Maywood Station Museum, New Jersey

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Maywood, New Jersey · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Depot museumOpen periodically through the year and by appointment for groups

The Maywood Station Museum fills the 1872 New York, Susquehanna & Western station in Maywood, New Jersey, a building volunteers rescued from a demolition order in 2002 and restored down to its original colors.

  • Station built in 1872
  • Saved from demolition in 2002
  • Opened as a museum in 2004
  • National Register listed
  • Model layout inside Caboose 24542

Maywood Station Museum at a glance

Hours
Open periodically through the year; see the operating schedule on maywoodstation.com
Admission
Not posted online; email the museum
Plan for
About 1 hour
Best for
Families with young train fans and local history lovers
Best ages
Ages 4 and up

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Maywood Station 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 Maywood.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

How Maywood's neighbors stopped the wrecking ball

The station at 269 Maywood Avenue was built in 1872 for the New York, Susquehanna & Western. Regular passenger trains stopped in 1966, and the tracks out front have carried only freight since. The building's last use was as a meeting hall for the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the early 1990s, and after that it sat neglected while the railroad and the borough tried, and failed, to agree on its future.

When word got out that the Borough of Maywood had signed a demolition order, volunteers acted. On May 29, 2002 they formed the Maywood Station Historical Committee, a division of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society, and began an extensive restoration that July. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and is also on the New Jersey register. It opened as a museum in September 2004.

The committee restored more than the building. Its members brought back Penn Central and Conrail caboose 24542 and NYS&W ALCO S-2 locomotive No. 206, which was built in 1942 by the American Locomotive Company and spent its whole working life on the Susquehanna until it retired in 1986. No. 206 was placed on the state historic register in 2009 and on the National Register in 2010. Members recently finished months of repainting and restoring both pieces on the station grounds.

A station agent's world, put back as it was

Inside, the original woodwork has been painted and stained in its first colors, and original Victorian light fixtures and sconces hang from the ceiling and walls. Restored station furnishings include the potbelly stove, the station agent's desk, chairs, telegraph keys and the freight scale. Pieces that were lost, such as the benches and the bay window area, were reproduced to the original specifications.

Hundreds of photographs, documents, maps and artifacts trace the station, the NYS&W and other local railroads, and the growth of the Borough of Maywood, and exhibits change from time to time. Outside, visitors can climb aboard Caboose 24542, which holds more displays and an operating model train layout, and see locomotive No. 206. The museum also houses the NYS&W Technical & Historical Society's archive of drawings, track diagrams, timetables and records.

Don’t miss

  1. The potbelly stove and agent's deskOriginal Maywood Station furnishings, restored and back where a station agent would have used them.
  2. Caboose 24542A former Penn Central and Conrail N-12 class caboose you can step aboard, with displays and a working model train layout inside.
  3. ALCO S-2 locomotive No. 206Built in 1942 and used only on the Susquehanna until 1986, it is listed on both the state and national historic registers.
  4. Telegraph keys and freight scaleSmall working tools of the station that show how freight and messages moved through a small town depot.
  5. The NYS&W archiveThousands of drawings, maps, track diagrams, timetables and records on the railroad, kept here as the society's official archive.

A caboose to climb into and trains that move

Kids can go aboard Caboose 24542 and watch the operating model train layout inside, which is usually the highlight for young visitors. The restored station, with its potbelly stove and telegraph keys, is small enough for short attention spans. The museum also welcomes class trips and Boy and Girl Scout groups by appointment.

Plan your visit: tips for Maywood Station Museum

  • Check the operating schedule on the website before you go; the museum is not open daily.
  • Schools, scouts, seniors and clubs can book visits by appointment through info@maywoodstation.com.
  • Do not miss the model layout inside the caboose.

The Maywood Station Historical Committee

The museum is run and staffed entirely by volunteer members of the Maywood Station Historical Committee, a 501(c)(3) division of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society. Members meet regularly to maintain the station and update the collection. Email info@maywoodstation.com about membership or donations.

Bergen County and beyond

The Paterson Museum locomotive exhibits are only about 6 miles away. The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey in Boonton is about 18 miles west, and the Whippany Railway Museum is about 19 miles. See our New Jersey train museum guide for more.

Every train museum in New Jersey

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw on the train
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

A station agent once sat at that restored desk in Maywood, tapping telegraph keys and keeping trains on time. I think of people like that whenever I read the page where Mr. Conductor, in his blue uniform, holds out a hand to help Rally aboard. My mom built the whole story around kind railroad folks. If your little one loves helpers in uniform, our train books for toddlers list has more.

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
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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.

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More for train families

Work or volunteer at Maywood Station 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

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Maywood Station Museum: 20 questions visitors ask

Where is the Maywood Station Museum?

The Maywood Station Museum is at 269 Maywood Avenue, Maywood, New Jersey 07607, in Bergen County. The museum's mailing address is Maywood Station Museum/NYSWTHS, 162 South Main Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865, so use the Maywood Avenue address for directions.

When is the Maywood Station Museum open?

The museum is open to the public periodically throughout the year rather than every day. Its website, maywoodstation.com, links to the current operating schedule. Check it before you visit, or email info@maywoodstation.com with questions about upcoming open days.

How much does it cost to visit the Maywood Station Museum?

The museum does not post admission prices online. Since it is a volunteer-run nonprofit open on select days, email info@maywoodstation.com or check its Facebook page for current details before you go. Donations are welcome and help the committee keep the station and its equipment in good repair.

What is the historic Maywood Station?

Maywood Station is the 1872 New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway depot in Maywood. Passenger service ended in 1966. Volunteers rescued the building from a demolition order, restored it beginning in 2002 and opened it as a museum in 2004. It is listed on the state and national historic registers.

Who saved Maywood Station from demolition?

Volunteers formed the Maywood Station Historical Committee on May 29, 2002, after it became public that the Borough of Maywood had signed a demolition order against the station. The committee, a division of the NYS&W Technical & Historical Society, restored the building and still runs the museum.

What can you see at the Maywood Station Museum?

Inside the restored 1872 station are original furnishings such as the potbelly stove, agent's desk, telegraph keys and freight scale, plus hundreds of photos, maps and artifacts on the station, the Susquehanna and Maywood. Outside are Caboose 24542 with a model layout and ALCO S-2 locomotive No. 206.

Can you go inside the caboose at the Maywood Station Museum?

Yes. Visitors are invited to come aboard Caboose 24542, a former Penn Central and Conrail N-12 class caboose restored by committee members. Inside are additional displays and an operating model train layout, a favorite with young visitors.

What is locomotive No. 206 at the Maywood Station Museum?

No. 206 is an ALCO S-2 diesel built in 1942 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, New York. It served its whole career on the New York, Susquehanna & Western until 1986. Restored by museum members, it is on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Is the Maywood Station Museum good for kids?

Yes, especially for young train fans. Children can step into Caboose 24542 to see a working model train layout, look at locomotive No. 206, and explore the old station with its potbelly stove and telegraph keys. Exhibits are designed to entertain and educate visitors of all ages.

Can schools or scout troops visit the Maywood Station Museum?

Yes. Beyond public open days, the museum opens by appointment for class trips, Boy and Girl Scout trips, senior citizen groups and other clubs and organizations. Email info@maywoodstation.com to arrange a date, and mention your group's size and ages so volunteers can plan the visit.

Where can I see Maywood Station Museum photos?

The museum posts photos and restoration news on its Facebook page, including its recent project to repaint locomotive No. 206 and the caboose. Its website has news and pictures as well, and visitor photos appear on review sites.

What do reviews say about the Maywood Station Museum?

Visitors describe it as an interesting small museum covering local railroad history, the early history of the town and even the local fire department. Many comment on the restored station building itself. Reviews can be found on Tripadvisor and the museum's Facebook page.

Is Maywood Station on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. Maywood Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and is also on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. The museum's locomotive No. 206 joined the state register in 2009 and the National Register in 2010.

Does the Maywood Station Museum have railroad archives?

Yes. The museum is the official site of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society archive, which holds thousands of drawings, maps, track diagrams, photos, timetables, documents and records on the railroad. Email ahead to ask about research access.

Who runs the Maywood Station Museum?

The Maywood Station Historical Committee, a volunteer 501(c)(3) division of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society, operates and staffs the museum. The same society runs Delaware River Railroad Excursions in Phillipsburg.

Can I film or hold a photo shoot at the Maywood Station Museum?

Yes. The museum can be contracted for movie and television filming, commercial props and photo shoots, and the restored 1872 station interior makes a period setting. Email info@maywoodstation.com with your dates and project details to ask about availability and terms.

How can I become a member or donate to the Maywood Station Museum?

Email info@maywoodstation.com for membership information or to make a donation. Members of the Maywood Station Historical Committee meet regularly to restore and maintain the station and update the museum collection, and donations support that ongoing volunteer work.

Is there parking at the Maywood Station Museum?

The museum does not list parking details online. Email info@maywoodstation.com or message its Facebook page before your visit to ask where to park near the station on Maywood Avenue, especially if you are bringing a group or visiting on a busy open day.

Do trains still run past Maywood Station?

Yes, freight trains. The last regular NYS&W passenger trains stopped in 1966, and the tracks in front of the station have been used only for freight since. A spot near the museum has been proposed as a station for NJ Transit's Passaic Bergen Hudson Transit Project.

What train museums are near the Maywood Station Museum?

The Paterson Museum locomotive exhibits are about 6 miles away. The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey in Boonton is about 18 miles and the Whippany Railway Museum about 19 miles. The New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn is about 15 miles away.

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Kelsey Cecil
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