Today’s Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

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717-687-8628
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Guided Educational Programs

Contact:

Juliette O’Connor, Museum Educator 2, (717) 687-8628, ext 3025, or by email

Jesse Shetrom, Museum Educator 1, (717) 687-8628, ext 3022, or by email

Guided Tours

Price: $7.00 per student. For every 5 paid students, 1 chaperone is admitted free. Additional chaperones are $9.00 per person. There must be at least 10 students attending in order to book a program. Paid aides, 1-on-1s, nurses etc. attending with students can be admitted free.

Primary

Working on the Railroad “A”
Recommended for Preschool-Grade 3
(Ages 4-8) • 45-60 Minutes

All aboard! Students explore a recreated 1915 Train Station, a real, restored 1931 Passenger Car, and build a model section of Railroad Track in this hands-on program. Guides introduce age-appropriate technology concepts of the era with objects and delve into how they were used by workers of the time, encouraging students to compare to our modern lives.

Primary

Working on the Railroad “B”
Recommended for Grades 4-5
(Ages 9-10) • 45-60 Minutes

Students engage with the pre-WWII world on the Railroad in this interactive, exploratory program! By exploring a recreated 1915 Train Station, a real, restored 1913 Wooden Caboose and 1905 Steam Engine, students will develop an understanding of how workers used creative skills and tools to get the job done.   .

Secondary

Parade of Power Tour
Recommended for Grades 9-12
(Ages 14-18) • 60 minutes

Students will tour and explore 3 types of locomotive engines: Steam, Diesel-Electric, and Electric in a walk through technology and time! Guides facilitate conversation about how each type worked while comparing to the modern day. .

Kids building scale-size railroad tracks as part of a museum tour.
Kids gathered around a green locomotive on a guided tour.

Self-Guided Groups

Educational groups are eligible for discounted rates. There must be at least 10 students attending in order to receive the discounted rate. Please contact Juliette O’Connor, Museum Educator 2, at (717) 687-8628, ext 3025, or by email or Jesse Shetrom, Museum Educator 1, at (717) 687-8628, ext 3022, or by email prior to your visit in order to schedule.

Educational Group Rates:

Students: $6
Adults: $9
*1 Adult will be admitted free for every 5 paid Students.

 
Plan Your Visit
stripes going right

Traveling Programs

Suggested Price: $100 per program

A class of kids learning about railroads at the Railroad musueum

Working on the Railroad

Various Audiences | 20-25 Participants Max. | 60-90 Min.

Participants will be able to interact with many hands-on visual aids and artifacts, like tools, lanterns, uniform items, dining car china, and ticket punches, to explore the various jobs in railroading.

A kid and his father at a table in front of a train car speaking to a volunteer about trains.

Live Steam Demonstration

Various Audiences | 20-25 Participants Max. | 60-90 Min.

Using a miniature working steam model, an instructor will demonstrate the physics of steam locomotion. With the help of historic artifacts, photos, and other visual aids, participants will explore the evolution of locomotion, from steam to electric to diesel-electric.

A diagram of K'Nex toys built like bridges.

K’NEX
Rail Lab

Various Audiences | 20-25 Participants Max. | 60-90 Min.

Working in small groups, students use K’NEX building kits and other learning aids to explore the engineering behind railroad bridges.

A group of elderly people watching a slideshow presentation about trains in a classroom.

Railroad Slideshows

Various Audiences | 100 Participants Max. | 30-60 Min.

Do you need a guest speaker for a dinner, meeting or special event? Our popular railroad-themed slide lectures are designed for the enjoyment of those attending business meetings, banquets, and other social gatherings. Several titles are available. Please call to inquire.

Virtual Programs

Using Zoom | Suggested Price: $75 per program

Vintage photo of rail road operator working a railroad car.

Interactive Working on the Railroads

Various Audiences | 25 Participants Max. | 35-45 Min.

Through unique objects, you will learn about the jobs of the Conductor, Station Agent, and Engineer. A combination of demonstration, guided activity, historic photographs, and audio will be used during the program.

Picture from early 1900's of a passenger train going down the rails.

Lecture and Q&A Riding the Rails: 175 Years of Passenger Train Service

Teen-Adult Audiences | 30 Participants Max. | 45-60 Min.

For over 175 years, trains have carried passengers across the American landscape – and from the earliest days, Pennsylvania has reigned supreme. Pennsylvania railroads led the way and continue to impact travelers today.

Old photo of train station for tickets to new york and new haven.

Lecture and Q&A Down by the Station: Railroad Stations and Terminals

Teen-Adult Audiences | 30 Participants Max. | 45-60 Min.

Whether grand or small, stations were and, in some cases, continue to be the lifeblood of towns and cities. During the heyday of railroading, stations and the people who worked in them kept the trains running safely and efficiently.

Old train cabin caboose car, riding down rail.

Lecture and Q&A It’s Crummy: The Story of the Railroad Caboose

Teen-Adult Audiences | 30 Participants Max. | 45-60 Min.

Crummy, hack, cabin car, or caboose – no matter what you call it, the caboose has had a colorful and interesting history. In this lecture, we’ll talk about why these cars have become icons of railroading by delving into their history and their purpose.

stripes going left

Contact to Schedule

Juliette O’Connor, Museum Educator
717-687-8628 ext 3025
juoconnor@pa.gov

Helpful Things to Know

When You Call or Email:

  • Preferred date of your visit, as well as 2 to 3 alternate dates.
  • Number of students and chaperones.
  • Age or grade level and any special needs or sensitivities of students.
  • Time of arrival.
  • Length of time allowed for your visit.
  • Program(s) of choice.
  • Lunch plans.
  • Do you have reservations to ride on the Strasburg Rail Road? Have you scheduled visits with other area attractions? If so, please let us know when you must depart the Museum.

Reminders:

  • Prices in this guide are subject to change.
  • A minimum of 10 paying visitors is required to qualify for group discounts. (Groups may be combined.)
  • Museum membership and other discounts, including library passes, do not apply to group education programs.
  • We require at least one adult chaperone for every ten students at all times.
  • Every effort is made to adhere to the schedule, so please arrive on time. If your group is more than 30 minutes late, we reserve the right to cancel the program, offering a self-guided option instead.
  • Leave enough time for restroom breaks, as well as visits to the Whistle Stop Shop, our Museum store.
  • Reservations cannot be made on days when the Museum is closed. See “Hours of Operation” for details.

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