Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario

I recently attended the Train Fest in Smiths Falls, and it was a truly enjoyable experience. The Railway Museum is fantastic—I had visited it a year ago, and it was great to see it come to life during this event. The festival was very well-organized, and the volunteers in the telegraph room were real enthusiasts and experts. My children and I spent some time talking with them, especially with the telegraph operator Graeme, and we were captivated by their passion and knowledge. Special thanks to Graeme for the fascinating conversation!

The Lego City display was amazing! We were in awe of the dedication and creativity of the fans who built those expansive railways and cityscapes. The outdoor zones offered a variety of activities that kept kids of all ages entertained.

While the ride on the old train was brief, the atmosphere inside the vintage wagon was surreal, transporting us back in time. I’m grateful to all the staff and volunteers for making this day so memorable. It was a beautiful experience for our whole family!

This museum is in nice shape, has several restored and preserved trains to walk through and explore, and even lets you pump one of those old timey hand car! 10 bucks to get in, another 10 to do the hand car. Would recommend for all train dorks, children, history buffs, or anyone who likes mechanical stuff.

We took 42 kids aged 5-12 from our Summer Camp here and everyone was engaged the entire time (adults included!). We had the opportunity to visit the telegraph office where we were shown old phones, learned about Morse code and how scheduling used to happen, everyone got to make a Morse code bracelet with their initials as well. We had a tour of the dental car (super interesting!!), the train plow, and Nolan’s Corner’s old train station with a wood stove inside. We had a train ride around the grounds as well as iced tea and cookies in an old dining car! The day ended with a scavenger hunt. There was a great shaded open space with picnic tables to eat and a Lego table and train toys to play with. Every single person on staff was so kind, personable and helpful. I will definitely take more classes and camps back as well as my own family!!

Took a detour from our plan and ended up visiting the Railway Museum at Smiths Falls! Very nice experience. Friendly staff and a lot of information on the Canadian Pacific Railways and the Dental Car and its operations back in the day. A must visit for the kids. We spent slightly more than an hour there and the tickets were $36 for a family of 4.

Great spot to visit with the whole family. We came for "train days" in August and they had extra vendors, miniature electric train hobbyists set up and a Lego train set up. We also did the optional train ride on the double caboose, it was fun. Lots of older model trains to look at, you can go on the cars and see along with a small museum and gift shop. A very nice spot.

My fiancé and I had the best experience here! This is a NFP, privately owned museum and that means it’s far more interactive than other museums. That also means a heightened sense of respect for your surroundings is required. I’d visit again in a heartbeat.

Cute little museum. We went to the train fest in Aug 2024, and had a lovely time! Kids got lots of toys train rides, the big caboose ride and the tractor rides. The museum itself is nice and the staff are wonderful. Definitely enjoyed ourselves and are hoping to return in Dec for their Christmas event.

Attended for Railway Fest with our two year old granddaughter. There was a lot of interactive programs going on including different styles of train cars etc. The bouncy castle was a big hit along with the ice cream shack. Also went for a ride on a train and it was just the right amount of time to keep her attention. It was wonderful day!

Had a great experience staying for one night and very helpful enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers. Took a ride on the trolley cart and a full walk through the carriages open for view. Highly recommended.

We arrives in the late afternoon with only an hour to go. The price was affordable in my opinion. The trains are interesting with lots of information cards to tell you about them. I went with my 5 year old and he really enjoyed it. There was a playroom which was a big hit. We are excited to maybe do the high tea or an overnight on the train in future.

Went to the museum for a themed event today and was SO IMPRESSED. They went all out and it was so much fun and festiveness! We had a great time and the museum had so much to offer, I’ll be going back any chance I get!

Such a great spot to visit for train lovers big and small. Lovingly maintained by dedicated volunteers, the entire place is clean, rich with nostalgia, and attended by knowledgeable people happy to share in your wonder. A must see.

Some unique finds, super knowledgeable and friendly staff, with beautifully maintained historic displays make this museum a must see on any trip to Ontario, especially near Ottawa. Every exhibit had a purpose! Gotta love the Dental train car, the CP President's Cadillac, and many others. I'm originally from NYC, later eastern Pennsylvania and now Michigan I've been to several RR Museums, and this one was the most enjoyable overall.

Absolutely loved this history filled spot. The staff are all wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. They even have train cars that are Air B & B rentals. Highly recommend a stop here 👌

Fun museum to visit with kids!

Lots of very interesting vintage items, useful descriptions, but above all excellent customer service: they smiling staff to greet us, someone took the time to accompany us in a wagon to provide further explanations and another one helped us with the fun little wagon ride!

The entry price is very reasonable and the 3$ ride worth every cent. Highly recommended, worths
the detour.

This is a fun museum that offers some very unique attractions, like the ability to rent one three different cabooses for overnight stays. They also have interesting exhibits, like the history of dental care that was offered to remote communities by a dentist that travelled to different areas by train.

While this is a relatively small museum, and you can "see"" everything in an hour, it is better to take your time. If you walk through the exhibits patiently and learn the area's local history, (I liked the section dealing with World War II), you will be well rewarded.

Wonderful afternoon tea experience! Perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Lovely staff, great food and the location is great. The renovated dining car is the perfect place for a quiet tea time. We shared this moment with many guests who were friendly but quiet. I think everybody had a great time. Highly recommended!

This is an absolutely amazing place to visit with kids. We were impressed by how carefully personnel keep the exposition. The museum holds a very important part of Canadian railroad history.

Hidden gem! Some incredible artifacts with plenty of stories behind them.

Our stay at Rmeo was magical. They made dreams come true for our train loving two and a half year old son.

Check in was simple, the caboose was clean & comfortable and the cupla was a huge hit. The beds were comfortable and we were so happy that there was an A/C unit in the caboose too.

The shared common areas were very clean and had everything we needed to feel right at home (kitchen, fun train toys, a shower with soaps and shampoos).

It was so neat to wake up in a caboose and then visit the train museum. All staff were kind, helpful and friendly.

Perfect for families or anyone who loves trains. You will not be disappointed.