Train Museums in Vermont: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 7 museums
- 6 towns
- 4 with train rides
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In 1963 the Vermont Railway became the first privately owned railroad in the United States to run trains on a publicly owned right of way, and its trains still use much of the old Rutland Railroad today. This page is one stop in our guide to train museums across the country, and it covers 7 Vermont museums and rail sites in 6 towns, from Burlington and Shelburne to Center Rutland, Montpelier, Chester and Bellows Falls. Type your town into the finder to see which one is closest.
Vermont's rail stops are small, and each does one thing well. The Shelburne Museum Railroad Station keeps the town's 1890 depot with its waiting rooms and telegraph office, the Rutland Railway Museum runs N and HO layouts every Saturday, and the Green Mountain Railroad carries riders through the valley between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot.
A few listings are not museums in the usual sense. Vermont Rail System is a working freight railroad, the Bellows Falls depot is an active Amtrak station, and the Montpelier and Wells River line survives only as a turntable and a trail, so read each card before you plan a day around it.
Look inside the book
Big engines, little legs. 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 a Vermont train museum.
Rally Takes the Train
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Quick picks: where to start in Vermont
Best first visit with a toddler
Center Rutland
Two running model layouts in N and HO scale fill a compact depot, so an hour on a Saturday is plenty for small legs.
Best train ride
Chester
The Green Mountain Flyer spends a little over two hours rolling through the valley between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot.
Best history day
Shelburne Museum Railroad Station and Freight Shed
Shelburne
Shelburne's own 1890 station, with separate waiting rooms and a stationmaster's office, sits on a campus where one ticket covers two days.
Free train watching
Bellows Falls
There is no admission at this working depot, where Amtrak's Vermonter stops daily and a model train village waits inside.
Special night out
Burlington
A three-course dinner is cooked aboard 1930s dining cars on a three-hour run from Burlington, for riders 5 and older.
History walk with older kids
Montpelier & Wells River Railroad
Montpelier to Wells River
Find the Milk Run's old turntable on Stone Cutters Way in Montpelier, then walk part of the Cross Vermont Trail along its route.
Every train museum in Vermont, town by town
7 museums in 6 towns, A to Z by town. Tap any museum for its own page: the full story, what to see, what kids can do, hours, tickets, contact details and 20 answers to the questions families ask.
Bellows Falls
The working depot from about 1926 on Depot Street serves Amtrak's Vermonter and is also where the Green Mountain Railroad's Flyer begins its run toward Chester Depot.
Historic rail site
Bellows Falls Train Station
A working circa 1926 depot on Depot Street, served by Amtrak's daily Vermonter, Greyhound buses and the Green Mountain Railroad, with a model train village and the Waypoint Visitor Center's historical displays close by.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsBurlington: 2 train museums
Burlington is home base for Vermont Rail System's passenger trips, and the Champlain Valley Dinner Train boards here, with the Shelburne Museum depot about 7 miles south.
Heritage railroad with a museum
Champlain Valley Dinner Train
A three-hour dinner train from Burlington toward Middlebury in 1930s dining cars, with a three-course meal cooked aboard. Tickets start at $220 and riders must be 5 or older; a separate adults-only cocktail car and a July 3 fireworks train also run.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsRail preservation group
Vermont Rail System
Not a museum but a working railroad: seven Vermont-based shortlines that keep the old Rutland routes busy with freight. Families see it best by riding its seasonal passenger trains, booked through Vermont Rail System Passenger Services.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCenter Rutland
Railroad museum
Rutland Railway Museum
A small, friendly museum inside the old Center Rutland depot, with local railroad artifacts, an N scale and an HO scale layout, and members happy to talk trains. Open Saturdays 11 am to 3 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsChester
Heritage railroad with a museum
Green Mountain Railroad
A Vermont shortline founded in 1964 whose Green Mountain Flyer runs between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot, a trip of a little over two hours. Rides run spring through fall, with foliage trips in September and October; book through Vermont Rail System Passenger Services.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMontpelier to Wells River
Historic rail site
Montpelier & Wells River Railroad
A vanished central Vermont line, nicknamed the Milk Run, that ran from 1873 to 1956. There is no museum, but its old turntable survives on Stone Cutters Way in Montpelier and the Cross Vermont Trail follows much of its route.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsShelburne
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Shelburne Museum Railroad Station and Freight Shed
Shelburne's own 1890 depot, moved onto the Shelburne Museum campus in 1959, with a stationmaster's office, separate waiting rooms, telegraph equipment and a freight shed of railroad tools. Tickets cover two days on the 45-acre campus.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Vermont train museum side by side
Type, train rides, admission, hours and who each one suits, in one table. Tap a column to sort it, or a museum to open its page.
| Hours | Best for | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellows Falls Train StationBellows Falls | Historic site | Yes | No admission to visit the station area | Train and bus times vary; check Amtrak and the Green Mountain Railroad | Train watchers and families pairing a depot visit with a downtown stroll |
| Champlain Valley Dinner TrainBurlington | Heritage railroad | Yes | Dinner train from $220; Cocktails on the Rails from $75; Independence Day Flyer from $25 | Scheduled departures; phone line Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm | Anniversaries, date nights and families with kids 5 and up |
| Vermont Rail SystemBurlington | Preservation group | Yes | Fares are set per passenger trip | No museum hours; passenger services phones staffed on weekdays | Rail fans and families who want to ride Vermont's working railroad |
| Rutland Railway MuseumCenter Rutland | Railroad museum | No | Not posted online; donations support the museum | Saturdays, 11 am to 3 pm | Model train fans and families with young kids |
| Green Mountain RailroadChester | Heritage railroad | Yes | Fares are posted with each trip on the booking site | Seasonal, spring through fall; check Vermont Rail System Passenger Services for dates | Families and leaf peepers who want a scenic diesel train ride |
| Montpelier & Wells River RailroadMontpelier to Wells River | Historic site | No | No admission; there is no museum building | No set hours; outdoor sites and trail | History walkers, cyclists and rail fans |
| Shelburne Museum Railroad Station and Freight ShedShelburne | Rail gallery | No | Adults $27.50 ($25 online), over 65 $25.50 at the door; tickets good for two consecutive days | 10 am to 5:30 pm daily, May 9 to October 25, 2026 | Families and history lovers spending a day at Shelburne Museum |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Map of every train museum in Vermont
From the Milk Run to a statewide shortline system
Railroads tied Vermont's villages to the wider world. Bellows Falls on the Connecticut River gained its fourth rail link in 1851, when the Vermont Valley Railroad reached Brattleboro and Springfield. In central Vermont, the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad ran from 1873 to 1956, stopping at every village for passengers, mail, milk and lumber, which earned it the nickname the Milk Run. In Shelburne, Rutland Railroad president Dr. William Seward Webb had a station built in 1890 so riders on both the Central Vermont and the Rutland could board in town.
Passenger trains faded through the 1900s. Shelburne's station lost its service in 1953, and the Rutland Railway went bankrupt and stopped running. In 1963 the new Vermont Railway brought freight back to the western corridor, and over the next four decades it gathered the Clarendon and Pittsford, the Green Mountain Railroad, the Washington County Railroad and the New York and Ogdensburg into Vermont Rail System, which reunited the surviving Rutland rails under one owner.
Each stop on this page holds a piece of that story. See the small-town station at the Shelburne Museum Railroad Station, the Milk Run's surviving turntable through the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad, the river crossroads at the Bellows Falls Train Station, local Rutland lines at the Rutland Railway Museum, and the modern revival at Vermont Rail System and the Green Mountain Railroad.
Vermont rail day trips that pair well
Trip 1
Shelburne by day, Burlington by rail at night
Spend the day at Shelburne Museum, where the 1890 station and freight shed are one stop on a 45-acre campus. Burlington is about 7 miles north, so families with kids 5 and older can finish with the three-hour Champlain Valley Dinner Train. Your Shelburne ticket also covers the next day if you run out of time.
Trip 2
Ride the Flyer, then walk Bellows Falls
- Green Mountain RailroadChester
- Bellows Falls Train StationBellows Falls
Book a Green Mountain Flyer trip between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot, then spend time at the Bellows Falls station, about 12 miles from Chester, with its model train village and the Waypoint Visitor Center's historical displays nearby. If your timing is right, you may see the Vermonter pull in too.
Trip 3
A Saturday of model and real trains
- Rutland Railway MuseumCenter Rutland
- Green Mountain RailroadChester
Visit the Rutland Railway Museum between 11 am and 3 pm on a Saturday to watch its two layouts run inside the old Center Rutland depot. Chester is about 31 miles away, so a seasonal Flyer departure can round out the day. Confirm the boarding point before you drive.
How long is the drive from Burlington, Rutland and Montpelier?
These are rough times without traffic, so leave extra room for mountain roads and stops.
| Museum | From Burlington | From Rutland | From Montpelier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne Museum Railroad Station and Freight ShedShelburne | 10 min | 1 hr 15 min | 45 min |
| Rutland Railway MuseumCenter Rutland | 1 hr 25 min | 5 min | |
| Green Mountain RailroadChester | 2 hr | 40 min | |
| Bellows Falls Train StationBellows Falls | 1 hr | ||
| Montpelier & Wells River RailroadMontpelier to Wells River | 5 min | ||
| Champlain Valley Dinner TrainBurlington | 45 min |
Notes for parents planning a Vermont train day
- Shelburne Museum is open daily May 9 to October 25, 2026. Tickets are cheaper online and good for two consecutive days, and the museum suggests at least three hours.
- The Rutland Railway Museum keeps regular hours only on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm, and admission is not posted, so bring a donation.
- The Champlain Valley Dinner Train is for riders 5 and up, with fares from $220. The July 3 Independence Day Flyer is open to all ages from $25.
- The Green Mountain Flyer runs a little over two hours. Book September and October foliage trips early, and check whether yours boards in Bellows Falls or Chester.
- Vermont Rail System Passenger Services answers ride questions on weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm at (800) 707-3530; its freight offices do not sell tickets.
- There is no Montpelier and Wells River museum building. Look for the turntable on Stone Cutters Way and check trail conditions with the Cross Vermont Trail Association.
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Vermont museums
Vermont's rail calendar is strongest in summer and fall. The Green Mountain Railroad runs foliage trips in September and October, and the Independence Day Flyer carries families from Vergennes to Burlington for the July 3 fireworks. As of October 2026, none of the seven Vermont stops on this page lists a Santa train, pumpkin train, Polar Express or Thomas day, though Shelburne Museum lists Winter Lights and Bellows Falls holds a Parade of Lights near its depot. For holiday rides, check our roundup of Christmas train rides in Vermont, and for autumn ideas see Halloween and fall train rides in Vermont.
Rally at the window seat
In our book, Rally presses his nose to an arched train window and watches the ocean go by while a white bird keeps pace outside. Vermont trains swap the ocean for valleys and lake views, but I think the feeling is the same for a small dog or a small child. My mom dreamed up Rally's story before she died in 2021, and Rally is our real corgi. If your kids want to color Rally at his window before a Vermont train day, print our Rally coloring pages, and you can read how the book started on our story page.
Train museums across the Vermont border
From Rutland, it is about 1 hr 10 min to Corinth and the Saratoga Corinth and Hudson Railway, which runs vintage Alco diesels through the Southern Adirondacks; find it on our New York train museums page. From Brattleboro, the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum is about 25 minutes south, where kids can ride an 1896 trolley and pump a hand car; see our Massachusetts train museums. And from Burlington, the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway is about 2 hr 25 min east, with trains leaving an 1874 station, listed with our New Hampshire train museums.
A train book for the drive
Amtrak's Vermonter stops every day at the Bellows Falls depot, so read our guide to riding the Vermonter with kids if you would like to arrive by train.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. They fit in a folder with a few crayons for the drive to the museum or the wait for the next train ride.
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
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- Christmas train rides in Vermont: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Vermont: pumpkin trains for next October
- The Vermonter with kids: ride a real Amtrak train
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find a train by city or station
- Train books for toddlers for the drive home
Vermont train museum questions families ask
What is the best train museum in Vermont?
The Shelburne Museum Railroad Station and Freight Shed is the most complete rail exhibit in Vermont. It is the town's original 1890 depot, moved onto the museum grounds in 1959, with a stationmaster's office, separate waiting rooms, telegraph equipment and a freight shed of railroad tools. It is one building on a 45-acre campus, and tickets are good for two days in a row.
Are there any free train museums in Vermont?
Yes, a couple of Vermont rail stops cost nothing to visit. The Bellows Falls Train Station charges no admission, and kids can look at its model train village while waiting for the Vermonter. The Montpelier and Wells River turntable and the Cross Vermont Trail are also free. The Rutland Railway Museum does not post an admission price and relies on donations.
Where can kids ride a train in Vermont?
The Green Mountain Railroad's Green Mountain Flyer is the main family train ride in Vermont, running between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot from spring through fall. The Champlain Valley Dinner Train leaves Burlington for riders 5 and older, and the all-ages Independence Day Flyer runs to the July 3 fireworks. Amtrak's Vermonter also stops daily in Bellows Falls.
Which Vermont train museum is best for toddlers?
The Rutland Railway Museum in Center Rutland is the easiest pick for toddlers. Its two running layouts, one N scale and one HO scale, hold a small child's attention, and the depot is compact enough for a one-hour visit. Real trains also pass on the line next door. It opens Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.
Is there a train museum near Burlington, Vermont?
Yes, the Shelburne Museum Railroad Station is about 7 miles south of Burlington, roughly a 10-minute drive. It preserves Shelburne's 1890 depot and a freight shed of railroad tools. Burlington is also where the Champlain Valley Dinner Train boards and where Vermont Rail System Passenger Services books its seasonal excursions and charters.
Is there a railroad museum in Rutland, Vermont?
Yes, the Rutland Railway Museum is in the historic Center Rutland railroad station at 79 Depot Lane, near Carris Reels. Volunteers display local railroad artifacts first gathered by Henry Carris and run N scale and HO scale layouts. The museum keeps regular hours on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm, and members enjoy answering questions.
What train things can families do in Bellows Falls, Vermont?
Bellows Falls has a working depot from about 1926 on Depot Street that serves Amtrak's Vermonter, Greyhound and the Green Mountain Railroad. Families can look over the model train village inside, see the Railway Express Agency building from about 1880, and stop at the Waypoint Visitor Center for history displays. The Green Mountain Flyer also starts here on its run to Chester Depot.
Is there a train museum in Montpelier, Vermont?
No, Montpelier has no train museum building, but traces of the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad remain. Its old turntable still sits on Stone Cutters Way, and the Cross Vermont Trail follows much of the line's route to Wells River. The Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, open Tuesday to Saturday, is a good indoor stop for more state history.
What is inside the Shelburne Museum train station?
The Shelburne Museum station holds a stationmaster's office, separate waiting rooms for men and women, telegraph equipment, railroad maps and memorabilia from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Next door, a 1963 freight shed shows handcarts, picks, shovels and signal lanterns. Rail guides also list Central Vermont No. 220 and the private car Grand Isle with the station.
How long is the Green Mountain Flyer ride?
The Green Mountain Flyer takes roughly 2.3 hours between Bellows Falls and Chester Depot. The diesel train runs through farm and river valley country from spring through fall, with foliage trips in September and October. Fares are posted with each trip on the Vermont Rail System Passenger Services booking site, so check there for current schedules.
How much does the Champlain Valley Dinner Train cost?
As of October 2026, the Champlain Valley Dinner Train starts at $220. The adults-only Cocktails on the Rails lounge car starts at $75, and the Independence Day Flyer starts at $25. The dinner trip lasts about three hours between Burlington and Middlebury, with a three-course meal cooked aboard in 1930s dining cars.
Can kids ride the Champlain Valley Dinner Train in Burlington?
Yes, but riders must be at least 5 years old for the Champlain Valley Dinner Train. With a three-hour trip and a sit-down meal, it suits school-age kids who can stay at the table. Cocktails on the Rails is for adults 21 and over, so families with younger children usually pick the all-ages Independence Day Flyer instead.
Who founded the Green Mountain Railroad?
F. Nelson Blount founded the Green Mountain Railroad in 1964. Blount was a railroad preservationist who also founded Steamtown, U.S.A., and for years the railroad's track between Bellows Falls and Chester carried Steamtown's excursion trains. The line it bought was the Vermont section of the old Boston and Maine and Rutland right of way, and its colors are green and yellow.
Is there a steam locomotive at Shelburne Museum in Vermont?
Rail guides list Central Vermont 4-6-0 No. 220 and the private car Grand Isle among the railroad pieces shown with the Shelburne Museum station. The museum's 45-acre campus has many buildings, so ask staff where to find them on the day you visit. The station itself is Shelburne's original 1890 depot.
Are there fall foliage train rides in Vermont?
Yes, the Green Mountain Railroad runs foliage trips in September and October between Bellows Falls and Chester. These are the railroad's busiest runs, so book early through Vermont Rail System Passenger Services. Riders on the Champlain Valley Dinner Train also name fall as a favorite time to ride between Burlington and Middlebury.
Is there a Santa train in Vermont?
As of October 2026, none of the seven Vermont rail stops on this page lists a Santa train. For winter outings, Shelburne Museum lists Winter Lights and Bellows Falls holds a Parade of Lights in its downtown near the depot. Families who want a holiday train ride should check current schedules with Vermont Rail System Passenger Services.
What happened to the Rutland Railroad in Vermont?
The Rutland Railway went bankrupt and stopped running, and on August 6, 1963 the new Vermont Railway took over its western corridor. Daily freight trains returned between Burlington and Rutland. Over the next decades Vermont Rail System added more lines, and by 2002 the surviving Rutland Railroad rails were back under one owner.
Why was the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad called the Milk Run?
The Montpelier and Wells River Railroad earned the nickname the Milk Run because it stopped at every village between Montpelier and Wells River. Its trains carried passengers and mail, picked up milk and lumber, and hauled whatever freight towns needed. The line ran for 83 years, from 1873 to 1956, and shared a Montpelier yard with the Central Vermont.
Does Amtrak stop in Bellows Falls, Vermont?
Yes, Amtrak's Vermonter stops daily at the Bellows Falls Train Station on Depot Street. The depot, built about 1926, also serves Greyhound buses and the Green Mountain Railroad, all from one building inside a National Register historic district. Check Amtrak's schedule if you want to time your visit to see a train arrive.
When is Shelburne Museum open in 2026?
Shelburne Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm, May 9 to October 25, 2026. Adult tickets are $27.50, or $25 online, and a ticket covers two consecutive days. Picnics are welcome, the Weathervane Cafe serves lunch in season, and parking on site is free.
Keep exploring
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- OctoberHalloween Train RidesPumpkin trains and not-too-spooky rides for little ones, by state.
- NovemberThanksgiving Train RidesHoliday weekend train trips the whole family can share.
- AmtrakAmtrak With KidsWhich Amtrak routes work best with babies, toddlers and big kids.
- Plan a tripTrain Trips With KidsEvery Amtrak route, stop by stop, planned for families.