Accessibility

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania welcomes all visitors and seeks to provide accommodations for individuals in need of assistance.

Parking: Accessible (Handicap) Parking spots are available to those with handicap placards and are located in the Main Parking Lot on the east side of the museum, or in the semi-circle driveway on the west side of the museum. This semi-circle driveway can also be used as a DROP OFF/PICK UP zone and is located next to the staff parking lot along the west side of the Main Entrance.

Wheelchairs: Available at the Front Ticket Desk for any visitor to rent free of charge. Wheelchairs are available on a first come, first serve basis, and must remain inside the museum (with the exception of the Outside Restoration Yard). Please let staff know if you wish to use one.

Elevator: Located behind the Front Ticket Desk to access the Second Floor Gallery and Observation Bridge. It is the only elevator in the museum.

Restrooms: The only restrooms in the museum are located at the front of the lobby near the Front Ticket Desk. The restrooms are located on the left-hand side of the hallway, starting with the Women’s Room, Accessible/Family Room, and the Men’s Room at the very end of the hallway.

Elevator: Located behind the Front Ticket Desk to access the Second Floor Gallery and Observation Bridge and is the only one in the museum.]

Exhibits: The Museum’s main exhibit hall is approximately 100,000 square feet in size. While the majority of the exhibit hall is accessible, and many of our displays, exhibits, and interactives being ADA compliant, it is a large indoor space, with large distances between the Main Lobby/Restrooms and the rest of the building and its exhibits.

Sensory Bags: Now available to be signed out at the Front Desk and borrowed for use during your visit. Sensory bags include: headphones, tactile toys, fidget toys, and books. Please ask a staff member for any assistance.

Open Locomotives and Railroad Cars: Which historic locomotives and railroad cars we open for browsing varies daily, and it often depends upon staff availability. Due to their historic nature, condition, safety issues, and design (narrow doorways, steep climb into and out of the piece, and limited space within), not every piece is ADA compliant or even accessible. A wheelchair lift is available for use to allow access into a small number of select pieces within the Museum. A list of open equipment is located at the front of Rolling Stock Hall upon entry. Please ask a staff member for any assistance.

Virtual Tours: As a safe alternative, selected locomotives and railroad cars that are not accessible are equipped with a virtual tour kiosk that provides a 360° view of the interior of the car or engine. Captioning (and optional audio) is installed on all these Virtual Tours. A full list of our Virtual Tours can be located on the Museum’s website here. More virtual tours are in the works!

Guests with Vision or Hearing Impairments or Other Special Needs: Please contact the museum in advanced of your visit to make arrangements to accommodate your needs. We are always happy to assist in any way we can.

The PHMC and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have partnered with the AIRA app to provide visitors with vision impairments with a way to experience the Museum using their smartphones. AIRA connects you with an agent and using the camera on your smartphone, can help navigate the Museum, read artifact labels, and more. AIRA is a free app that can be downloaded on Android Play Store and the Apple Store. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a free AIRA access location.

View the Museum Map.

View a Brief Video of the Museum’s Story Here.

Entering The Museum

The ENTRANCE to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is located along PA Route 741, directly across from the Strasburg Rail Road. There is a flat walkway leading up to the main entrance from the parking lot on the east side of the building.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING is located in the main parking lot on the east side of the Museum or in the semi-circle driveway on the west side of the Museum. (Generally, there are six officially designated accessible parking spaces in the Main Parking Lot, and four officially designated accessible parking spaces along the semi-circle driveway on the west side of the museum. However, there are additional spaces in both locations that are close to these officially designated accessible parking spaces.) The semicircle driveway can also be used as a DROP OFF/PICK UP zone.

SERVICE ANIMALS, including service animals in training, are permitted inside the museum in accordance with federal and state policies. The entry of EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS is at the discretion of the staff.

PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANTS receive complimentary admission into the Museum when accompanying a paying visitor.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania participates in the MUSEUMS FOR ALL program. Discounted admission ($2 per person) is available for any visitor who has an ACCESS or EBT card and a valid state ID.

Inside The Museum

The ROLLING STOCK HALL of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a 100,000-square-foot facility. The majority of the hall is wheelchair accessible, and many of our displays, exhibits, and interactives are ADA compliant.

MAPS of the Museum are available for download on the Museum’s website or by scanning a QR code at the Front Ticket Desk. Paper maps are also provided at the Front Ticket Desk upon request and are currently available in English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian.

The only RESTROOMS in the Museum are located at the front of the lobby down a hallway near the Front Ticket Desk. The restrooms are located on the left side of the hallway, starting with the Women’s Room, an Accessible Facility, and the Men’s Room at the very end of the hallway.

To access the Second Floor Gallery and Observation Bridge, an ELEVATOR is located behind the Front Ticket Desk.

OPEN EQUIPMENT. Select pieces of equipment are opened on a daily basis by staff and volunteers. However, due to their historic nature, construction, safety issues, and current condition of these pieces, not every piece are accessible. A list of open equipment is located at the front of Rolling Stock Hall.

As a safe alternative, selected locomotives and railroad cars that are not accessible are equipped with a VIRTUAL TOUR KIOSK that provides a 360° view of the interior of the car or engine. Captioning (and optional audio) is installed on all these Virtual Tours. A full list of our Virtual Tours can be located on the Museum’s website here. More virtual tours are in the works!

Contact Information

If you have any further questions on accessibility at the Museum, feel free to contact the Front Ticket Desk at (717) 687-8628, ext 3004.

Accommodations

WHEELCHAIRS are available at the Front Ticket Desk for any visitor to rent free of charge and are on a first-come, first serve basis. Wheelchairs must remain on Museum property and return to the Front Ticket Desk after use. Please let staff know if you wish to use one.

A WHEELCHAIR LIFT is available to access select pieces within the Museum. Any piece that has a metal stairway and platform outside of it can be accessed with the lift. Please ask a staff member for any assistance with these pieces. A full detailed list of equipment and accommodations can be found here.

All video displays that include narration have CAPTIONING enabled.

GUIDED TOURS are available. Please contact the museum in advance of your visit for tour availability.

GUESTS WITH VISION IMPAIRMENTS or WHO ARE BLIND, GUESTS WHO ARE DEAF or HARD OF HEARING, and GUESTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS are strongly encouraged to contact the Museum in advance of their visit and make arrangements to accommodate their needs.

SENSORY BAGS are available to be signed out at the Front Desk and borrowed for use during your visit. Sensory bags include: headphones, tactile toys, fidget toys, and books. Please ask a staff member for any assistance.