Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum in Rush, New York

Written By Kelsey Cecil

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

Railroad museumTrain ridesOpen to the public on monthly special event days

The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum preserves Rochester's railroad story at the restored 1909 Industry Depot in Rush, where volunteers keep a large collection of vintage diesels in running order and give visitors a train ride through the grounds.

  • Restored 1909 Erie Railroad depot
  • Roots go back to 1937
  • Operating vintage diesel locomotives
  • 1.5-mile round-trip train ride
  • Last Rochester Subway car
  • Run entirely by volunteers

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Open to the public on monthly special event days; see RochesterTrainRides.com
Admission
Check RochesterTrainRides.com for current prices
Train rides
1.5-mile round-trip train ride included on event days
Seasonal events
Diesel Days, Trains and Trolleys at Twilight
Plan for
About 1.5 to 2 hours
Best for
Diesel fans and families with young train riders
Best ages
Ages 3 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 Rochester & Genesee Valley 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 Rush.

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.

From ten railfans in 1937 to a depot bought for one dollar

On February 4, 1937, ten rail enthusiasts met upstairs in the old New York Central station on Central Avenue to start the sixth chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. They were a baggage handler, a banker, two clerks, a printer, a ticket agent, a teacher, a bookkeeper, a retired tobacconist and a future Rochester mayor, Peter Barry. John Woodbury's huge collection of railroad photos and literature still forms the heart of the museum's library. By 1949 the young chapter was strong enough to host the national NRHS convention in Rochester.

By the late 1960s the chapter needed a home for its growing collection. It chose the Industry depot, built by the Erie Railroad around 1909 on a line chartered in 1851 as the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad. The last passenger train stopped there in 1941, and the building had sat empty since 1957. In 1971 the chapter bought it from the Erie Lackawanna for one dollar, and volunteers restored it to look as it would have in the 1930s.

Then came the track. Volunteers laid enough rail by 1979 to bring in their first car, Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh caboose 280, and in 1981 the museum got its first locomotive, Eastman Kodak 6. In 1993 the museum's mile-long line met the New York Museum of Transportation's track. Diesel Days began in 1998. The museum operated under the Rochester Chapter NRHS until 2011, and today it is an independent nonprofit run by volunteers who keep most of the collection in working order.

A depot, a diesel roster and a caboose train

Visits start at the Industry Depot, with its two waiting rooms on either side of the agent's office. On event days you take a self-guided tour of the exhibits and ride a diesel-pulled train of restored cabooses on a mile-and-a-half round trip through the grounds. The museum says it has the largest collection of historic trains and operating vintage diesels in New York State, and most of it ties to railroads that served Rochester.

The diesel roster runs from General Electric switchers built for Rochester Gas and Electric and Eastman Kodak to Alco road switchers from the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville. Other preserved buildings include a Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo waiting shelter and a New York Central crossing watchman's shanty. Exhibits change by season, so not every piece is on view each visit.

Don’t miss

  1. The 1909 Industry DepotBought for one dollar in 1971 and restored by volunteers to its 1930s look, it is where every train ride begins.
  2. Lehigh Valley 211A distinctive high-hood Alco RS-3m, nicknamed a Hammerhead, that is part of the operating collection.
  3. Rochester Subway car 60The only surviving car from the Rochester Subway fleet, returned to the chapter in 1998.
  4. Eastman Kodak 6The museum's very first locomotive, a General Electric 80-ton switcher that arrived in 1981.
  5. The Empire State Express coachesSeven Budd-built 1941 stainless steel coaches arrived in 2007 and have been used for fall foliage trips.
  6. The signal collectionRochester was home to General Railway Signal, and the museum keeps an operating semaphore, searchlight signals and a CTC machine.

Caboose rides and big diesels

The highlight for kids is the train ride itself: a diesel locomotive pulls restored cabooses on a mile-and-a-half round trip through the grounds, leaving from the old depot. Around the yard there are locomotives, freight cars and cabooses to look at up close, and the depot's waiting rooms show what a small-town station looked like.

Because the museum opens only on special event days, check RochesterTrainRides.com before you go. The joint Trains and Trolleys at Twilight evenings with the trolley museum next door add a trolley ride, music and ice cream.

Plan your visit: tips for Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

  • The museum is open only on special event days, so confirm the date first.
  • From I-390 exit 11, follow Route 251 to 282 Rush Scottsville Road.
  • The depot phone is not staffed all the time and messages can take a few days to return.
  • Exhibits change seasonally, so not every locomotive is on display each visit.

All volunteers, since the beginning

The museum is a nonprofit educational organization staffed entirely by volunteers, led by an elected board of officers and trustees. Volunteers built the track, restored the depot and keep the diesels running. Visitors help by coming out on event days, and anyone interested in membership or volunteering can reach the museum through its website or by mail at P.O. Box 23326, Rochester, NY 14692.

Ride on to the trolley museum and beyond

The New York Museum of Transportation is about a mile up the same line and runs the state's only electric trolley ride. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society Museum is about 25 miles away, and the Arcade & Attica Railroad about 48 miles. See every New York train museum on our site.

Every train museum in New York

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Ten friends started this group in 1937, and one of them saved so many railroad photos that they still fill the museum's library. That made me smile, because Rally is a collector too. Before his train trip in our book he packs his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball, the things he can't leave behind. I suspect a few of those early members had a favorite lantern they carried the same way.

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 Rochester & Genesee Valley 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.

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum: 20 common questions

Where is the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

The museum is at 282 Rush Scottsville Road (Route 251) in Rush, NY 14543, at the hamlet of Industry, about 20 minutes south of downtown Rochester. From I-390, take exit 11 and follow Route 251. Train rides leave from the restored 1909 Industry Depot on the grounds.

When is the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum open?

As of October 2026, the museum says it is open to the public monthly on special event days only, rather than on a regular weekly schedule. Older listings mention select weekends from May or June through October. Check RochesterTrainRides.com for the current event dates before you drive out.

How much does it cost to visit the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

Ticket prices vary by event, so check before you go. Prices for each event day are listed on the museum's train ride site, RochesterTrainRides.com. You can also leave a message on the depot phone at (585) 533-1431, though the museum notes it may take a few days to call back.

Can you ride a train at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

Yes. Every public visit includes a mile-and-a-half round-trip train ride through the museum grounds, departing from the 1909 Industry Depot. Rides today are pulled by vintage diesel locomotives with restored freight cabooses for passengers. Track car rides were offered until 2010.

What is there to see at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

You can tour the restored Industry Depot and exhibits, see vintage diesel locomotives, cabooses, freight and passenger cars, and visit preserved structures such as a Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo waiting shelter and a New York Central watchman's shanty. Exhibits change seasonally, so not everything is on display at once.

How big is the collection at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

The museum says it has the largest collection of historic trains and operating vintage diesel locomotives in New York State. Wikipedia lists more than 40 pieces of equipment, including about 10 locomotives, 13 freight cars and 15 passenger cars, plus trolley and work equipment. Most of it connects to railroads that served Rochester.

What locomotives are at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

The diesel roster includes Lehigh Valley 211, an Alco RS-3m, Rochester and Genesee Valley 54, Nickel Plate Road 79, Bath and Hammondsport 5, U.S. Army 1843, two Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Alcos, three Rochester Gas and Electric GE switchers and two Eastman Kodak units. Two small industrial steam engines are not currently displayed.

Does the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum have a Rochester Subway car?

Yes. The museum is home to car 60, the only surviving car from the Rochester Subway fleet. It was donated to the Rochester Chapter in 1956, spent years on loan and in storage, and came back in 1998. Restoring it to running order has been a long-term goal shared with the trolley museum next door.

What is the history of the Industry Depot?

The Erie Railroad built the Industry depot around 1909 on a line first chartered in 1851. It was named for a nearby state school, and its two waiting rooms sit on either side of the agent's office. The last passenger train stopped in 1941, and the chapter bought the empty depot in 1971 for one dollar.

When was the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum founded?

The museum was established in 1971, when the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society bought the Industry depot. The chapter itself dates to February 4, 1937, when ten rail enthusiasts first met at the New York Central station in Rochester. The museum was operated by the chapter until 2011.

What is Diesel Days at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

Diesel Days is a weekend celebration the museum started in 1998 to show off its collection of operating vintage diesel locomotives. It is a favorite for rail fans who want to see more of the roster in action. Check RochesterTrainRides.com for whether and when it runs this year.

Is the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum connected to the New York Museum of Transportation?

Yes, by rail. The museum's demonstration railroad was joined to the New York Museum of Transportation's line in 1993, and volunteers from both groups helped electrify it for trolleys. The two museums also host joint Trains and Trolleys at Twilight evenings with a train ride, a trolley ride, music and ice cream.

Is the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum good for kids?

Yes, especially for kids who want to ride. The caboose train ride is the main event, and the depot and yard give children plenty of big equipment to see up close. Because the museum is mostly outdoors and open only on event days, dress for the weather and check the schedule first.

How long does a visit to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum take?

Plan on about an hour and a half to two hours to ride the train, walk through the depot and look at the equipment on display. If you combine it with the New York Museum of Transportation about a mile away, set aside most of a day.

Does the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum run fall foliage trains?

The museum owns seven Budd-built 1941 Empire State Express coaches that have been used for fall foliage trips, including runs on the Ontario Midland and the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville railroads. No current foliage trip is listed here, so check RochesterTrainRides.com for this season's events.

Does the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum have a Christmas train?

The museum does not advertise a Christmas or holiday train online. Its public season is built around monthly special event days. For a holiday ride nearby, the New York Museum of Transportation runs Christmas trolley rides on a few December days. Check RochesterTrainRides.com for any holiday events.

How do I contact the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

Call the depot at (585) 533-1431, but note the line is not staffed around the clock and replies may take a few days. Mail goes to R&GV Railroad Museum, P.O. Box 23326, Rochester, NY 14692-3326. Event details are on RochesterTrainRides.com, and general information is on rgvrrm.org.

How can I volunteer at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers, who restore equipment, maintain track and run the trains. To get involved or become a member, use the contact details on rgvrrm.org or call (585) 533-1431. People of all ages and backgrounds have been part of the group since its first meeting in 1937.

Does the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum have railroad signals?

Yes. Rochester was home to General Railway Signal, and the museum has gathered an extensive signal collection, including an operating semaphore, searchlight signals, a Saxby and Farmer armstrong machine under restoration and a Union Switch and Signal CTC machine. Installing working signals on the line is a long-term goal.

What is near the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?

The New York Museum of Transportation is about a mile away on the same rail line. Within an hour are the Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society Museum in Shortsville (about 25 miles), the Medina Railroad Museum (about 37 miles) and the Arcade and Attica Railroad (about 48 miles).

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