vintage trains an there were plenty to view! Then we took the short train ride. It was a great short vintage ride through the yard area. The "conductor" was full of interesting and fun facts. They had a small but inclusive gift shop....ended up buying a few books for gifts. All in all, a fun day!

Visited my son at university of Scranton for family weekend. Wanted to see some of the sites. This was a great place to start. I've never seen so many old trains in one place! The volunteer tour guide was very knowledgeable about all of them. He even stayed after the tour was over and answered all of our questions. Then we went to the trolley museum right across the street. Again, very interesting and definitely worth the trip. Ages were 14, 16 and 18.

Our youngest child is a train enthusiast and seeing a Big Boy (4012) was on his bucket list. We were amazed to see how detailed the museum is. It includes a working roundhouse, refurbished cars and engines, and knowledgeable rangers. The visitors center is closed for repairs, but the museum is more than sufficient. Across the way is a trolley museum. We arrived later in the afternoon and were unable to tour that portion. There was no entrance fee. The only disappointment was not being able to walk into the cab of the Big Boy. We saw guest going up the stairs and thought it would be available until closing. However it was blocked off by 4:00 p.m. Some tears were shed, but all in all a very good experience!

Who doesn't love steam trains? And they've got a Big Boy out by the parking lot. Just be sure to catch them on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday when they're actually running steam.

This place is amazing...even for people not very familiar with trains (me). The history displays are great, the narrated caboose ride (only $5!) very informative about railroading, the Lackawanna RR, and the Scranton / coal mining importance. Also loved watching the roundhouse move a train around. Staffed 90% by extremely knowledgeable volunteers, this park deserves better federal funding. They do an AMAZING job of preserving and presenting information important in the industrial development of the country. The Park is part of an ACTIVE railroad yard, making it even more interesting, but also requiring care. They do a good job of making sure parents can keep children safe, but parents are responsible to carry out cautions.

There is something here to please hardcore railfans and the kids. Be sure to ride the train - great experience in the fall.

Parts of the museum being closed per COVID. I have been to this area on normal circumstances but have never rode the train or gone inside. Even with having a couple parts open, its a fantastic place to see trains up close. The Park staff are really friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the city, why its called steam town or electric city, and the trains themselves. I went in the middle of the week and there were only a handful of people. They let us go in the round about and in the area where they kept the trains. Definitely a skeptical of classic engineering. The price of admission was free. But I think when all returns to normal the train ride is $5.00 which is a fantastic price. Please see my profile for Scranton travel plan. #ontourexploring

The museum is great for those who know little about railroads. Those who know a lot will be annoyed with some of the homogenized, dumbed-down park service commentary, but the equipment on display will more than compensate for the nonsense.

There is a great pairing of both indoor exhibits as well as outdoor / real-life industrial repair facilities that can be toured. It strikes me as a very authentic museum, not necessarily for little kids to run around indoors like other places with train cars. Here you smell the diesel in the air and see the grease on the ground. But fear not, there are cleaner museum areas within if that’s important. I’m not sure I’d drive all the way out here to see this unless you’re particularly interested in train history and its people.

The kids LOVED this stop. Note you'll have to pick up your Jr Ranger book from the information stand where they sell the train tickets. The museum is GIANT with one section covering the science of steam engines and trains, another section dealing with the history of train travel in the US, a working round house that you can walk through and the train yard. Lots of hands on exhibits included on steam engine the kids can get in and ring the bell. If you combined this with trolley museum next door you have a full day. Staff was great with the kids.

Jr Ranger book for grade schoolers was a bit more difficult that normal. Several of the questions we couldn't find in the museums and we ended up just googling the answer.

we took our granddaughters to steamtown on july 16th. we had a great time looking at all the old steam diesel trains and were able to go inside many of them. we also took a half hour ride in one of them and the conductor was awesome!! very informative. we brought a picnic lunch and they had many picnic tables outside. inside were bathrooms and museums to look at and a spot for the kids to play with small pieces of coal to dig in and find treasures. I would go back there again

If you fancy old trains like I do, Scranton is your Mecca. This National Park site is a former repair shop (roundhouse) for steam locomotives and trains. There are numerous locomotives and other rolling stock on hand to explore. An admission is free.

If you like vintage trains, this place is for you.

Exit 185 off Interstate 81. There are hotels 5 minutes away.

Stay at the Hilton on Adams Street.

Steam town was great. Seeing all the replica engines was awesome the buildings were closed so couldnt see the engines inside. but you could see the turntable.

I took 2 train rides. I was really glad to ride the steam train and see the round house operate. Many static display trains through the yard

We visited this location because it was on my husband's bucket list of places to visit. My family enjoys learning about trains and how they worked over the years. It is well worth the time to visit if trains are of interest.

What an amazing surprise this site is. It is a very large museum, based on a railroad roundhouse, except the round house is still there, in the middle, with locomotives one can climb into or cars to inspect. There is a wide variety of locomotives on display. The day we were there, they were giving short train rides for $5.00 a person. Also, the day we were there, most elevators to the upper stories were out of order.

Take the kids or grandkids, even if you don't have much interest in trains. Entry is free and there is plenty to see both indoors and out. I especially enjoyed the section indoors that had full-size statues of anyone associated with the old railroad lines, from the company president to the kid selling papers as well as a hobo.

What silly questions further below about entry fees. There is no entry fee at all for this gem, the only one like it in the country.

If you want to see old stream powered trains, this is your spot. The limited rides are about 30 minutes, narrated to provide history, great for kids and is only $5. I think they do longer trips during the open season, but we're on a budget and only want some amusement.

This visit isn't meant to be a full trip. It's to get a taste of trains and scranton history.

This free museum is extremely interesting, especially to a non-American. We re-routed through Scranton, especially to take in this attraction, and were not disappointed. I hadn't realised how significant the area was in the past. Very well presented and well preserved locos, and the staff were extremely helpful.

The trolley ride was great and it was very informative about the past. The conductor pointed out different sites as we passed them and told us about the past coal mines, iron making and zoo that use to be in Scranton. We will do it again next year. The museums are good to go thru also.

A very well displayed array of steam engines in the center of Scranton. Well worth the admission, will visit again.

We viewed a video, "Steel and Steam," about changes in train transportation during the 20th century, and we toured the History Museum and the Technology Museum. Both museums have informative interactive and other exhibits, as well as a couple of train cars that can be entered. We hope to return in the future, to take a train ride or two.

Place was huge. I never even got to the trolley building. Spent about 3 hrs here and had to run. Rangers were great, of course. But nice to see a lot of engines and rolling stock nicely restored. Only reason i gave a 4 instead of a 5 was no train rides during the week in September, just the weekends.

I had an afternoon to kill and did not have alot of money to spend so I decided to visit Steam Town, I was very pleased because for one thing it is free to visit, and you can learn a lot about the early Lacawanna train line as well as check out the different engines and rail cars. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something to do, either alone or with your family

We had a fun visit at Steamtown! Most of workers are volunteers. Went on train ride for $5 additional ticket-well worth it! Watched movie-entertaining. Walked around and explored-interesting! Good rainy day activity without spending a lot!

Steamtown is run birth National Park Service and currently charges no admission.. Ample parking is also free. The exhibits chronicle the role of railroads in the building of America. Be sure to view the orientation film climb aboard the trains that allow visits.
Parks rangres are available to answer questions and offer periodic tours. Steam town also offers rides on classic railroad cards for a fee.There is also an archive of historical memorabilia and ephemera located at the far end of the museum. This is open to researchers with prior appointments. At the far end of Steamtown is a Trolley Car Museum which is run by the county. This is a separate venue that charges admission.
Look for an upcoming exhibit of antique stock certificates that will trace the financial history of the railroad industry.

I didn't have a lot of time to spend at Steamtown, but I was able to briefly walk around the grounds on a late afternoon...and had the added bonus of seeing one of the passenger excursions switching tracks in the yard! It was excellent to see all of the happenings, and would be well worth spending a lot more team in the museum areas.

Very worthwhile! Historic, interesting and fun! Lots of trains and exhibits to view. It is next to the Trolley Museum which can be explored as well. My friend, who came with me particularly enjoyed it because her father worked for railroad. i liked it because I learned alot about trains! Kids love this place, too! Don't miss the train ride! It is short, but very pleasant.

It’s awesome that this is a national park, so it’s free. The exhibits are quite numerous and educational, but they could use a little life injected into them. Many of the displays are very plain and resembled the quality of a winning high school science fair display, and not that of a museum because there are few actual artifacts. Mostly there are just color copies of maps, train tickets, book covers, and similar items. There is a section with old bottles, toys, cans, and other items found during archaeological digs, and that’s where the majority of the actual historic artifacts are displayed.

The few trains on display are great to see up close, though. You can walk inside a postal car and a dining/sleeping car. In the postal car they show a nice video about the work of railroad postal clerks and it was fascinating to hear about how they gathered and sorted mail before modernization took over. It also covered the story of Owney, the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service, who was a stray dog that found himself on a train one day. He became sort of a good luck charm because a train never crashed when he was on board.

Outside the interior exhibits are a few trains you can see up close and personal, and outside the museum there is a ramp that leads to The Marketplace at Steamtown, a small mall. It’s worth a trip over as you can see dozens of abandoned, rusted trains from the 1800s and 1900s, just sitting there dying a slow death from the elements. It’s a great spot if you are into photography and like shooting old, abandoned, decaying structures.

So much to see here, awesome train excursions, looking forward to their Christmas trains. Very knowledgeable shop tour

Took our grandson to Steamtown and had a short, but great visit. Park is well laid out and is an interesting view into railroading history and it's contribution to the growth of our nation. Short train ride was fun and Ranger Tim dd an informative narration as we rode along.

We stopped at Steamtown on our way home from Hershey. Steamtown was fun, the kids liked it. The part could use some updating and a longer ride on the train would be nice. The museum is interesting and has lots of information.

If you're any type of railroad fan at all, this is a must see visit! Very helpful staff, much to see!

Well laid out and presented. Almost too much information to absorb in a single visit.

Lots of interaction and hands on for kids

If attending off season take the tour to get behind the scenes view of the repair shops. Incredible!

Glad someone had the foresight to preserve such an important part of American history.

I visited Steamtown less than a month after it was authorized in 1986. It wasn't much then. WOW! Has it changed. Not only do they have trains and more trains, they have a roundhouse, engine shop, turntable, and a great visitor center.
Like most park rangers, these guys were helpful, friendly, and informative. We enjoyed touring the engines, rolling stock, and looking at the static exhibits.
Nothing was running (trains) the day we visited, but it was a great experience. These trains were a very big part of what allowed the US to become a world leader in industry, and they remain vitally important to this day.
We are very glad we visited. We wished we had more than two hours to spend her, there is so much to see.

I have been coming here since my father took me at a very young age. I spent hours there. And now that I have a child I assume the same will happen. You can’t go wrong. The museum is just terrific for all ages and the excursions are terrific. This is a gem in this area. So clean and so interesting.

We stopped by on a Wednesday in October.
No trains were running.
They did a good guided tour by David A.
Not a lot of rolling stock to look at. I wish we would have been able to ride.
A LOT of steam engines and in depth workings of them.

We went to Scranton for a business meeting and drove to Steamtown.
It was awesome!!! Engines were running, but not moving.
Unfortunately we were there this past weekend during the BIG EAST COAST snow storm.
But it was still neat to see the HUGE ENGINES>
will be returning for sure!!!

What a great surprise, first surprise it is a National Historic Site! Then train rides wonderful displays an HO model of the area in the 1930's. Big turntable and indoor train cars. And of course the Big Boy 4012!

Free entry into a world of trains. Take the free tour behind the scenes for an up-close view of these magnificent machines.

The outside displays are basically ignored and in need of paint and restoration. Being a fan of railroads in general it breaks my heart to see the place falling into disrepair. I am a BIG fan of the Big Boy Engines and to see the poor condition of this as a display piece. This was a marvel of early 20th century engineering and I am dismayed at the lack of attention to keeping this machine looking as it did in the glory days of steam.
In addition the walk way from the mall is in severely poor condition and used to be a nice vantage point to view and photograph some of the engines and rolling stock. I do not feel comfortable doing so due to rotted planking. I also no longer see an incentive to photograph rotting hulks. All I can say is what a shame!

Spent an hour here. Skipped the hokey movie. Walked around and checked the big engines out. Interesting to read about how the site has evolved over the years.

Even you’re not really a train person (as is the case with me), this place is cool. There was all sorts of unique stuff to do during Railfest that I never imagined doing like driving a hand car or riding in a speeder. Only spent a few hours here since I was following the interest level of 2 toddlers, but there’s so much history to appreciate here that could have easily kept me occupied for a day.

You are pretty much on your own, no time limit! You go at your own pace. There is a tour and a movie, a museum too. A bit boring, but interesting. The kids can ring the bell on the engine. Not a whole lot to do here. You can go on a short ride for 5.00 each. A lot of walking, great for steam train enthusiasts. You can see people repairing the trains. Best part?? It is free.

Interesting exhibits about earlier train activity in the area. The visitors center was closed. Some beautiful trains on display.

Surprisingly, could be better but we'll be back.

While we did enjoy ourselves, we were a bit disappointed. Not that we didn't get to go outside (even on Friday, the day before the snow hit, the outside where the turntable was, was closed for ice and snow.) But rather, the Imagination Station for kids in the History Museum had stubs of crayons and broken and missing wooden train components. Not the end all be all, but if you're trying to appeal to kids ... a box of crayons is not that expensive.

Also: the presentation video in the railway post office car was not playing. The theater was closed, and there was no overview movie.

But my kid enjoyed themselves regardless, and that's all that matters. In the VC are a brakeman and a conductor's cap, so we all took turns "driving" the train and "punching tickets" (there's a couple of train seats next to faux windows displaying scenes during an actual train ride.) Kid liked digging in the history museum, and I liked looking at the artifacts that were dug up. And it was neat going through the railway post office and business cars, as well as the 1902 and 1937 roundhouse (we didn't make it to the other roundhouse because we wanted to get to the Electric City Trolley Museum before they closed - we spent from 10.30 to 1.30 at Steamtown, and both places close at 4. Oh, and the trolley museum opens at 9, so one can visit there first, since Steamtown opens at 10.)

Also, when we got to Steamtown, someone from the ticket booth said there were no EN/NPS passport stamps there.

The VC had both the Junior Ranger and trapezoidal stamp, but wouldn't allow my kid to have their hand stamped with them, so I didn't ask to use them in our book. Ranger used them to stamp kid's JR certificate.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley stamp was not out at the Oil House. We were in hurry to get to hotel, so we did not stop by HQ even though it was nearby. We're sending in a TTM request to the HQ for it.

Had a wonderful day at Steam town historic site. Did the Halloween short excursion the guide was very informative and answered all the questions my son had. He involved the guests with the history of the railroad and of the area. Kids had a great time doing the scavenger hunt as they were learning about the time frames of the railway.

This may not be the most exciting thing to do here, but it was really cool to see and learn about an industry in its hey-day 100 years ago. The staff there were very friendly.

Free. Handicapped accessible. Parking for RVs. Bring your own lunch. No firearms allowed. Friendly volunteers and staff. Great layout. Small store. A variety of exhibits. Indoor and outdoor displays. Minutes from Interstate 81. Trolley Museum on the other side of the parking lot. Free tours.

Excellent job of preserving train history. Took a guided tour of roundhouse and maintenance shops. The guide, volunteer I believe, shared a lot of history and interesting facts but didn't know answers to several questions. For example, was the coal used in steam engines local or from where. How was coal stored and loaded onto trains. That wasn't explained clearly. I admire his volunteerism though. The technology museum was very interesting.

The location was easy to find with plenty of parking. The museum is well laid out, with plenty of static and interactive displays. They have a great variety of engines from the steam era.

The information and displays explained things very well. They a cut-away steam engine showing the inner workings of a steam engine, which I have never seen at any other museum.

They were pressure testing an engine during my visit, which was super interesting to watch live.

OK...truth time! I am not a train person, like at all. But I am married to someone who IS a train person (big time), and this was something he wanted to see. I was prepared to be bored to tears, but I was pleasantly surprised. Well, for the most part. They have a tour of the grounds led by a member of the National Park Service that is a must for train enthusiasts, but to me it was everything you would ever want to know about trains with much more piled on for good measure.
Here's a fun fact...if you have a membership card that you might have picked up at any national park (we got ours at Skyline Drive last year) and you are over 61 you and three other people can get into any Park Service property for free. Since my husband had a card, the only thing we had to pay for was the train ride. After the tour, we spent the rest of the day on our own looking at the trains on the grounds and checking out the exhibits. My husband loved this place, our teenage son tolerated it fairly well, and I was pretty happy with everything outside of the tour.

If you like trains, you will love Steamtown. We enjoyed all of the old steam engines, especially the UP Big Boy! A great place for kids and adults alike and well worth the price of admission. A must see for any train buffs!

We stopped here to kill some time after another attraction. So glad we did. Our 14 year old daughter had a great time. We loved going into the trains. The whole place is beautifully done. We could have easily spent hours there. Lots to see. We will definitely go back.

I love my National Park visits and try to get to all of the NPS Sites when I'm traveling. On our road trip to the northeast, we stopped in Scranton to see all of the Office sites (my girlfriend is a huge fan), so a visit to Steamtown was a must for me.

You cannot beat a free National Park Property. The trains were amazing. The buildings and turntable were so cool to see. The amount of operational trains was sort of mind blowing. What a great place to visit. We did not do a ride because of time constraints. This was one of the highlights of the week long roadtrip for me.

This train museum is built around a train roundhouse. It made it slightly confusing at first,but the rangers were very helpful. There are 5 separate buildings that are connected outside or inside. The history of early train travel and scrantons growth was perfect. All the kids were engaged. They do offer a little kids play section which helped the toddler.

My girl friend, her 14 yo son and I stopped here on a road trip and found it was worth it. We were impressed with the facility, displays and personnel. If you like trains or just want to learn more about them and the people related to the industry, this is a great place to visit. I think all ages should be entertained for a 1-3 hour visit. I recommend it!

This site was visited with COVID protocols in place so some areas were closed. That said - this a well-designed and informative historical site that also limits the amount of information so that you can easily visit in an hour or so. This is a must do for families with kids obsessed with trains. You can get up close and personal with lots of interesting locomotives and see both the historical side and the active side all in one place. Free parking and friendly staff.

Adults and kids will enjoy this historic site. Some of it is inside and some of it is outside. Kids can climb on trains.

enjoyable informative interesting place for both adults and kids of all ages that have a thing for trains. great place to learn about the workings of the train.

This is a great family experience to ride and see the old steam locomotives. The price for the ride is only $6.00 to take the tour around Scranton. We did not take the longer trips since we were on vacation and going back home. The tour guide was great and you can see all the history in the museum and book shop. Great time was had by all!

This is a great place if you are in the Scranton area to learn all about the DL&W railroad, and the evolution of the railroad yard. This is a great place especially if you are a train enthusiast. This is the only place in the national park system where you can learn the story of steam railroading. You can also go for a short train ride for an additional fee of $5

We’ve ridden this train before. The museum, the station, awesome. Every person you meet, friendly and helpful starting with the ticket center. You’re greeted with a friendly smile. We did the train ride that stops at a shopping area, it’s not. It’s a train station with merchants selling hamburgers, hot dogs on a BBQ grill. Cookies and pretzels, drinks. That’s it. You sit for 1.5 hours in the middle of nowhere doing absolutely nothing. I can’t believe this. Not everyone wants carbs, fat, cholesterol and sugar. If you can just do train, all the better. Skip this stop.

We very much enjoyed both the Steamtown museum and the trolleys. When you approach the location, a sign on the Steamtown property is BEFORE you arrive at the entrance. Keep going past the sign. We turned in at the sign and wasted a lot of time, confused because we could not find where to walk into the complex.

I am a former railroader and the equipment used before my time has always fascinated me, so I made the journey to see this collection. I was not disappointed. The staff did their the best to inform me of things they had learned about the various units on the property. I would recommend it for anyone that has even a passing interest in railroads and how they worked in the past.

My Dad took me there when I was about 10 (I'm 72 now!). My family (McCreary) was from Jamestown, PA, and my Dad took me to Steamtown decades ago. I still remember hiking through some woods and coming upon this place! I can't believe it's still there!
It helps to have someone to explain the mechanics of the engines. My Dad was born in 1909, and he has passed long ago, but he had SEEN these engines when they were RUNNING long before I was born!

Grandkids had off from school so it was a great reason to finally get here. Make sure to go on the train ride - it doesn't go very far, but even so it was great going back and forth around Steamtown. Lots of engines for them to climb in and explore. We will have to go back when they are older so they understand more of what they read.

Hands down a favorite! Theres just not enough time to see everything. Inside and out. Fun for all ages!

Steamtown was larger than I expected. It is now free to visit! And is spread out in several rooms of the roundhouse, plus the visitor center, gift shop, and rail yard. Just walking through the roundhouse takes a while. There are lots of displays to read. The kids loved all the interactive exhibits. They also liked climbing aboard a couple train cars. It was a cold, rainy day so we didn't explore the rail yard beyond what was right next to the parking lot. Steamtown also offers excursion trains. On the day of our visit they had a sold out Christmas train. Check their website for offerings.
Outside there are picnic tables. There are no cafes or restaurants on the premises. Steamtown is located next to a mall and a Trolley museum.

My wife and I were in nearby Wilkes Barre for the weekend, looking for something to do, and found this excellent opportunity to view the museum about Steam trains. Very informative about the history of the area and its development of the steam train. You can even ride a train for $5.00, for 30 minutes. Excellent way to spend several hours learning and enjoying your day. Highly recommended

We were staying here onour way back from our Canada vacation this is a place my husband has been wanting to see, it was 4th of July it was very HOT the admission was free there are a lot of old trains to see.

Nice ride with Baldwin locomotive #26 to the Nay Aug Gorge. Museums are well done and very educational. A nice collection of steam and diesel locomotives. Rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. Big Boy 4012 is on display. Our only complaint is that if you are coming in from the north the entrance signs nor the Cliff St signs are visible before you make the turn.

Steamtown was recommended by friends while we were traveling south from New England. It was cold and windy and the trains weren't running but the ranger there took her time with us to explain the exhibits and how too see them. We loved walking through the old train cars and learning about this time in American history. The exhibits are all free.

A great place to visit especially for steam buffs many locos and rolling stock. Engines are frequently run and rides are available on certain days.

Steamtown was quite interesting. Great collection of steam trains. Take advantage of the free tour given by the National Park ranger. He was very knowledgeable and interesting.

It's a national historic site, so it is done right. Entry is free. My husband loved it, but he's a civil engineer with an interest in anything with moving parts. I found parts that were interesting to me. It is very extensive with a lot of displays. The rangers were helpful answering questions. I think small children would enjoy seeing the big choo-choos but I think they would want to leave early.

I had been previously but enjoyed it just as much this time. We did do the short train ride on a vintage train which gave you the feel of train travel in the 1920's. Lots to see and marvel at.

We spent three hours wandering through this terrific museum and site. Loved looking at the old locos and the roundhouse, especially the locos being renovated. The technology display helped us understand the development of the steam engines.

All in all, a terrific place to visit! Plan to come back.

Even if you are not a train buff, there's likely to be something of interest. The museum covers the history of railroading in the area, and ties it into the history of the area itself, as well as the coal and steel industries on which the railroad depended.

They do a great job of showing how real people fit into the picture throughout time. The extensive participation of women in the workplace during the two world wars is nicely illustrated.

The museum has several sections, in addition to the yards, roundhouse and turntable, covering railroading, regional history, and technology. All are worth checking out.

We will definitely return in the future.

Well I went because it was recommended by a family member that used to live in the area. Was well worth the drive over and time spent! Very cool attraction! I learned so much about the area and the trains!

The train ride to Moscow was a real learning experience. We were living in the moment it was just like the old days. This is the closest thing to time travel you can get.

Steamtown has some fantastic restored locomotives and we got to go on one short train ride. When we planned our trip, we didn't realize that the train ride schedule is cut way back after Labor Day, probably because they rely on volunteers for much of the program.

My visit took place just after the corona virus outbreak started, and public places were being locked down. This meant that part of the museum was closed; however, the parts that were open were well worth the visit!
The open air section had a lot of interesting locomotives to wander around, with informative plaques for most of them. It was quite novel to be able to actually walk up the railway tracks!
Inside there was a large exhibition on the history of the railway, from its conception to its eventual demise, with photographs of the area illustrating how it developed and changed over the years.
There was also a very interesting exhibition of various items used by the railway, with explanations of how and when they were used.
The best bit was a large cut away railway locomotive explaining how it all worked.
As mentioned, the Roundhouse was closed, so we could only look at it through the windows, but it looked impressive!
I would thoroughly recommend this attraction as a good day out.

I am not really a RR nut, but still liked this
NHS. The visitor center and museum were closed for renovations but there is still plenty to see. Many engines and exhibits. While we were there they brought an engine out on the turntable which was great. The gift shop is also very good.

There should be a ranking above "excellent" for this historic site in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Steamtown has been lovingly reconstructed as a hidden gem of railroad history. Be sure to take the tour offered several times daily by a member of the park staff. The thirty minutes is absolutely amazing--from the discussion inside a caboose of why this car was so important to a recounting of how brakemen had to jump from car to car to engage early brakes. Follow this with the video and then get into a walk around the "yard" including my first experience seeing how a turn-table worked in a roundhouse. There has been no expense cut in making this a triumph of the national park system and private donors. You don't really have to love trains to find this site incredible.

Wandering around northeastern PA and southern NY the previous day. On the way back we stopped here for a brief visit. On a cold and rainy day, we ended up spending over five hours prowling around the exhibits, taking a walking tour and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. I’m a railhead who enjoys trains of all sizes but the historical bent was a pleasure to us both. If you don’t like trains, it’s easy to be bored and you might want to walk up the railroad bridge that will take you over to the mall. We will be back to spend a lot more time here and hopefully get in a train.

A must-see for all train enthusiasts! Operated by the National Park Service, admission is free. $5 charge if you want a short ride in a caboose pulled by a steam engine.

We visited this museum a few weeks ago while traveling up to Cooperstown NY. It was a hot summer day and we took the train ride with a very nice tour-guide, explaining much about the area and what it was like in the old days of steam train transportation. Boy was it hot (no AC in those days). But we enjoyed the ride.
The museum itself is amazing with well made and maintained historical train stuff. A real treasure if ya ask me, but I like this kind of stuff. We had time to kill in Scranton and this seemed and was a pretty nice place.

And you do not have to be a train geek to have a great time.

In the heart of downtown Scranton, a museum built in an old railyard complete with working roundtable, locomotive sheds, fascinating displays, a theater and the requisite book/gift shop. Compact and easy to get around, you may think you will spend about an hour or so. I did, and was there for over 2.5 hours.

Beautifully restored steam and a few diesel locomotives, various rail cars and a few passenger cars. Displays that clearly explain the development and golden age of rail travel in the early to mid 20th century, as well as earlier periods in the 1800s. How it all helped the industrial development of Pennsylvania, the northeast and teh country as a whole.

And you get to see the staff restoring even more of these magnificent machines in the main shed. Bringing back an important piece of our travel history.

Bonus - there are a variety of train rides you can take as well. Various lengths and times. Some run everyday, others only on weekends. Check the website or main information booth for times and dates.

And thoroughly enjoy travel the way it used to be. And wish it could be again.

Incredible. Steamtown was not a destination for us. When we came into Scranton we saw the steam train crossing the bridge and I googled to see what it was. After we had lunch we stopped by for what we planned to be 10 mins. It’s a National park and there’s no admission. $5 ticket to ride the steam engine which I would pass on the next time. The museum and roundhouse are amazing to visit. Whoever laid out this place knew what they were doing. Can’t say enough about how which fun it was, how much we learned and how much we all appreciated what they have to offer. Will definitely go back again.

Thoroughly enjoyed the trip through time. Great exhibits. Knowledgeable guide. Pleasant staff. Lots to see and yet relaxed enough to do on your own time.

This is a must see for adults and children alike. I was there three hours and did not get to experience everything. I did take the short 30 minute train ride which was most interesting, saw most of the trains, and many of the exhibits, but missed the movie in the large theater. Only saw about five minutes of the 18 minute film which appeared to be very interesting. This would be a great learning tool for children to see how the industrial revolution helped our country with trains playing a large part of that progress. The national Park service has really done an excellent job presenting steam trains, diesel trains, life of the people that worked around trains, and the part trains played in our country. My hat is off to the National Park Service. Job well done.

Was excellent museum. Took a tour of the shops where they are restoring steam locos. Quite interesting. Never realized the complexity and maintenance required. I especially liked the cutaway steam engin so you can see how the steam is made and powers the wheels. If you have the time definitely worth stopping by

It was great learning about the history of locomotive. My Grandfather was an engineer and rode in the caboose. It was wonderful to actually see where he had worked. There are many trains there to look at. The gentleman that did our tour was very knowledgeable. We had a great time.

The museum was very informative and provided visuals of the history of Steamtown and the train era. The train ride was not as impressive and some of it is because they need to invest in a good microphone system so you can hear. Families travel with small kids and I understand they get excited so they talk the entire time. They stamp your ticket like the real train does as they are moving. If you are looking for a fast train ride this is not the place for you. But my husband is a train lover so it was very interesting to him.

My husband and son LOVE trains and this provided a full day of fun. Best was watching the turntable at the end of the day as one of the trains was returned to the train shed.

Me and my adult daughter went to see all the trains and museum things on my birthday. Everyone was friendly and we had a great day !

What an awesome place to visit! Our 5, 3 and 1 year old loved all of it! You can walk through so many places and go in and out of trains. You don't have to tell your kids not to touch things, because you can touch pretty much everything. The train rides are about 10 minutes long each and you can ride them as much as you want! There is a little movie shown and a playroom for the kids as well as a bunch of walk through museum type rooms. Kids 16 and under are FREE ADMISSION! It is a good indoor/outdoor place to go, so even on a rainy day it is worth going to. There isn't a picnic area as far as we could tell, but there is a walking bridge that takes you right to the food court at the mall (although there are only 3 food places open because of renovations). It can get hot on the trains, but they have water coolers and cups on the trains that you can have before and/or after your ride.
Great facilities, great information, fun for everyone!

Wasn't disappointed. Came to Steamtown to cross UP2012 Big Boy off the list and seen so much. Didn't come on a train ride day unfortunately but the machine shop guided tour and self guided yard tour took up alot of time. So much to see if you are a fan of railroad history.

Explore old steam engine trains. Actual trains are on exhibit, opportunity to climb on the trains and take pictures. Very knowledgeable tour guide, interesting films, easy to understand explanation s of history of steam engines and how they work.

Where else can you ride on these ancient steam monsters. The amazing volunteers keep the trains going and they are reminders of travel in the past. You can have short rides and enjoy travel of the past. A very unique experience . They run on weekends basically

Unfortunately our visit coincided with them losing the AC to a lightning strike. It was too hot to stay in the buildings and look at the exhibits. BUT there was lots of train cars on the outside.
Staff was very nice. There is a train ride ($5) and since my mother has mobility issues they offered to bring a lift to get her on if she wanted to ride. We were told there were 5 steep steps.
Nice gift shop.
Shares parking lot with Electric Trolley museum.

Driving back from Boston we found Steamtown National historical site. This is a national Park site and was free. They have guided tours several times a day with the Park Rangers. We had Alex Quinn leading and Shane Morgan is assisting. Alex was very knowledgeable and you could hear him speak leading the group. Alex was very passionate and detailed in describing the trains in the park. We were lead through various areas and each area was described in detail. We’ll go back again if we are in the area if I may say both Alex Quinn and Shane Morgan did an outstanding job.

Brought the train enthusiast we used our senior pass so just paid for the 5.00 train ride. I will say the signage is a bit confusing for parking, do not turn into the parking lot closest to the sign. Continue on down the road to Steamtown. Saw the film, checked out the exhibits, thought they were informative & well done. Don't come hungry there is no snack bar, we did ride the train & as others have said there isn't much to it, but as i understand it they are restricted to the property, so it is what it is. Nice book store, it's where you get your passport stamps.
I learned more than I thought, loved the film about Olney, we enjoyed our tour of Steamtown.

This museum is huge, and has more than 100 locomotives, most of them steam. A large 65 acre train yard complete with a 20 stall roundhouse and 90 foot turntable as well as large restoration shop, theatre, visitor's center, and air conditioned indoor exhibits. There is also a two car excursion train that is pulled and pushed by a vintage Baldwin 0-6-0 steam locomotive and travels into downtown Scranton and back into the yard. 30 minutes of nostalgia for $5 p/p. There is also a large book and gift shop located in the former oil house. Optional guided tours are available, but I found it better to just wander around the yard at my own pace, although I did go with the Park Ranger and group to the restoration shop for a one hour tour beginning at 2pm in the visitor's center. I would recommend at least four hours to do it justice and not be in a hurry to see this amazing collection of antique locos and other rolling stock like plows and snow blowers. So, to get up close to a myriad of steam locos, everything from switch engines to the 4-8-8-4 Union Pacific Big Boy, pay a visit to Steamtown USA.

If you’re are a train aficionado or just like trains, this is a must see. Restored and non-restored trains and on the weekend, you can take a short train ride on a vintage train. A luxury train car and mail car are restored and quite interesting. Including the train ride we spent about 3 hours. Could have easily spent more time but we had to move on.

There is something for everyone at this site. The history, science, and economics of trains and transportation. You can actually ride a coal train. You can see the old circus trains on abandoned tracks. There are museums and interactive exhibits related to the postal service and transportation disasters.

There is a minimum charge for the train and also the entrance fee. However, if you have a national park service pass you only need to pay for the train rides.

There are specialty rides which are offered a few times a year which go down to the Chesapeake and Delaware water gap.

I'm 41 and pretty sure I had more fun than our 3 year old. I can't say enough about this place except, PLEASE DON'T PASS THIS ONE UP
It's a perfect place for a family day. They have restrooms, and even a picnic area. Self guided tours is the best. Your free to walk around the trains and tracks. But be careful, there are working trains there. Beautiful pieces of history are stored here. I mean let's face it, who doesn't like " choo-choo trains". ❤️❤️😍

stumbled on to this with the GPS new it was in the area but surprised how close went to check on prices for a future trip found out it was free so walked around a bit. very educational for young and old alike want to go back with our grandson. the cost is free for the park train rides 5 dollars

This is a national park/museum with both static and live trains. If you love trains than this is the place for you. They have one of the few "big boy" engines on static display as well as a working turntable. If you get there early you can attend the shop tour which gives you a look into various stages of restoration and maintenence.
They offer excursions as well as a short yard ride in a working steam engine. At the end of the day you can watch them use the turntable and put the train into the shed. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and answered all of our questions.

Steamtown has lots to recommend it. The roundtable was even featured on a postage stamp. You can walk through various kinds of train cars and I think there is a ride on a train (which I didn’t have time for because the best time to go is summer. Steamtown is well-marked from I-81 and parking is plentiful.

No matter what age or gender, you will enjoy Steamtown National Historic Site. And they've recently announced that they will no longer be charging admission. See what made the nation great and hear the history of the railroad. Guides are informative and there are a lot of displays both inside and out. Visit the roundhouse...walk through the railyard and see locomotives from yesteryear. Adjacent to Trolly museum. Plenty of parking.

We arrived late in the day, so didn’t have much time to explore, but this seemed like a great place for anyone who loves trains or railroad history.

This National Park is a gem. And on a June Monday afternoon it was empty. The 2 pm tour of the locomotive shops had only 12 people on it. The movie theater, which looks like it seats 300+, had 4 of us.

No train rides except on weekends, but the exhibits are excellent. The movie, however, is so corny it needs a refresh. It's aimed at novices who know nothing about trains though this museum must see more than its share of serious rail fans (like me).

Kudo's to the Volunteer Guides who make this place tick while the Natl Park Svc is on life-support. Our guide "Don" was knowledgeable, informative and even performed first aid on me after I tripped and scraped an elbow.

No charge for admission... so please leave a donation!

Id give it a 5 if they had more of it accessible. Lots of free parking. Its all free except the trolley museum across from it.

The little one (4.5 years old), the hubby and myself went to this historic site as the main reason to visit the city of Scranton. The ride was a great length (30 minutes) and showed you so much of the train yard. Many old and unique engines to see, and the countryside is beautiful. The tour guide was very thorough, and knowledgable. The rest of the site was just as amazing filled with lots of information.

This is located directly across from the Trolley Museum - so was easy to do both in an afternoon. We arrived at 3pm and it closes at 4pm so we didn't get to see all the exhibits - would have needed another hour at least. It is a free exhibit of trains with many available to see and a couple to walk through. Included a detailed history of events related to the growth and ultimate demise of the train industry in the US. Was pretty good.

I was here 35 years ago and it really wasn't much then. Now it's fantastic. You start with a movie, then an educational tour through yhe museum which includes walking thru an old mail car and a business car. Then into the roundhouse where engines a d other rolling stock are on display. Finish up lut at the turntable. Everthing was bery well done. And it's all FREE. Don't miss this place!

The Steamtown National Historic site sits in an old rail yard, just off the Lackawanna River in Scranton PA. This is a great location to see a ton of US railroad history. Fairly easy access and parking. Entrance fees are $7 per person however if you have an annual national parks pass, this will help to offset the cost.

A whole lotta trains. Impressive even to ones who don't care about locomotives. Though much of the collection is from the pacific and Canada. Very friendly and knowledgeable rangers. Easily the best attraction in the area.

Located in Scranton PA, Steamtown National Historic Site has an amazing history about trains, more specifically, steam trains. Steamtown showcases steam locomotives when they ruled the USA railways and offers a working turntable, exhibits featuring what life was like working at the roundhouse, how it felt when on a train car, and much more regarding these historic locomotives. It is an amazing place if you enjoy trains and history.

Good display of railroad history. Walk over via the bridge from the mall if your downtown or across the tracks across the street from the bus station.

We took our 3 yr old grandson to see the trains. It was great. I don’t know who it enjoyed it more? Our grandson or the grandparents? Loved the short train ride to give you the excitement of riding a steam train! We will be going again as he gets older and even for ourselves!

Fun for train lovers of all ages. Explore the train yard and take an excursion on a steam train. Sometimes special exhibits are featured. National Park.

Full disclosure: I'm a train/museum nerd, and this has been on my bucket list for a long time. They have a wide selection of locomotives (tank engines to a Big Boy) and some freight/passenger/RPO cars. Everything is very well displayed and explained - especially the cutaway view of the steam locomotive. There are very good displays about RR workers and the role of the RR in our country's growth. Be sure to take the walking tour of the roundhouse and the maintenance shop - our guide was very knowledgeable. If you're into trains, this is a full day visit. Unless you want to take the train ride, everything is free!

We got there just in time for the morning tour of the back workshops.
National Park Ranger Larry did a fantastic guided shop tour highlighting the genius of the machines and the people who do the work on the massive trains. We even saw the Boston and Maine "The Constitution" that is in the process of being restored, rebuilt and revitalized.
The historic round house and all the restored train cars are wonderful. The have a lovely film theater that they run a great film about steam trains. Trains were not running for tours that day but we had no problem spending the day in the museum and train yard.

Have visited in the past and the museum is a good one. The roundhouse is the center of the exhibits and anchors it all. Took a special, longer trip, which went out to the Gouldsboro station. This ride allows for a lot of viewing and goes through one tunnel. The station at Gouldsboro is beautifully restored and allowed for a nice lunch hour before the return ride. The staff on the train was engaged and interesting. Ranger Lori is excellent.

Plenty of trains, great train equipment exhibits, great history exhibits, climb into train cars and engines, ride a steam train, easy parking, very clean facilities. Get a very good feel for what it was like in older days.
It may be crowded on holidays so I would recommend off season and weekdays.
I've driven through the town for 40 years and this was my first stop and well worth it.
I would recommend for those who love trains.

Bob our volunteer tour guide for the roundhouse was awesome. He knew a lot and was happy to invite us to ask questions and tell us about the rich history of the electric city. Our second guide was a retired engineer of 26 yrs and she rattled off the workings of a locomotive like it was the alphabet. Impressive stuff. The interactive games at the museum were fun. Well displayed and maintained facility. Didn’t get to do the train ride but that will be back up and running in April 2018.

Steamtown National Historic Site is a hidden gem within Scranton PA. I have passed by Scranton a few times prior, but never heard of this place until recently. Upon arrival, you are greeted with classic steam train locomotives placed around the entrance and parking lot. The walk-in entrance is inside the 'central garage station', which was mostly converted into a museum to educate guests about the history of steam locomotives. Although older freight trains are still active throughout the United States, you rarely see these amazing pieces transportation technology, some close or up 100 years old! My Favorite train was the 1948 sky blue 'Lackawana 664' in the workshop, reminds of those old school bullet trains.

This site is owned and funded by the Federal Government. There is so much to learn and may require two visits, one for viewing trains + going on the train ride and reading up on the wealth of materials scattered throughout the museum. Steamtown is an educational and fun experience in the 'Electric City'. There is even a gift shop and Trolley Station. I recommend everyone to stop by and experience a major piece of American history!

Spent about two hours going through the train museum and the family enjoyed it. The multiple trains on site made it an enjoyable experience.

One of the reasons that I visited Scranton was to see Steamtown and their Union Pacific "Big Boy." The museum is H-U-G-E! Outside on sidings are old steam engines, tenders, and passenger cars. Inside the gigantic roundhouse, there are engines undergoing restoration. It is possible on weekends to go on steam-powered trips. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable. If you are going to visit Scranton, make the museum your primary destination. If you love steam, you will regret not taking two or three hours to stop, look, and learn!

Great place for an educational trip about the steam locomotives. Loved all the information about the people and machines that kept them running. Wonderful look back at Local History.

We spent a wonderful afternoon here. The museum is fascinating & the exhibits are very informative. The history of the railroad in the US is much more extensive than we learn in school. This museum does a great job of educating the public on this fascinating part of our history.

We went while the COVID protocols were being enforced. Felt very safe.

Have been to Steamtown quite a few times in the past years. It is a great place to see static railroad equipment displays as well as operating trains. They cover railroading from its early history through the modern diesel locomotive. The live steam locomotive running is really interesting to see. You can even ride in a train that operates in their yard. They also have a schedule of longer train excursions. The museum and its tracks are adjacent to an operational main line track which has frequent trains running. The museum itself is very involved in the restoration of older railroad cars and locomotives. They have extensive equipment and craftsmen to assist in the endeavor. If you are into railroading this is a must stop.

My husband & I decided to stop by this museum as we had a bit of extra time. It is very well done. Museum is the actual roundhouse with a functioning round table. Had trains on site to view & some functional. Train rides were $5 per person and museum is free. We didn’t opt for a train ride but if we would’ve had kids with us, I’m sure we would have done so. Very clean, photos, descriptions of time periods & staff was very friendly.

We were lucky as we were visiting the area at the time of a special steam train excursion. We took the steam train to Carbondale, about a 2 hour ride, to visit their Scarecrow Festival. So we got two outings in one.
The Steam Train trip itself is just great. All that nostalgia, smoke and smell of the trains.
Someone came to welcome us in Carbondale and we enjoyed looking around the town finding the Scarecrows. There is a short normal steam train excursion available on other days.

We went into the museum itself when we returned and it has lots of steam trains and equipment. We were fortunate to see the steam engine that had pulled our train come into the "round house" and for it to be turned round on the turntable to go into its shed.

Great place to visit. Deep history of railroads and trains. TONS of trains to look at and tour. Wonderful place to bring children of all ages. Staff is beyond friendly and educated.

Working steam and diesel locomotives on the original site of one of the major railway facilities in the country, Steamtown is doing its best to preserve and communicate the important history not just of the DL&W railroad, but of railways and their importance to the growth and shaping of America. The staff are passionate, knowledgeable and friendly, the information top-notch. If you care about trains, industrial and cultural history, this is a must-see museum.

We visited on a broiling hot day, and it was amazing. The site is free (train ride is $5 each for riders over 6) and has a number of train cars that small people can climb up in and through.

Lots of things to see even for kids who can’t read, and a great way to spend some time.

The site has free parking, and is easily stroller accessible except for the train ride.

I’d skip the train ride for smaller kids, especially on a hot day. It’s cute, but you don’t see much and it takes a full half hour.

Rich history with a ton of info visuals, and actually can go on many trains. Love the setup, theater, and bathrooms were SO clean! WOW! Awesome!

We didn’t have a lot of time to spend here but appreciated all the educational information on steam locomotives and their use, especially the cut-away locomotive showing how steam engines work. Also liked seeing the roundhouse, and the exhibits on flag signals and sounds. Being able to walk around the yard where locomotives were sitting and one was moving was a special treat. So nice to have such knowledgeable retired railroad employees as guides.

As usual, our under-funded National Park Service has created a great Museum experience, well-described by exhibits. We arrived just in time for a behind-the-scenes tour on the floor of the roundhouse, getting up close to the steam locomotives. Clear and succinct explanation by an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable volunteer. Well worth the time.

Our family was driving through and had time to kill so we made a last minute decision to stop here. Raining off and on so got s little wet since entire grounds required some walking outside. Very nice place to visit though if you like railroad history. A former actual train yard so you get to experience some of the maintenance side of things not just trains. Good for all ages.

Honestly, every National Park site is a 5-star for me, because they EXIST and because they preserve the best parts of American history for future generations to enjoy. But I don't review them all, because of course some stand out way more than others. Steamtown is particularly excellent. A friend recommended I prioritize it over all other road-trippable spots I was considering, so I was excited to go. It's one of those spots where visitors ages 1-111 will find something to love, whether you're more into train *rides*, learning about how machinery works, learning the industry that came to the US through the railroads, history of Scranton area specifically, Park Service preservation work - literally any and all of that. There's a great museum which is fully free, and a small fee ($6 adult tickets?) to ride a nearly 100-year old train for about a half hour. The Rangers on board provide valuable context to what you're experiencing - so I'm not really a huge train buff necessarily, but it's easy to get swept up in how cool it is. It's priceless really, to chug along for a bit on a railroad that's seen many generations ride by. For a longer ride (like 10 miles or so) you can visit the separately-operated trolley museum next door, which uses parallel tracks.

So many trains in the train yard which you can "visit" from an elevated passageway. From totally rusted to completely refurbished. Amazing.

Great Historic Site. Steam engines, rail cars, maintenance shops and great historical storytelling. Grab your national park pass!

Steamtown is a great place to spend a few hours viewing and climbing on steam engines and learning about the age of steam railroading. The history of the Delaware, Lackawana and Western Railroad was fascinating, from its founding in 1853 to its demise in the 1960s, and the technology museum is full of information about how steam locomotives worked and evolved (although it could be laid out a little better).

We also took the short train ride, the best part of which was watching the little kids riding on a real train for the first time.

All in all, a first rate experience.

Visited with our 3 and 6 year old sons. First of all, who doesn't love trains? This museum had many trains to explore and a few activities for younger kids. Adults can appreciate the history of rail and displays on how trains work. The short train ride is worth it and you get some good information from the volunteers onboard. Overall, a must see for train enthusiasts.

If you love trains and need a fun day trip, come to Steamtown National Historic Site. So much fun seeing all the trains and going through the memorabilia in the Round House.

Rode the train. Excellent talk on the history of steam engines. Wonderful museum and lots of train engines to see.

If you're a fan of old railroad history this place is a must see.
Check the website for the train ride schedule.

The trolley museum is across the parking lot.

I'm updating my review for this place because i had a bad experience here this past weekend (05/15/2021 to be exact ...
I pulled in and stopped just short of the newly restored Big Boy locomotive in hopes of getting a picture from that angle. There were people who would have been in the picture so I decided against it and proceeded on to park in the lot. No sooner did I pull away a guy with a safety vest on and slightly longer gray hair coming out from under his hat started yelling at me to slow down. He was yelling like a maniac and it startled the crap out of me as he continued putting on a good show for the people who were standing around the locomotive. I wasn't sure at that point if I should proceed to the parking lot or let this maniac verbally abuse me.....part two coming up...read on....
I finally proceeded on to park the car. I walked around for a bit because I noticed he appeared to be stationed at the Big Boy locomotive. Finally I walked over because I really wanted a picture of this locomotive. Apparently he didn't remember my face because as I was standing there taking picture he was blatantly lying to people who were there to see the Big Boy loco. He told them a BS story about me blasting through at forty miles an hour and then backing up to give him the middle finger for yelling at me. I bit my tongue and didn't say anything to him but it was very hard let me tell you.....
I'm not taking anything away from this place .... I have been going here since the place opened. I live nearby and go here more than a couple times of year for trolley rides and just to watch the trains roll through this active yard. It truly is a great place to visit if you like trains but just be aware of this person who seems to be gung ho for yelling at people for nothing....
I included a picture of the Big Boy for your viewing pleasure...it was worth almost getting into a verbal altercation for sure...LOL

If it weren't for my daughter having the National Parks Service Passport book and enjoy getting stamps, we probably wouldn't have ventured to the top of our home state to check out this place. Trains, yea, they are alright, but we aren't "into" them. WOW, we were blown away with how cool Steamtown is! My 14 year old (you probably know how teens are) was major impressed with the displays, being able to go inside trains, seeing trains in action (we didn't ride one, but saw and heard the steam engines), the train graveyard, just the whole place! We spent two hours there, but easily could have spent more, so I'd allot at least 2 hours to explore. Free parking, water bottle filling station in the visitor center, easy access, with GPS, off Route 81. Highly recommend a visit!

If you like history and especially old trains then this is the ultimate place to visit with your friends or the kids will love these old trains of the past ive been there 3 times already and probably gonna go again they always have a another peice of train history when i go there and they have a tour guide aswell spend the whole day there.and you will see why they call Scranton pa,Steamtown where the big locomotives Started.

I wasn't very excited initially about visiting a museum of trains but the kids totally loved it. The ranger asked the kids if they would like to sign up as junior rangers - which requires them to answer a few pages of questions on the museum / trains (based on their age). This kept them very engaged and excited about the trip, which culminated in them being sworn in as junior rangers. There is a decent mix of indoor and outdoor activity. We got there a bit late in the day, so missed out on rides - plan to get there earlier in the day.

Extremely interesting NPS site. Very friendly staff, lots of photographs, hands on displays. The working roundhouse was very interesting. We didn't have time for the train ride but that would have been a plus. Could have stayed another 2 hours if time would have permitted. There is a fee if you do not have a "parks pass".

Awesome historical train trip. It stopped on the span of the Nicholson Bridge. What a view. If you are a train buff or a history buff, this is for you!

Loved Steamtown. Very comprehensive displays and history. Great place for kids. We are a mature couple and still learned so much about steam engines, their history and US railroading in general.

It’s a part of the local history for everyone to enjoy. Stop by for this experience. Besides museum exhibitions they show a short film and allow to ring a big old bell on one of the locomotives. Fun for all ages.

We didn’t know what to expect with our visit but it ended up being a highlight of our trip! The train ride was great for our young children- just long enough to keep everyone’s attention. There was some great history shared on the ride, as well as facts about Scranton. We really enjoyed our visit. It was a fun- very affordable- event for the family.

collection of various train engines and cars with a museum giving a lot of history of the railroad industry.

Everyone here is personable and very knowledgeable. I thought I would want to leave within two hours, but found that I didn't want to leave! We took the short train ride, which was perfect length of time, and the guide was interesting as he described what we were seeing. Kids did the Junior Ranger activity, which they enjoyed. It was hard, so they needed a little help.
There is a great mix of short videos, displays, hands on, trains to climb on, and models to walk through. They have a cold filtered water filling station in the visitors center to refill if it's a warm day. We saw the working turntable which was amazing. Before the train went onto the turntable, the people who worked the trains have a meet n greet. They were knowledgable and personable.
Don't miss any of it--allow time. The admission was well worth it.
There is a walking ramp - about 10 minute walk - to a mall with a food court which was great for indoor lunch, if you don't bring a picnic.

Fabulous collection of old locomotives, good demonstration of a roundtable, excellent history and technology sections. We didn't have time for a train ride, but I'm sure that would have been great.

We're not train nuts, but found it very fun. This was a stop on a longer trip. Spent about three hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. Free admisson. Trains and exhibits were cool to look at and very informative. Took the train ride in an old steam powered engine, $5 per person. Next door was the trolley museum, tours and exhibits but we didn't have time to do that too.

Definitely recommend seeing this place. It's in the heart of Scranton so it's little bit off the highway.

The trains are beautiful! Lots of information and you can go inside different trains. The museum is nice. Small gift shop.

I visited the Steamtown Museum today with my sisters family, 3 adults in their 30's and 2 kids ages 9 and 5. The trains were awesome to see and very well preserved. The train turntable was pretty cool because I haven't seen one other than on Thomas the Engine. Good place to go with kids and very reasonable admission. $7 for adults over 16 and $5 train ride for anyone over 6yrs old. The train ride was worth it for $5 with a decently educational commentary from a park ranger. The museum was surprisingly big with lot to see and read. I learned a lot about steam trains today! A must see if visiting the Poconos, or in the Scranton area.

I loved it!!! It started raining as we parked and made it inside prior to the rains becoming heavier. A great indoor activity.

There is a Round house where trains are repaired with lots of engines and other cards within. There is the Round yard with the turntable for moving train cars to where they need go for repairs.

There is the exit for the train engines and cars after repairs.

Don not miss the movie. Quite a nice story of the railroad life of a man who shares his first introduction as a boy having his first train ride. He narrates the history and how railroad steam engines forged the way for the later diesel fuel trains.

I even saw a set of statues repairing rails. Memory lane as I did this while I was in University for the summer once.

This was so boring and not worth my money I wouldn't suggest unles you really like trains. Or else you'll be so bored

This is a great place to spend an hour or two. It is interesting for all ages, even if you are not a train buff. Big Boy is an incredible locomotive!

This historic site is run by the national Park Service. It combines both history and Technical museums and as well worth the stop. My husband and I spent 4 hours there

Parking and admission are free. There are several rangers who are very knowledgeable and eager to share information. There are many locomotives and other train cars from the steam train era. There is a railroad turntable which I was told occasionally is demonstrated (not while I was there). There is a small visitors center with some artifacts and information boards. The gift shop is in a separate building. COVID-19: The staff was masked. Visitors were expected to be masked when inside buildings and maintain social distancing protocols everywhere.

We were in Scranton for a family reunion and found this place on TripAdvisor. Really great. The reviewers who say this is just a bunch of rusting trains missed a lot.
As other reviewers have suggested, it's ideal to get there right as they open at 9 am because around 9:30 or so, you can watch them bring a steam engine out of the roundhouse and spin it on the turnaround. A park ranger explains what's going on and you can follow them out of the roundhouse to the yard and watch them load with coal, dump the ash, blow off steam, and connect the locomotive to the passenger cars for the day's excursion. The rest of the day there are trains to climb in/on and a museum. (Note: Other than the ride on the excursion train, there are not other running trains--which some people find boring.)
The website didn't explain the excursion options very well. Currently, the excursions are short: most days just a mile and back through town and on some Sundays a little longer out to Nay Aug Park. But a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Great place for the whole family, so much history on the railroads nice place to spent an afternoon!

Nice historical site. Location easy to access with plenty of parking. Employees arr helpful. Could offer additional train rides in the future.

Extensive acreage of museum. Large holdings of all possible railroad equipment. We took the steam hauled ride which involved complicated moves through the extensive yard. The second ride was in a caboose which is unusual. The shop tour was truly impressive for anyone who appreciates large machine tools. Was persuaded to visit by a nephew but seriously impressed.

I am not into trains but somebody who has the love for trains. During the experience, we rode an old locomotive train to Moscow, PA. Overall, a good time.

Always a joy especially when they have excursions.Clean and very informative.Working roundhouse with activities me coll theatre with short fil.Lots to see.

Once again we were pleasantly surprised visiting one of the smaller National parks. There was snow on the ground it was holiday time, some of the buildings were closed, some of the engines outside were snow covered, but the staff really delivered. From the information booth to the guided tour, we were enthusiastically greeted and learned a great deal. The tour was exceptional, guided by a ranger who volunteered at the park for several years until he had an opportunity to join the staff. His enthusiasm was unparalleled and made our day. We didn’t know what to expect and the following day we visited the trolley museum at the other end of the parking lot and had a similar experience.

What an experience! The museums on the site of the train station/turn table are amazingly informative with some hands on experiences. I was there years ago, but since there, the displays have been greatly improved! And the trains!!

What a great way to spend the whole day...and one can easily spend a whole day here! These beautiful trains instill a sense of awe and appreciation for the history of this country. Make sure to et there at opening so you can see the engine coming out of the roundhouse, take a ride on the turntable and ready itself for the day, all with excellent narration (thanks, Randall! You are the best guide!). Guided tour of the locomotive shop, video, museums on sight, everything was great. Train ride was just OK, just went back and forth a few times on the tracks but worth it for $5 for the opportunity to ride a steam train.

It was wonderful showing our grandson how America used to be. The steam trains, rail yards, displays, turntable and and the market place mall were great. It takes at least two hours to get through it all. I would suggest that you do a tour with a ranger. It was too early in the year for train ride so we will return later in the year. Don't miss all the un-repaired engines and railroad cars in the yards.

Shop at the Marketplace Mall, have some lunch and shop local vendors. Then take a walk on the bridge on the second floor. The trains blow their whistle under you! Keep walking the bridge to the station!

Many interesting exhibits including working round house. Were able to ride on steam train lots of old trains preserved

Fascinating history museum of steam locomotives. We forget the big impact railroads had on our country and the industry itself and how many many people are employed by it. This historic site brings it all to life. The locomotives on display are giants and thinking of the power needed to make them go strains your imagination. The short talk by the park ranger is interesting , highly recommend. The roundhouse is a marvelous piece of engineering.

As a National Park Service lover, I couldn't resist the opportunity to add to my stamp collection when I was near Steamtown. The site itself is a train lovers paradise, however if you're not someone who is super interested in trains it may be rather boring. The site has a lot to offer, including a gift shop (where you can stamp your passport, not the visitor center) and the opportunity to ride several different old trains. Admission to the site is free however the train rides are available at minimal costs. The site does a great job taking you through the history of old trains and railroads in the United States with several great trains on display. The visitor center has some great rangers, a free film, and a great view of the turntable that is at the heart of the park. We didn't spend a whole lot of time here but its a nice stop. Kids would love the opportunity to ride around on the old trains and adults who like trains will really enjoy it.

This place is truly outstanding - jam packed with exhibits and restored train cars of the past. I wish we could have spent more time here. We were here on a weekday so we weren't able to take advantage of the train rides (fee), but there was so much there to do. Take one of the guided tours to go behind the scenes and hear some very interesting insights. There's also a Trolley Museum on the property so make sure you plan for a whole day- we didn't make it before it closed.

We walked out of a dying mall and onto a high-level walkway of sheer delight for train buffs. Ahead of us was a huge display of railwayana in a working yard with an adjacent roundhouse and ancillary buildings. There is easy access to just about anything one might want to see and a free tour, with a knowledgeable and friendly guide, which got us into the workshops. We combined our visit with one to the adjacent trolley (tram) museum.

If you like trains, learning about trains, seeing trains, riding a train, history of trains, repairing trains basically anything and everything to do with trains then Steamtown is the place to go. Our tour guide Tony took us on an amazing shop tour back in time into the round house and back out to the turntable and everything in between. His grandfather’s connection to the railroad made everything more relatable and interesting. Funny that our coal mine tour guide was named Tony also. Short train ride outside the yard limit and back in was interesting and fun something we missed last time we were at Steamtown 10 years ago. Any questions we had were answered any help we needed somebody was there very clean facilities I highly recommend a family day at Steamtown!

The site has reopened, but has limited activities. The site is now free; so that’s a nice bonus. You can still see the roundhouse and turntable; the cut away is still there. The “big boy” is currently under renovation and not on exhibit. Be sure to visit the trolley museum at the other end of the parking lot while you’re there.

I read the reviews, researched on line and in print, but was unprepared for just how terrific this museum is. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They made this visit even more memorable. Do arrive in time for a tour of the shops where you are "backstage" and can see how repairs and rebuilds are being done. The geniuses who work behind the scenes to keep the locomotives operable stopped and explained what they were doing. The tools and devices were amazing. They strive to do everything the best way that it had been done and are in the process of rebuilding several locomotives while keeping those that they run on the rails. The displays were informative and the use of audiovisual - films, sounds, prints, recreations, interviews created one of the best museum experiences I have ever had. Awesome!

I've been to several national parks and historical sites. If you're really into trains, this is the place to go and I do wish this country would support passenger train travel similar to what Europe does. I think one could learn everything there is to know about trains in America. It's just not a big interest of mine. Enjoyed the tour, the video and the short train ride. Everyone was friendly and very helpful. I learned enough to satisfy me and probably will not go back whereas there are other parks and sites I have resisted several times.

It only takes a little interest in American history & in scientific development to be impressed here

We visited Steamtown many years ago prior to the Parks Service taking over, what a wonderful job they and the volunteers have done. Working train yard, turn table, huge working machine shop, engine sheds, lots of locos, and train rides. The museum houses many informative exhibits. We intended to spend a couple of hours, but stayed the entire day. Fantastic!!

This place is a real gem for those interested in railroading history. Excellent exhibits, very well put together and covering just about any and all facets of railroading history in America. The exhibits were very extensive and you could easily have spent 3 hours on those alone. Then videos, a train ride, and several good ranger led tours. We took the one on repairing and maintaining steam locomotives and it was most informative and really conveyed the effort required to keep these monsters on the road. The equipment they have is top notch too, including a working roundhouse turntable. My only disappointment is that they only had one locomotive working. Also that more people don't comprehend what a great museum this is. Attendance is down and it is straining their finances. P.S. Entry is free too! What a spectacular bargain for which you get so much back in return!

It was an overnight stay in Scranton and the next morning we took the chance to visit the Steamtown Historic Site.
Managed by the National Park Service its a clean, well maintained complex. Especially the indoor exhibition about the old railway construction, surprisingly explaining a lot about sloppiness during construction, causing severe accidents, is worth a visit.
Also the open cross-section of an old steam engine we have never seen before in a museum. It helps a lot to understand, how such a machine works.

Conclusion: Stop there, if you are around and spend sometime! Its not crowded, free of fees and interesting. By the way, our kids finished the Junior Ranger program and earned another badge there.

Are tour couple obviously love what they do. They were so knowledgeable and have a great love for trains and the history. Def check it out!

Nice collection of locomotives- able to get up close. Nice facility- can spend a couple hours seeing everything.

Park rangers who run this place are wonderful and very informed. There are tours and movies you can use to learn a lot of information about the railroad system in the United States. So much knowledge here! If you're lucky you might even get to talk to a mechanic who works on the trains too. This is a great experience for all ages. Highly recommend. Also check out the Trolley Museum while there, it's only a few yards away across the parking lot. You do need to put aside a whole day to really enjoy everything here and not rush.

We've been coming to Steamtown for around 18 years or so. It has been a nice place and our kids loved it. What initially brought us up was the static display of Big Boy 4012 out front. We heard they had this magnificent engine and made the 3 hour trip to see it.

It has been a few years since our last trip, and when we rolled up this weekend I was shocked at the condition of this wonderful engine. The paint was peeling off of it from when it had been painted last. Obviously they just put a quick coat of black paint on it and didn't do any prep work. It looks awful now and the NPS should be ashamed of themselves for letting it get in such a deplorable condition.

Granted the inside of the museum looks like it has been kept up, but this truly unique King has been abandoned at the front of the museum

Shame on them!

Visited this National Historical site with my daughter and her family when we were visiting PA. They gave done a great job in restoring the old round house and several engines and cars. They have set the round house up with different locomotives and cars in each area and the flow of people works well. My two grandchildren were 4 and 6 and they had a great time. They have some interactive displays for them. I really don’t know what the cost was because we used my National Parks pass for admittance. They have rides on steam trains but we were unable to avail ourselves. I believe it was too early in the season or maybe the weather for it was a rainy day, but that did not effect the round house. Great great day to enjoy the trains

Very nice place to visit. Was a rainy day but still had a good time. Loved the short steam train ride. Very informative guide. Lots to look at for train buffs. Best part it's free to tour small fee to ride the train.

We visited Steamtown many years ago when our children were young. We decided to bring our visiting nephew and his wife because we thought they would enjoy it. They like visiting National Historic Sites. We were all very impressed by our visit to the museum and the tour throughout the roundhouse. We will be returning with our grandsons for them to experience it.

While vacationing on the POCONOS, we like to come up with activities that my 3-year-old grandson will enjoy, and maybe the rest of us too. The Steamtown Historic Site is one of those places. There are lots of REAL trains that were used in Pennsylvania. You can go on the trains and see yesteryear. For $5 you can ride a train and hear about the history of trains around the site. There are plenty of exhibits, detailing how the area depended on these trains. Of course, there is a gift store if you need to bring something home. A great place for all ages.

If you love trains, this is the place to go! It's history is very interesting, and you can get right up close to view trains of different times. AND, you can ride one to another town, and back, which I would highly suggest!

A cool interactive museum with story of the railroad. The thing to do in Scranton. Worth the trip for an hour or so!

The place is amazing if you love trains, history of the railway system, and lives of people associated with the railways.

Working coal steam trains available for $5. You can wander the rail yards to see other trains that are waiting to be restored. Three Barnum and Bailey trains are around in the back. Some beautiful old wooden trains with stain glass.

If you stay until closing you can see the railroad turntable work. The exhibits surrounding the train station is amazing as well. Loved the refurbished mail and luxury cars.

Would love to go back because to see everything you really need a full day.

There is also a state run trolley car exhibit next door.

It’s open all year long last time I looked but it is really cold in the winter and you are exposed if you wander around the train yards.

Full of history and a train lovers dream learned so much. Please take your time to take it all in would go back in a heartbeat

Steamtown National Historical Site is an awesome place to learn all about steam engine trains. It is a musuem that has great history with Scranton PA. It is run by the National Parks Department and is free for all. There is a very interesting train ride with a guided tour about the area and some of the trains which are housed there. It cost $5.00 a ticket. The train ride is about 30 to 45 minutes. There is also a movie which my 7 year old son loved. Avpark rangers also does free tours of the trains in the roundabout. This place is a gem.

The museum and number of steam trains there were very cool. Would skip the train ride next time - very slow, hot and didn’t really go far. Even the young kids seemed bored.

If you are a train buff, plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here. There is no charge but they do have a donation box in the Visitor's Center. They have a steam and a diesel train that will take you on a short ride, they demonstrate how the round house works, there is an hour long free shop tour, a large theater that shows a movie about train travel, a gift shop and more.

If you are someone who appreciates American history, then this is a site you need to visit. Although lacking in some areas, they've done an amazing job preserving some of the gems of the industrial era - primarily when the railroad was king.

There is no admission fee, and the staff - in keeping with the tradition of the NPS - is knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. Also, the gift store has some great items if you're looking for a souvenir.

I am not a big railroad buff, per se, but we had some time to kill prior to an evening dinner and meeting so we stopped at Steamtown. I was overwhelmed. The array of equipment was impressive, but most appealing were the narratives that accompanied the various "vignettes". Equally helpful was the ease with which the complex could be navigated, especially by my then 98 year old father who use a motorized scooter. I highly recommend it.

IF you like trains and history this is the place for you. There are tons of displays to learn more about trains, engines, steam boilers, etc, etc, etc. I strongly recommend to take the ranger tour guide as you will learn a lot. Mr. Bill was our Ranger and he did an awesome job explaining everything.

Also the place is free, so it has an amazing value. Super Recommended.

Part of the US National Park Service, this free admission museum has all type of steam locomotives. There’s the outside and inside part which traces its history. For a fee one can go for a train ride. The site has a bridge that connects to the downtown mall.

What a disappointment! I had visited Steam town many years ago when my now 45 year old son was in the Boy Scouts. There was live action All around .This time ,when I took my 7 year old Grandson on August 15,2025 the Only live action was a diesel powered short excursion which we took. ( it was OK ) When I took the Boy Scouts there , the steam engine excursion ran west over the Nicholson Viaduct to what I believe was Hop Bottom and then back.
There was not even a Steam engine that was fired up. There is no sweeter sound for any boy or girl to hear the sound of a steam engine hissing , horn blowing ETC.

My grandson was only able to ring the bell of the I.C.R.R. Steam engine

What has happened?
Is there not enough money to sustain this Park?

Truly sad

Spent the day with a friend at Steamtown. It was a fascinating time. This is one of those places in life where you have to see it in person. These old trains are great and you see many in photos but to see them in person and recognize their scale is what impresses. Especially the "Big Boy". Everything at the site was of large size, whether you are looking at the trains or the work shop or the tools to take care of them. So impressive. We had a nice tour and saw many trains. The only bad thing was how guilty I felt not paying admission and that is because it is free!!! I left some donation cash and purchased a tee-shirt instead. We had a blast at Steamtown. Highly recommended.

This is the first time visiting this place and the overall experience was Outstanding! The staff were friendly and helpful. The Museum had a great exhibit and videos. The Museum offers a old fashioned train ride for $5.00 round trip. Which takes about 45 minutes round trip. The historic site is free and plenty of free parking. Worth the visit!

If you’re into railroading this is a must see place. As a model railroader, I could recognize the different locomotives without reading signs. Very educational. The excursion ride wasn’t running that day, but I was able to see the GP9 running that pulls it. I saw the “Big Boy” 4012 when it was in Bellows Falls VT. Also saw it’s brother 4018 at museum in Dallas,TX. As we all know 4014 has been renovated by UP and is currently running in Texas on it’s way to Louisiana. In the restoration yard which was closed, there was an ALCO RS-3 you could see in the distance. For the novice, the cross section of a locomotive to see how it works is really good. The railroad figures (engineer, fireman, etc) with a description of their job is well done. Unlike the museum in Dallas, you can’t climb into the cab of a locomotive. Figure on a few hours spending here. It’s a National Historic site so no fees unless you go on excursions. Bottom line is, this is a must see.

Although there is a bit of cognitive dissonance to the collection itself, Steamtown is a very significant museum with a historically important collection and facilities. It's suitable for both the rail fan and the casual tourist interested in either American history or the iron horse. Steamtown is in fact a US national park (in particular, National Park passes are honored), so the fact that its steam locomotive collection is dominated by Canadians is a bit ironic, although hardly a problem. There are also a number of examples of American steam locomotives and associated historical context. Also a bit ironically, I'm pretty sure that despite the fact that Steamtown now resides in what was once the Lackawanna Railroad's main shops, there is little or more likely no Lackawanna representation amongst the steam locomotives! (This is what I mean by cognitive dissonance.) There is a limited amount of actual live steam-powered experience available, given the relatively recent return to service of Baldwin 0-6-0 number 26, and that's a major improvement over some of the relatively recent past. (There was a time not so long ago that Steamtown had no operating steam locomotives! Fortunately this has been resolved and seems to be on track to improve upon the current situation.)

On days when the trains operate (all weekends, some weekdays), there are short trips that are able to leave the yard and go a couple of miles up the track into the city. There's also a very short (a few hundred yards) caboose hop, powered by the 0-6-0.

Accessibility is absolutely amazing. Although actually climbing on the equipment is prohibited (for obvious safety reasons, some of the collection is in VERY fragile condition), it's all otherwise completely accessible AS LONG AS YOU'RE CAREFUL.

The 1902-1930 roundhouse has been divided into a museum, some offices, and a real life, working roundhouse where steam locomotives are stored and light maintenance is undertaken. There is also a fully capable steam-era machine shop, where they literally can and do rebuild steam locomotives. The shop tour is fascinating, even for people like me who have been around railroads for a lifetime.

Despite its name, Steamtown is more generally a railroad museum, and there are a number of historically significant diesel locomotives in the collection too, as well as a couple of privately owned but permanently resident diesels such as a pair of EMD F3's.

Steamtown has an obvious bias toward, well, steam locomotives, but for rail fans, there is quite a bit of a bonus, namely the railroad operators of the facility. The railroad is the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad (Railway?), which is a for-profit short line based in the city of Scranton. The bonus for Steamtown is that DL has its own collection of vintage diesel locomotives - Alco products from the 1960s - that it uses for its real-world railroading. Many of these rare beasts are often seen on tracks adjoining Steamtown, to the degree that in my mind, there was 60 acres of Steamtown adjoining 10 acres of Dieseltown! Running Alcos are now hard to find, and it's almost as hard to find a half-dozen live Alcos in one place as it is to find two steam locomotives together, but Steamtown manages them both literally within sight of each other. The casual tourist won't recognize the significance, but the rail fans certainly will.

Even more, there is also a Trolley Museum sharing the same parking lot. It is of vastly smaller scale, but it too has a historically significant collection that will be of interest. (Note that the Trolley Museum has a separate entrance fee.) Scranton has the nickname "The Electric City" partly due to its early adoption of electrified street cars, and this museum is an acknowledgement of that history.

My brother and I went to Steamtown to tour the museum and ride the Nay Aug Limited train. That train ride runs on select Sundays and costs $5 for a 45 minute ride through the gorge in a beautiful City of Scranton Park. We rode on a train car from the 1920's and were pulled by an engine and tender from yesteryear. There was a narrator who was informative but was sometimes drowned out by talking among passengers. The ride passes the old Erie Lackawanna train station which is wonderful building now housing a hotel. Within the park the train stops atop a gorge and you are invited to take photos. Then, the train returns to Steamtown. The displays in the museum and train cars around the roundhouse are awesome as is the "Big Boy" locomotive parked outside. It is among the biggest locomotives ever built. This is a great place to visit. TIP: Walk across the parking lot to the Electric Trolley Museum. Take their fantastic trolley ride as well.

Former rail yard and roundhouse for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad provide an excellent setting for a NPS museum dedicated to the age of rail transportation. Excellent rolling stock on display in both the roundhouse and yard in a variety of livery. From expertly restored to some awaiting restoration. Workshop in the roundhouse area shows how labor intensive the early days of rail were and the transition via technology to near full automation in railroad operations. Museum displays tend to center more on the local railroad scene in NE PA and the DL&W specifically vice a wider area. Friendly NPS staff but some inappropriate and illegal questions regarding service animal entry by a staff member probably due to just reopening and being a little rusty.

We enjoyed our time at this park. It is nicely laid out with good signage and information posted everywhere. Lots of exhibits and Historical rail cars to tour. My kids really liked the passenger car. We took the short train ride and learned quite a bit of history of Scranton and steam trains. There is great archeological play area for kids to dig and discover items inside one of the buildings. There are picnic tables outside to have lunch on (many are in the shade). Some of the trains even have working bells the kids can pull, which is, of course, the best thing ever when you are little. They have a nice Jr Ranger program for kids and very nice volunteers and rangers.

Spent the afternoon walking through the museum the kids climbed in a train, went to story hour, did a craft and dug in the dirt for treasures, will go back in the spring for a train ride and to explore more outside trains

As an engineer i really enjoyed all the mechanical show cases and history of steam engines.
I would have loved a little more eating options but generally it was just great.
Set aside about 4 hours to see the bolts and nuts of it! Make sure you ask for the rides and the movie shows at the front desk, at the time of my visit their movie started every 30 minutes.

You'll see a bridge that passes over the rails and to a big shopping center, that's they bridge that can take you to your lunch:)

Well worth at least 1 hour of your time even if not a train nut. Good exhibits and fun to explore the round house. Not to be missed if in the Scranton area. Very knowledgeable park rangers.

Free admission to the grounds. They offer guided tours, but we just walked around. Lots to see. Could easily spend a few hours here. We opted for the short 30 minute train ride. ($5) Was not disappointed. Staff were very friendly and greeted you as you enter. You can really tell they love what they do. Environment is clean and family friendly.

Great tour for history buffs or steam train lovers! Tour the passenger cars and mail car, view the steam engines in the shop that are being rebuilt. Check out the real life size round house! Very informative.

We rode the Heritage Explorer Train to Carbondale's Pioneer Days Ethnic Heritage Festival. on Saturday, August 19. This is not a Steamtown sponsored event but was sponsored by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley organisation. The four car train was pulled by a diesel engine not a steam engine so be advised your train probably will not be steam powered. The Pioneer Days Festival was small but very interesting and our host in our train car was very knowledgeable. This is not a rip roaring train ride so if you go with children you might need to entertain them for an hour or so. The train moves along at 20 mph at its fastest and about 5-10 mph for most of the 20 mile trip. Children that can't stay seated or at least in the row are asked by the host to stay out of the aisles. Safety first. We bought our tickets through the Lackawanna Library System and the price was $4.00 pp for seniors. This is a special train ride again not sponsored by Steamtown. There will be another ride in October so watch for it.

A learning experience that is also fun. Nice train ride with knowledgeable guide. Facilities are well done and collection of trains and related items are impressive.

This is an amazing place to stop and spend a few hours - I wish we'd had longer to poke around in the exhibits and museum! We were able to go onto a business car and see inside the different rooms, and also into a mail car with a short video about how the mail was done via rail. Quite interesting! We will definitely go again when in the area.

We visited this free National Park Service museum today beginning with the Visitor Center’s nostalgic film on rail travel by steam engine. The reduction in time and increase in comfort compared to stagecoach travel led to its popularity until that changed with the lowered cost of an automobile.
We especially liked the 1914 Postal Car with all the cubby holes marked with cities and the 1929 Business Car with bathrooms between compartments. Lots of detailed explanations throughout the various halls and every outdoor locomotive was identified. The #4012 “Big Boy” was most impressive. Great museum featuring the steam period 1850 to 1950.

Our 2 grandchildren were very impressed with the size of the steam engines outside on display. So were we! They are huge! The engines are in beautiful condition. Going through the round house was thrilling for me as I'd grown up in an area where there had been several of them. I always wondered what they were really like. There were areas (including the gift shop) that we couldn't see because of COVID restrictions. Visiting was still so worth it.

It has been YEARS since I visited the museum - and has it CHANGED (for the better). The roundhouse is nice & there are plenty of exhibits as well as short video. . Much of the equipment has been restored & there is work going on. There are also quite a few UNrestored pieces of equipment on the property. There was no ride on the day I visited but one locomotive was under steam.

The trolley museum is just across the parking lot (additional charge).

Talk about a soup to nuts place to discover or rediscover railroading. Seeing actual working steam locomotives, going for a ride through town. The smell and the sounds enhance it all. Get your kids here to see how good they've got it. Hats off to the NP Staff and the volunteers!

Not sure what I was expecting, but this place is great fun. Many of the buildings are recreations, but the gigantic engines are real. Don't miss the engine with the cutout, so that you seen internal workings. No rides today (COVID), but still a great place to see.

Free to enter ( train rides cost a reasonable fee), enormous museum laid out around an old roundhouse. There is an overhead walkway into the Steamtown Mall. You can wander almost anywhere in the vast grounds. The museum has not fallen into the trap of dumbing the subject down so that true enthusiasts are not interested - there is plenty for all interests here, from families with young kids to historical researchers. Free parking and easy to find!

This was such a fun Historical Site. I enjoyed all the hands on exhibits and activities. The train rides were so cool as well. The Rangers and book store staff were all extremely friendly. I just wish there were some more dog friendly spots in the park. My dog loves visiting the national parks and he wasn’t really able to participate in anything here other than a photo with the train in the parking lot.

Museum, lots of rolling stock, rain rides, an adventure into history!
It was a great day, and would go again!!!

Steamtown is a wonderful place for children to learn about the bygone era of steam locomotives. Located in downtown Scranton it is very easy to get to and park. Steamtown offers a vast array of locomotives and rail cars. The park rangers are extremely knowledgeable. Take time to explore the entire museum.

The theater is playing this video called "Steel and Steam", and has been since 1995 every half hour on the hour. There is what I can only refer to as "SUBLIMINAL PORN" at the ending (15 minute mark) and also at the 5 1/2 minute of this 18 minute movie. I have contacted the Superintendent of this National Historic Site and she along with her colleagues believe it is not what I see because nobody of the millions that have seen it have complained. I was aghast when I first saw it (still am) and for all of the children that may be going to see the trains, MOM'S beware! See for yourself, I tried posting part of the video in a gif but I am electronically challenged... My purpose in posting this review is to at least address the issue so that parents have a choice to expose their children to subliminal porn or propaganda from what I see although brilliantly executed! Other than that, I enjoyed Steamtown.

Went here while visiting family in the area and it was well worth the drive! Had 5 children ages ranging from 8-17 and ALL had a great time! The staff friendly and knowledgeable! The trains were so fun to explore!! The information throughout each section was so well done and easy to read. I’m not a reader so this is something that I usually just quickly check and if it’s long I may take a pic for later reading but I did stop at many of the exhibits and read the info. It’s a fascinating part of history and I’m not even a train fanatic😊the trains and artifacts were well displayed. There’s lots of interactive things to do! Plan on being here a little while there’s a lot to take in and a short movie (18 mins long) you can check out. The train ride we enjoyed although it was super exciting as I and the youngest I had with me had hoped. The guide and all the train staff were super! Just not very scenic and it seems to just for forward and backward in the same area but for $5 I think it’s worth a go. I think the ride was like 20-30 mins I can’t remember exactly
cause we got on a bit before it actually started. There’s stuff to see both inside and outside. It’s free to visit train ride you pay for but the museum itself is free. The gift shop was neat and had a lot of cool things. I did purchase some souvenirs and the 2 ladies working were so nice and friendly. This is a great way to spend a morning or an afternoon especially if you like trains but I think even those that aren’t really in to trains would enjoy it too! Glad we checked it out!

This place is great! A nice collection of amazing machines and historical information, both local and national, all displayed in an attractive mix of original and new buildings. It is very well-kept, and FREE! The NPS Rangers are excellent, knowledgeable, and friendly. If you are going to be anywhere near here you should definitely include this stop! If you are a train enthusiast this is certainly worth a special trip even if you’re not in the area. Great job NPS!

I was in Scranton for my 50th HS reunion and we visited Steamtown National Historic Site.
It was a wonderful place (even if you did not grow up there or love trains). You could easily spend half a day. Take one of the train rides. There are many to choose from.

All I can say is "WOW! I'm not huge into trains but this was very enjoyable and memorable experience...and it's FREE! At least for now.
Focused on the history of steam locomotives (though diesel is there too) this is a well presented museum with functioning round table, round house and locomotive service and maintenance facility of which free tours are provided during the day. Seeing this huge machines up close was pretty amazing and to have some running as well as an operating turntable was a highlight. They also have a ride in a caboose pulled by a restored locomotive but be advised that it costs $5 and is a very, very short ride though you can ride it as many times as you want in the same day. Staff was welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly and they seemed to really care about the park. Other exhibits are about Technology, History etc. and there's a movie to. The park is in great shape and it was a truly enjoyable experience. I don't give a lot of "5"s...this one is well deserved. Oh yeah...did I mention that it's FREE???!!!!

Impressive! This was the largest turntable and a roundhouse we've ever seen. I think it was a 31 station roundhouse. You can walk all the way around and through the roundhouse and there were plenty of steam engines to look at. There were a few train cars you could walk through. There is an abundant supply of memorabilia. Well worth the visit!

This is a National Park so entry is free, with your visit facilitated by Park Rangers. The site is large and can easily accommodate a good number of visitors quite safely. Masks are required, it's a Federal facility.
There is plenty of free parking (the Trolley Museum is directly across the parking lot). There are activities for all ages, with most of the site suitable for all. There are stairs in several of the buildings but also ramps and elevators.
The theatre with a short film provides a good introduction. There are many detailed exhibits highlighting the complex railroad heritage of the Scranton area as well as the trains that are on display.

My wife and I stopped by unplanned after to driving to PA from IL to visit the railroad in Strasburg.

Their collection is amazing and diverse. The facility is visitor friendly and the guided shop tour is great.

If you’re remotely interested in trains or railroading history, this needs to be on your bucket list!

I brought my 9 year old and 17 month old sons here and they both loved it!!! And the admission is FREE!! The park ranger did a free tour with us and it was very interactive and my boys learned a lot!!

Impressive displays. I grew up in Albany NY and my sister lives in Schenectady where ALCO had been. The American Company had been one of the major manufacturers of steam locomotives. It was wonderful to see the very helpful and informative displays, videos, and the movie, AND the trip on the Steam train to the Scranton Train Station. Ir was built for $500,000 and was renovated to a hotel and that cost several million $. The mechanics of the steam era were very informative and impressive.

Steamtown is worth at least two hours to tour the several indoor buildings, do the walking tour, take a train ride, and check out the bookstore/shop if you're a national park memorabilia collector like me!

Thank you, TripAdvisor. We needed some super to break up our trip and this was just the right think. What a marvelous place. Something for everyone!

A wonderful experience for children and adults! Amazing tours and information about the facility and the trains!

As a train buff I thought this was one of the finest museums I've seen. Much of the collection and displays are indoors in great shape.

I've been to several larger train yards and this compares to the fine museum in Sacramento, California. All suffer from the lack of fund's, so there is the usual hunks that are waiting for restoration.

Seeing a working roundhouse that is is great condition is worth the trip.

Would like to come back and try one of the longer train excursions. As it was we rode the short 20 minute ride out to the mall and back.

Really nice attraction. Would recommend the tour. Can spend at least 3 hours here. Good for adults, kids, etc. Great for a rainy day as well. Staff is very helpful

Can't say enough about the visit. Sadly, some of the indoor exhibits are closed due to COVID-19. However, the part of the original round house that is still standing is open. The tour is self guiding and due to COVID is one way. The staff could not be more friendly and informative providing a wealth of information about the history of the site and the railroads the round house serviced. There is still plenty to see even though part of the site is temporarily closed. Visitors can walk around the grounds outside of the roundhouse, but have to use caution as there is a working railroad nearby. Besides, steam engines, there are also historic diesel locomotives and other historic railroad rolling stock. Free onsite parking and the exhibits are handicap accessible.

Being on these trains truly takes you back in time. Great place to bring the kids of all ages! There's just so much to take in and learn, you'll want to go back more than once!!!!
We love this place.

Unbelievable, enjoyable experience. This is history at its best. Great that this has been preserved! A wonderful look into America’s past. Excellent docents. Bookstore could be improved. Highly recommended!

What a surprise this was. My wife and I decided to stop in there on a whim while traveling and were surprised at the quality of the facilities and the amount of exhibits. Yes ladies, even she was impressed! The facility is part of the original Lackawanna railroad system. There is a round house and numerous types of steam locomotives and rail cars to see. The shop area is an active restoration shop and boardwalks have been built so you can walk through and see the ongoing restorations. You can even get a guided tour of the shops. On the other side of the parking lot there is also a trolley museum. For an additional small charge you can take a ride on one to the steam trains also. The kids will love it!

Fantastic trip to see the many trains on display there. Pretty big place but manageable in a few hours

I'm not a train buff or anything like that. I enjoy history, though. My mother in law suggested that I visit here to break up the trip when traveling to visit family in State College. She had been here a few years ago and loved it. So I went, because who doesn't need a break during an 8+ hour drive? Steamtown was great. Incredibly informative exhibits. Very clean. Most of the employees were very friendly and helpful. I could have spent a lot more time here than I did. Well worth the stop.

Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on about 62 acres in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

This was my first time here with my family of 7 including two young children. We all enjoyed this national historic site especially my family’s two young children. The museum is both indoors and outdoors, including a nice large comfy movie theater. If you have an interest in trains then you should definitely visit here especially if you have young children.

After touring the museum we visited the gift shop to purchase some gifts for the children.

Always enjoyable visiting Steamtown and seeing working steam-powered locomotives and train cars. This time, we got to see two locomotives on the turntable drive into their roundhouse for the night - very cool seeing the work done up close. Although the exhibits are informative and provide a great history of the railroad, the are unfortunately quite dated, many still with CRT TV's!

The steamtrain historic sight sis located right next door to the Trolley Museum . If your time is limited you could do both if you start early and stay late in one day but better to split to make sure you take full advantage of all the things it has to offer . Try to make sure you do the tour that one of the experts from the parks department leads thru the shops . Tour is free . The train ride you can go on (small additional charge upon enter ) is well worth the time it takes to make sure it happens Great for kids and adults alike to enjoy Try to go when the train is actually pulled by a steam locomotive Check website for days and times Fun time for everyone

As the grandchild of someone who worked for the railroad for 50+ years, I was very happy to see lots of trains and read a good bit of railroad and Pennsylvania history. The museum is small and the short film we saw was a bit cheesy, but this was a really nice way to spend the morning. I'd think this would be an especially great place for kids in the train-loving phase so many go through, and I certainly enjoyed it, thinking back to my experiences in the train yard with my grandfather.

Strongly recommend visiting Steamtown NHS; terrific indoor & outdoor exhibits; and pleasant/entertaining 30 minute trainride by a 1920s steam engine (for $5/person); great value — cost to visit museum & see trains — no charge. Nice 15 minute move too. Terrific 1/2 day event. Didn’t do the 3-hour or so excursion ... will try during next visit.

must for any train enthusiast steam town has a working roundhouse and many steam locomotives as well as a comprehensive collection of rolling stock. Be sure to take the train yard and roundhouse tours. Plan on at least two days to see everything. We only planned on one and will be making another trip next year.

I'm really glad the National Park Service is doing such a great job of preserving the artifacts and also keeping and restring working steam engines. The museum is free, the rides on a restored steam engine and passenger car is only $5 per person but it's a very short trip. I would have liked to have seen some of the unrestored objects a bit closer to appreciate what it takes to restore and preserve these engines and cars.

This is a great place for Steamheads. It need to be better known. Not quite up to York UK standards but pretty close Had to be in Scranton and came across it by accident. As it's part of the National Park Service they can't advertise - so spread the word !

I like trains, but I wouldn't say that I am a train buff, but we all really enjoyed this place. It was well laid out with lots of information. We didn't have time to take a train ride the particular day that we visited, but we will go back again to do that.

When I was in Scranton I went to Boscov's for shopping. From the second floor of this mall I found a very nice bridge and a long ramp which end up in steam town. Very interesting way to go to this place.
There are two main parts for visiting in Steam town national historic site.Round house and Trolley museum. Round house is more attractive and free of charge. Trolley museum ticket for adult is 7 $ for adults. Lots of great photos , a 18 min movie and lots of thins to learn.
You can find some facilities in this site like restroom, small gift shop, free parking.
It takes less than two hours to see everything.there is an excursion trip option but its time didn't match with my schedule. If you use this train could be extended your essential time to more than three hours.

Wow! An operating turntable; a great introductory film; a machine shop with old, but still operating, heavy repair equipment; train excursions; knowledgeable docents; many large intact and beautiful engines and cars - some of which you could walk into; several displays of how the engines work, with cut-aways so you can see the parts; several partly disassembled engines so that you could see more details; an historical museum; a gift shop - and all run by the National Park Service so it will hopefully be around for a long time! I saw some adults walking around (including me) whose eyes were as wide open as the kids'.

A really great site for train enthusiasts, especially considering that the site was free (except the Tramway Museum). In 30 minutes, we managed to go around (several buildings closed) so it's ideal for a quick stop in Pennsylvania. I do not recommend it to those who are sensitive to the smell of gasoline.

Awesome experience - interesting, educational and fun. We went on a guided tour of how steam engines work and our Park Ranger was extremely knowledgeable. We learned so much from him. We will definitely be back!