Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenicia, New York
Depot museumFreeOpen weekends and holidays, Memorial Day to Columbus Day
Founded in 1960 and based in Phoenicia since 1983, the Empire State Railway Museum preserves the history of the Catskill Mountain railroads inside the 1899 Ulster and Delaware station, one of the few surviving stations on the line.
- Founded in 1960
- 1899 Phoenicia station
- HO diorama of the Ulster and Delaware
- Steam Locomotive #23 in the car barn
- Admission by donation
- Free talks and lectures
Empire State Railway Museum at a glance
- Hours
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10 am to 4 pm, Memorial Day to Columbus Day
- Admission
- By donation; no fee required
- Seasonal events
- Fall talks and presentations
- Plan for
- About 1 hour
- Best for
- Rail history fans and families with school-age kids
- Best ages
- Ages 5 and up
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address70 Lower High St, Phoenicia, NY 12464(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(845) 688-7501
- Emailinfo@esrm.com
- Websiteesrm.com(opens in a new tab)
Follow Empire State Railway Museum
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Empire State Railway Museum? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Phoenicia.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Sixty years of saving the Catskill Mountain railroads
The Empire State Railway Museum was established in 1960 as a nonprofit preservation organization, and in 1983 it moved to Phoenicia, a small town in the heart of the Catskills. Its home is the Phoenicia station, built in 1899 by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad and one of the few stations from that line still standing. The museum treats the building itself as one of its artifacts.
The mission reaches beyond locomotives. The museum works to preserve the history of the Catskill Mountain railroads and their neighbors, and the way those lines shaped the region's culture, economy and towns. That means railroad records, photographs, equipment, cars and locomotives, but also the personal stories and memories of the people who worked on the railroads or whose lives they touched.
A recurring theme is how railroads and communication grew up together. The museum points out that American railroads date to around 1826, followed by photography in 1839, the telegraph in 1844 and the typewriter in 1868. Station agents kept trains running safely and on time with kerosene lanterns, marker lights, the telegraph and signals outside the depot. A 1909 photograph shows a photographer, the station agent and the telegrapher together, and the typewriter in that picture, at least 115 years old, is now on display.
Everything here is kept going by memberships, donations and the hard work of volunteers, who also care for full-size equipment in the museum's car barn, including Steam Locomotive #23.
Three rooms of a working country station
Curated tours take visitors through the station's three interior rooms. The Waiting Room shows off the building's architecture along with framed artwork, photographs and artifacts. In the Agent's Office you will find an HO scale diorama of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad as it looked in the early 1900s, several other dioramas, and antique telegraph equipment, lanterns and signaling devices that a station agent would have used every day.
The Freight Room now holds the museum gift shop, with books, shirts, sweatshirts, hats and toys for all ages, plus more photographs and artifacts. Group and bus tours, available by appointment on weekdays, also go into the car barn, where full-size railroad equipment, including Steam Locomotive #23, sits in various stages of restoration.
Don’t miss
- Ulster and Delaware HO dioramaShows the U&D as it was in the early 1900s, set up in the station agent's own office.
- The 1909 typewriterThe same typewriter that appears in a 1909 photograph of the station agent and telegrapher, now at least 115 years old.
- Telegraph and signaling artifactsKeys, kerosene lanterns and marker lights that kept trains running on time before radios and computers.
- Steam Locomotive #23Kept in the car barn among other full-size equipment under restoration, and seen on group tours.
- The 1899 Phoenicia stationOne of the few surviving stations on the Ulster and Delaware line, and the museum's largest artifact.
Dioramas, old gadgets and a toy shelf
This is a quiet, indoor museum best for kids who like miniature trains and old machines. The HO diorama and the other small dioramas in the Agent's Office are at the heart of a family visit, and older children often find the telegraph and the century-old typewriter fascinating once they understand how messages moved before phones. The gift shop in the Freight Room carries toys and books for all ages.
Because the visit covers three rooms, it fits well into a day in Phoenicia with younger kids. The car barn with Steam Locomotive #23 is generally seen on group tours by appointment, so ask ahead if your family wants to see full-size equipment.
Plan your visit: tips for Empire State Railway Museum
- Admission is free, but the volunteers ask for a donation.
- Book a group or bus tour on a weekday to see the car barn and Locomotive #23.
- Check the events page for afternoon talks, usually at 1 pm.
- The museum is closed Monday through Friday to walk-in visitors.
Volunteers in the agent's office
The Empire State Railway Museum is a nonprofit maintained by memberships, donations and volunteers. Visitors can help by leaving a donation, joining as a member, buying something in the gift shop or coming to the museum's talks. Email info@esrm.com or call (845) 688-7501 to ask about volunteering.
Catskill rail stops near Phoenicia
The Delaware and Ulster Railroad in Arkville is about 10 miles away and offers a ride to pair with your station visit. The Catskill Mountain Railroad and the Trolley Museum of New York are both in Kingston, about 18 to 20 miles east. For more, browse train museums all over New York.
- Delaware & Ulster RailroadArkville, NY · about 10 mi
- Catskill Mountain RailroadKingston, NY · about 18 mi
- Trolley Museum of New YorkKingston, NY · about 20 mi
- Stepping Stones Museum railroad-history exhibitsHudson Valley, NY · about 27 mi
- Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley RailroadMilford, NY · about 48 mi
- Berkshire Scenic Railway MuseumLenox / Adams, MA · about 58 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
Before Rally rides the train in our book, he packs his own little bag: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball. I thought of that when I read that this museum's gift shop sits in the old Freight Room, where bags and parcels once waited for the train. My kids are learning to read, and they always want to check that Rally packed everything. Our coloring pages let them pack his bag too.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in New York: every museum by town, with a map
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- Christmas train rides in New York
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- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Empire State Railway Museum?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
- Empire State Railway Museum official website(opens in a new tab)
- Empire State Railway Museum on Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Empire State Railway Museum: 20 questions answered
Where is the Empire State Railway Museum?
The Empire State Railway Museum is at 70 Lower High St in Phoenicia, New York 12464, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. It occupies the historic Phoenicia Railroad Station, built by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad in 1899. The mailing address is PO Box 455, Phoenicia, NY 12464.
Is the Empire State Railway Museum connected to the Empire State Building?
No, despite the similar name it is a different place. The Empire State Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Phoenicia, in the Catskills, about Catskill Mountain railroad history. If you are looking for Empire State Building tickets or the train to Midtown Manhattan, check that building's own website instead.
What are the Empire State Railway Museum hours?
As of October 2026, the museum is open 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. It is closed Monday through Friday except for group and bus tours by appointment. Check esrm.com or call (845) 688-7501 before visiting near the start or end of the season.
How much does the Empire State Railway Museum cost?
No admission fee is required at the Empire State Railway Museum. Because it is maintained by memberships, donations and volunteers, the museum asks visitors to leave a donation in support of its work. Any amount helps keep the station and its collection cared for.
What will I see at the Empire State Railway Museum?
Curated tours cover the station's three rooms. The Waiting Room has framed artwork, photographs and artifacts. The Agent's Office holds an HO scale diorama of the Ulster and Delaware in the early 1900s, other dioramas and antique telegraph equipment. The Freight Room has the gift shop plus more photographs and artifacts.
When was the Empire State Railway Museum founded?
The Empire State Railway Museum was founded in 1960 as a nonprofit and moved to Phoenicia in 1983. Since then it has been based in the 1899 Ulster and Delaware station, which it describes as an artifact itself and which is one of the few surviving stations on that line.
What railroad built the Phoenicia station?
The Ulster and Delaware Railroad built the Phoenicia station in 1899. The museum's HO scale diorama in the Agent's Office shows the U&D as it was in the early 1900s, and the museum preserves the history of the Ulster and Delaware and the other Catskill Mountain railroads.
Can you see Steam Locomotive #23 at the Empire State Railway Museum?
Steam Locomotive #23 is kept in the museum's car barn with other full-size railroad equipment in various stages of restoration. The museum says access to the car barn is included with group and bus tours, which are available by appointment during the week. Call (845) 688-7501 to ask about seeing it.
Does the Empire State Railway Museum offer group tours?
Yes. Group and bus tours are available by appointment throughout the week, and they include access to the car barn with full-size equipment and Steam Locomotive #23. To book, email info@esrm.com or call (845) 688-7501, ideally well before your planned date.
Can you ride a train at the Empire State Railway Museum?
The museum does not list train rides; it is a station museum with exhibits, dioramas and a car barn. For a ride nearby, the Delaware and Ulster Railroad in Arkville is about 10 miles away and the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston about 18 miles, both covered on this site.
Is the Empire State Railway Museum good for kids?
It works best for kids who enjoy model trains and old gadgets. The dioramas, telegraph equipment and century-old typewriter make good talking points, and the gift shop has toys and books for all ages. It is a quiet, indoor visit, so it fits nicely into a day of other Phoenicia activities with little ones.
What railroad communication artifacts are at the Empire State Railway Museum?
The museum displays kerosene lanterns, marker lights, telegraph equipment and signaling devices that station agents used to keep trains running safely. One highlight is a typewriter at least 115 years old, the same one seen in a 1909 photo of the photographer, station agent and telegrapher at the station.
Does the Empire State Railway Museum have a gift shop?
Yes. The gift shop is in the station's former Freight Room and carries books, t-shirts, sweatshirts, toys and hats for all ages, alongside more artifacts and photographs. Purchases help support the volunteer-run museum, and the shop keeps the same weekend hours as the museum.
What events does the Empire State Railway Museum hold?
The museum hosts talks, presentations and special events. As of October 2026, the schedule listed a book release with J. Wesley Coates and John M. Ham on October 18 and a talk on enslavement in the Hudson Valley with historians Ed Moran and Jonathan Palmer on October 25, both at 1 pm at the museum.
How long does a visit to the Empire State Railway Museum take?
Most visitors spend about an hour touring the three rooms of the station, looking at the dioramas and browsing the gift shop. A group tour that includes the car barn takes longer. If a talk is scheduled, plan for an afternoon in Phoenicia around it.
What are the Empire State Railway Museum reviews like?
Travel listings describe it as a charming, volunteer-run museum in a historic 1899 station, with archival photographs, railroad records and communication artifacts. Families often mention the dioramas and the friendly volunteers. For current reviews and photos, check the museum's listing on major review sites or its Instagram account.
Where can I see photos of the Empire State Railway Museum?
The museum's website has a gallery of favorite photos from the station and train yard, and it posts updates on Instagram at esrmuseum. Its newsletters on esrm.com also include pictures of exhibits, events and restoration work in the car barn.
Is the Empire State Railway Museum volunteer run?
Yes. The museum says it is maintained by memberships, donations and the hard work of volunteers. Those volunteers lead the curated station tours, staff the gift shop and work on the full-size equipment in the car barn, including Steam Locomotive #23.
How can I join or donate to the Empire State Railway Museum?
You can join as a member or donate through esrm.com, or leave a donation when you visit. The museum's mission includes preserving railroad records, photographs, equipment and personal recollections, and that work depends on members and donors. Questions can go to info@esrm.com or (845) 688-7501.
What train museums are near the Empire State Railway Museum?
The Delaware and Ulster Railroad in Arkville is about 10 miles away. In Kingston, the Catskill Mountain Railroad is about 18 miles and the Trolley Museum of New York about 20 miles. Stepping Stones Museum's railroad history exhibits are about 27 miles away, making Phoenicia a good base for a Catskills rail weekend.
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