Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati in Covington, Kentucky
Railroad museumHours are not posted online; contact the museum before visiting
Founded in 1975 by Cincinnati-area rail enthusiasts, the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati preserves about 80 pieces of historic equipment on a four-acre yard in Covington, focused on the railroads that served Cincinnati.
- Founded in 1975
- About 80 pieces of equipment
- Four-acre railyard in Latonia
- PRR E8 5888 under restoration
- Volunteer-run nonprofit
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati at a glance
- Hours
- Not posted online; email or message the museum before visiting
- Admission
- Not posted online; ask when you contact the museum
- Best for
- Rail fans and passenger car enthusiasts
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address315 W. Southern Ave., Covington, KY 41014(opens in a new tab)
- Emailquestions@cincirailmuseum.org
- Websitecincirailmuseum.org(opens in a new tab)
Follow Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati? 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 Covington.
Rally Takes the Train
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Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on 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.
From private cars on Amtrak to a Latonia railyard
The museum began in 1975 with a club of local rail enthusiasts who wanted to run their own passenger cars on Amtrak trains, and several members bought cars to do it. In the late 1980s Amtrak tightened its rules for private cars, and keeping them up became too costly for most individuals.
The excursions ended, but the cars stayed and became the core of today's collection. The museum's purpose shifted to preservation, and former board chairman Tom Holley has described the goal as collecting equipment from the seven railroads that entered Cincinnati. Today the museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by volunteers, with about 80 pieces of equipment on a four-acre site.
Pennsy streamliners, a Dinky and a troop sleeper
The collection leans heavily on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Volunteers have been restoring E8 locomotive 5888, with the Pennsy theatrical baggage car Juliet beside it as a staging area. Pullman-Standard cars include the Metropolitan View, built in 1938 for the Broadway Limited, and railway post office 6518, modernized for the same train. You will also find an EMD SW1 switcher, a Dinky, a B&O lightweight coach named La Paz, a troop sleeper, an early Southern Railway business car and the Rock Island dining car El Comedor.
Don’t miss
- Pennsylvania Railroad E8 5888A streamlined passenger diesel that volunteers have been restoring for several years.
- Metropolitan ViewA Pullman-Standard car built in 1938 for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited.
- Baggage car JulietOne of 47 theatrical baggage cars the Pennsy built between 1917 and 1922, now used to support the E8 restoration.
A yard full of big cars
This is an outdoor railyard of real locomotives and passenger cars rather than an indoor gallery, so older kids and rail fans tend to get the most out of it. The museum does not post rides, kids' programs or stroller information online, so ask about access to the cars and walking surfaces when you contact the volunteers.
Plan your visit: tips for Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati
- Email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or message the museum's Facebook page to confirm open days.
- Expect an outdoor railyard; dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
- The museum is in the Latonia area of Covington, on Southern Avenue.
A 501(c)(3) of volunteers
The Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati is a nonprofit organization of volunteers who own and maintain the collection, including the long-running E8 restoration. To volunteer, donate or ask about membership, email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or reach out through Facebook.
Rail history on both sides of the Ohio River
Just across the river, the Cincinnati Museum Center railroad exhibits are about 4 miles away and the Cincinnati Railway Museum about 5 miles. For a train ride, the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad is about 31 miles north. Back in Kentucky, see all of Kentucky's train museums.
- Cincinnati Museum Center railroad exhibitsCincinnati, OH · about 4 mi
- Cincinnati Railway MuseumCincinnati, OH · about 5 mi
- Lebanon Mason Monroe RailroadLebanon, OH · about 31 mi
- Carillon Historical Park railway collectionDayton, OH · about 50 mi
- Whitewater Valley RailroadConnersville, IN · about 53 mi
- La Grange Railroad MuseumLa Grange, KY · about 64 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
Old Pullman cars like the ones in this Covington yard sit high off the rails, with steep steps that grown-ups climb without thinking. Rally does not have that luxury. In our book his short corgi legs cannot make the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. My mom would have laughed at that picture. You can read about her and how the story began on our story page.
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 Kentucky: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Kentucky
- Halloween train rides in Kentucky
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
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
- Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati official website(opens in a new tab)
- Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati on Tripadvisor(opens in a new tab)
- Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati on Wikipedia(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.
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati: 20 common questions
Where is the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati is at 315 West Southern Avenue in the Latonia area of Covington, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. Kentucky's tourism office lists the ZIP code as 41014. The collection sits on a four-acre railyard, so look for the line of passenger cars.
What are the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati hours?
The museum does not post regular public hours online. Because it is run by volunteers, open days can vary. Email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or send a message through the museum's Facebook page to confirm when the yard is open before you make the drive.
Is the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati free?
The museum does not list an admission price online. As a volunteer-run nonprofit, it may welcome donations toward its restoration work. Ask about any charge when you email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or message its Facebook page to confirm which days the yard will be open.
What is the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
It is a railroad museum in Covington, Kentucky, that owns and maintains about 80 pieces of historic equipment on a four-acre site. The collection focuses on the railroads that entered Cincinnati, with many Pennsylvania Railroad and Pullman-Standard cars. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by volunteers.
When was the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati founded?
The museum was founded in 1975 by a club of local rail enthusiasts who wanted to run passenger cars on Amtrak trains. After Amtrak tightened its private car rules in the late 1980s, the excursions ended, and the museum turned its focus to preserving the cars and other equipment.
What equipment is at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
Highlights include Pennsylvania Railroad E8 5888, the 1938 Broadway Limited car Metropolitan View, railway post office 6518, PRR SW1 switcher 9408, a Dinky, a Brookville 15-ton switcher, the B&O coach La Paz, a troop sleeper, a Southern Railway business car and Rock Island diner El Comedor.
Is PRR E8 5888 at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
Yes. Pennsylvania Railroad E8 5888 is part of the collection and has been under restoration by museum volunteers for several years. The Pennsy theatrical baggage car Juliet sits beside it and serves as a staging area for the work. Check the museum's Facebook page for restoration updates.
What is the Metropolitan View at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
Metropolitan View is a Pullman-Standard car built in 1938 for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited. The museum also has a railway post office car, PRR 6518, that was modernized for the same train, so the two together recall one of the Pennsy's best known passenger runs.
How many cars does the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati have?
The museum's collection numbers about 80 pieces of historic railroad equipment, kept on a four-acre site in Latonia. That includes diesel locomotives, passenger cars, business and dining cars, a railway post office and a troop sleeper, much of it from the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Can you ride a train at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum does not advertise train rides. Its early members ran private cars on Amtrak trains, but those excursions ended in the late 1980s, and the focus today is preserving equipment. For a ride nearby, the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad in Ohio is about 31 miles north.
Can you go inside the cars at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum does not post online whether visitors can board the cars. With a collection of passenger cars, sleepers and diners, it is a good question to ask. Email questions@cincirailmuseum.org before your visit to find out what will be open.
Is the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati good for kids?
Kids who love big trains can see full-size locomotives and passenger cars up close, but this is a working preservation yard rather than a children's museum, with no posted kids' programs. Older children and teens with a rail interest usually get the most out of a visit. Plan for outdoor walking.
What do reviews say about the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
Visitors on Tripadvisor and Facebook comment on the size of the four-acre yard and the Pennsylvania Railroad and Pullman equipment. For recent photos and reviews, look at the museum's Facebook page, which also shows when volunteers are working and the yard is open.
Where can I see photos of the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum's Facebook page, facebook.com/cincirailmuseum, is the best place for current photos of the collection and restoration work. Its Tripadvisor listing also has visitor photos of the passenger cars and locomotives in the Latonia yard.
Who runs the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit made up of volunteers. They maintain the equipment, carry out restorations like the E8 project, and open the yard to visitors. Former board chairman Tom Holley has described the mission as collecting equipment from the seven railroads that entered Cincinnati.
How can I volunteer at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum relies on volunteers, so interest is welcome, whether you want to help with restoration or care for the cars. It does not post a volunteer schedule online, so email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or message its Facebook page to ask about work days and membership.
How do I contact the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
Email questions@cincirailmuseum.org or send a message through the museum's Facebook page. The museum does not list a public phone number online. Its website is cincirailmuseum.org, and the yard is at 315 West Southern Avenue in Covington.
Is there parking at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The museum does not list parking details online. It is on West Southern Avenue in Latonia, a neighborhood of Covington. Ask about where to park when you email the volunteers to confirm an open day.
Is the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati in Ohio or Kentucky?
It is in Kentucky. Despite the name, the museum's yard is in the Latonia area of Covington, on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River across from Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Museum Center and its railroad exhibits are only about 4 miles away in Ohio.
What train museums are near the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati?
The Cincinnati Museum Center railroad exhibits are about 4 miles away, the Cincinnati Railway Museum about 5 miles, and the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad about 31 miles. Carillon Historical Park in Dayton and the Whitewater Valley Railroad in Indiana are each about 50 miles away.
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