Medina Railroad Museum, New York

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Medina, New York · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Railroad museumTrain ridesThursday to Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday noon to 4:30 pm

The Medina Railroad Museum fills a 1905 New York Central freight depot with railroad and firefighting history, one of the largest HO-scale layouts in Western New York, and themed train excursions from spring through December.

  • 1905 New York Central freight house
  • Opened April 17, 1997
  • 204-foot HO model layout
  • Bell from the NYC 999
  • Excursions spring through December
  • Museum fully ADA accessible

Medina Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 4:30 pm, closed Monday to Wednesday
Admission
Museum tickets sold online or by phone; check the website for current prices
Train rides
Themed train excursions spring through December, including The Polar Express, Day Out with Thomas and Fall Foliage
Seasonal events
The Polar Express, Day Out with Thomas, Fall Foliage, Wine and Chocolate, Bingo and Beignets
Plan for
About 1.5 to 2 hours for the museum
Best for
Model train fans and families with young kids
Best ages
Toddlers to age 10
Parking
Free parking, including bus parking with drop-off at the front door
Accessibility
The museum is fully ADA accessible; the vintage excursion rail cars are not.

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Medina Railroad 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 Medina.

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 Fireman Marty turned a pickle depot into a museum

Medina's first station was a small stone building with one ticket agent who also handled New York Central telegraphs. As the manufacturing village grew, local business leaders complained, and the village asked the railroad for something larger. In 1905 the Central tore down the stone station and built the 300-foot freight house that stands today. The Heinz pickle factory down the road kept it busy, and four of its original twenty-two freight doors were set aside just for shipping Medina pickles.

After the railroad's decline, the Central sold the building in 1963 to Thomas and Helen Hickey, who used it as a warehouse and then as their Village Square Furniture Store until they retired in 1991. That year Marty Phelps bought it. Known as Fireman Marty, he had spent 25 years with the City of Batavia fire department and created the Lives Are Precious fire and burn prevention program for schoolchildren. He had dreamed of a railroad museum for more than fifty years.

Marty and his family spent six years sanding and painting before the doors opened on April 17, 1997, filled with his railroad memorabilia and firefighting gear. The early years were hard on his finances, and the 1905 building needed a new roof and more, but the museum kept going. Born in the Panama Canal Zone and an Army veteran of the 4th Armored Division, Marty served as museum director, often volunteering 60 hours a week, until he died in 2017. Donations and volunteers keep his depot and vintage rail cars running.

The layout room, the 999 bell and a firehouse corner

The centerpiece is the interactive miniature train layout, one of the largest HO-scale layouts in Western New York at 204 feet long by 14 feet wide. It includes a military train carrying tanks and vehicles and a military base in its Harbor Division. Around the layout room, cases cover the jobs of the railroad, from track maintenance to locomotive operation, passenger and freight service, with a focus on the New York Central.

One main case honors New York Central 999, which in May 1893 was clocked at 112.5 mph between Batavia and Corfu, and its working bell sits beside it. A firefighting section shows ladder and hose carts, old extinguishers and gas masks. The military collection includes Marty's own service gear, a Civil War cannonball and naval ship models built by a Pearl Harbor survivor, and a local history display tells the Heinz pickle story. There is also a gift shop.

Don’t miss

  1. The 204-foot HO layoutOne of the largest HO-scale layouts in Western New York, and the part of the museum most visitors talk about.
  2. The New York Central 999 bellThe working bell from the locomotive that was clocked at 112.5 mph in 1893 sits next to its own display case.
  3. The freight house itselfThe 300-foot 1905 depot, once busy with Heinz pickle shipments, is the museum's largest artifact.
  4. The firefighting collectionLadder carts, hose carts and gear honor founder Marty Phelps and his 25 years as a Batavia firefighter.
  5. The Pearl Harbor survivor's shipsThe largest piece in the military collection is a set of naval ship models built by a Pearl Harbor survivor.

Model trains, fire carts and a ride with Thomas

Kids can follow the trains around the 204-foot interactive layout, look for the tanks on the military train, and check out the old fire carts in the firefighting corner. Founder Marty Phelps spent years teaching children about fire safety, and that spirit runs through the museum.

The biggest draws for little ones are the themed excursions: The Polar Express in the holiday season and Day Out with Thomas. The museum itself is fully ADA accessible, but the vintage rail cars used on excursions are not, because of their historic construction.

Plan your visit: tips for Medina Railroad Museum

  • The museum opens at 9 am on train excursion days.
  • Book excursion tickets online or through the call center at 1-800-514-3849.
  • Group tours run year-round; book with the Events Manager at 585-798-6106 x104.
  • Group discounts apply to groups of 25 or more.

From spring through December the museum runs themed excursions on the old Central line, and the holiday season brings The Polar Express, which the museum even holds auditions to cast. Day Out with Thomas, Fall Foliage, Wine and Chocolate and Bingo and Beignets fill out the calendar. Book early, and for other holiday rides see our list of Christmas train rides in New York.

Keeping Marty's dream running

Since founder Marty Phelps died in 2017, the museum has relied on donations, members and volunteers to restore its vintage rail cars and care for the 1905 depot. You can help by donating, joining as a member, volunteering, riding an excursion, or buying something in the gift shop.

More Western New York rail stops

The North Tonawanda Railroad Museum is about 28 miles west, and the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum about 34 miles. Heading east, the New York Museum of Transportation runs trolley rides about 37 miles away. See our full list of New York train museums.

Every train museum in New York

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.

Medina holds auditions to cast its Polar Express, and I love picturing a hometown conductor practicing his lines. In our book, Mr. Conductor wears a blue uniform and holds out his hand to welcome Rally aboard. My mom always said that small kindness was the moment a trip begins. You can print that scene for your little one from our coloring pages.

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.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Medina Railroad 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.

Medina Railroad Museum: 20 questions before you go

Where is the Medina Railroad Museum?

The Medina Railroad Museum is at 530 West Avenue, Medina, NY 14103, in the old New York Central freight depot. The Village of Medina is a short drive from Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Rochester. There is free parking on site, including room for tour buses with a drop-off at the front door.

Is the Medina Railroad Museum in Ohio?

No. The Medina Railroad Museum is in the Village of Medina in western New York, at 530 West Avenue, between Buffalo and Rochester. If you searched for a Medina, Ohio rail museum, this is a different town in a different state, so double-check the address before you set your GPS.

What are the Medina Railroad Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 4:30 pm. It is closed Monday through Wednesday. On train excursion days it opens at 9 am. You can also call (585) 798-6106 to schedule an appointment.

How much are Medina Railroad Museum tickets?

Museum admission can be purchased on the museum's website, where current prices are listed. Excursion tickets are priced separately. Check medinarailroadmuseum.org or call the ticket call center at 1-800-514-3849. Groups of 25 or more can ask about group discounts.

Can you ride a train at the Medina Railroad Museum?

Yes, on scheduled excursions. The museum runs themed train rides from spring through December, including The Polar Express, Day Out with Thomas and Fall Foliage trips. A tourism listing describes a 34-mile, two-hour round trip. Dates and tickets are on the Events and Excursions page.

Does the Medina Railroad Museum run The Polar Express?

Yes. The Polar Express is the museum's holiday excursion and one of its best-known events, and the museum even holds auditions for the cast. Tickets usually sell well, so book early on medinarailroadmuseum.org or through the call center at 1-800-514-3849.

What do families say about the Medina Railroad Museum Polar Express?

Families often mention the holiday excursion when they talk about the museum, and it is one of the most searched parts of its calendar. For the most current details on what is included, run times and seating, read the Polar Express page on medinarailroadmuseum.org or call 1-800-514-3849 before you book.

Does the Medina Railroad Museum have Day Out with Thomas?

Yes. Day Out with Thomas is one of the themed excursions listed on the museum's events page, a favorite for preschoolers. Dates change each year, so watch the Events and Excursions page or call the call center at 1-800-514-3849 for this year's schedule and tickets.

What upcoming events are at the Medina Railroad Museum?

The museum lists museum admission days alongside themed excursions: The Polar Express, Day Out with Thomas, Fall Foliage, Wine and Chocolate, and Bingo and Beignets. The events calendar on medinarailroadmuseum.org shows the next dates. Themed excursions run spring through December.

How big is the model train layout at the Medina Railroad Museum?

The interactive HO-scale layout is 204 feet long by 14 feet wide, which the museum says makes it one of the largest in Western New York. It includes a military train carrying tanks and vehicles and a military base in its Harbor Division. It is the highlight of the museum for most visitors.

What is in the Medina Railroad Museum?

Besides the big layout, there are cases on railroad jobs from track work to passenger service, with a focus on the New York Central, plus a firefighting collection, military displays and a local history section on the Heinz pickle factory. A gift shop rounds out the visit.

What is the 999 display at the Medina Railroad Museum?

One of the main showcases honors New York Central locomotive 999, which in May 1893 was clocked at 112.5 mph between Batavia and Corfu, setting a world speed record for a moving vehicle. The working bell from the locomotive is displayed next to the case.

What is the history of the Medina Railroad Museum building?

The New York Central built the 300-foot freight house in 1905, replacing a small stone station. It shipped goods for local factories, especially Heinz pickles. After 1963 it became a furniture warehouse and store, and founder Marty Phelps bought it in 1991 and opened the museum on April 17, 1997.

Who founded the Medina Railroad Museum?

Martin "Marty" Phelps founded the museum. He was a City of Batavia firefighter for 25 years, an Army veteran, and creator of the Lives Are Precious fire and burn prevention program for children. He spent six years readying the depot, opened it in 1997, and served as director until his death in 2017.

Is the Medina Railroad Museum good for toddlers?

Yes. Little ones usually love watching the trains on the 204-foot layout, and Day Out with Thomas and The Polar Express are built for young families. The museum building is fully ADA accessible, which helps with strollers, though the vintage rail cars used for excursions are not.

Is the Medina Railroad Museum wheelchair accessible?

The museum building is fully ADA accessible. The vintage rail cars used on excursions are not accessible because of their historic construction, so riders who use wheelchairs should call (585) 798-6106 before booking a train trip to talk through options.

Does the Medina Railroad Museum offer group tours?

Yes. Groups of all sizes are welcome year-round, and themed excursions run spring through December. There is free bus parking with drop-off at the front door. To book, contact the Events Manager at events@medinarailroad.org or (585) 798-6106 extension 104. Group discounts apply for 25 or more.

How long should I spend at the Medina Railroad Museum?

Plan on about an hour and a half to two hours for the museum, with extra time to watch the layout run. A train excursion adds more, and a tourism listing describes the excursion as a two-hour round trip. Arrive early on excursion days, when the museum opens at 9 am.

How can I support the Medina Railroad Museum?

The museum asks for donations to restore its vintage rail cars and maintain the historic depot. You can also become a member, volunteer, or shop in the gift shop. Membership and volunteer pages are on medinarailroadmuseum.org, or call (585) 798-6106.

What train museums are near the Medina Railroad Museum?

The North Tonawanda Railroad Museum is about 28 miles away, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum about 34 miles, and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Museum about 37 miles. The New York Museum of Transportation and its trolley rides are also about 37 miles east.

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Kelsey Cecil
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