Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Honesdale, Pennsylvania · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Museum with a major rail exhibitWednesday to Saturday May to December; Friday and Saturday January to April

The Wayne County Historical Society's Main Museum in Honesdale is home to the full-size replica of the Stourbridge Lion, the first locomotive to run on commercial track in the United States, displayed in the 1860 headquarters of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.

  • Full-size Stourbridge Lion replica
  • First run in Honesdale in 1829
  • Museum in 1860 D&H Canal office
  • Eclipse passenger gravity car
  • Kids 18 and under free
  • Society organized in 1917

Wayne County Historical Society at a glance

Hours
May to December: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm. January to April: Friday and Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission
Adults $5; 18 and under free; members free
Seasonal events
Winter Wonderland Open House, Annual Fall Dinner
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Families, rail and canal history fans, genealogists
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 Wayne County Historical Society? 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 Honesdale.

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.

The day the Lion roared out of Honesdale

In 1827 the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company was hauling anthracite from the mines of Lackawanna County to Honesdale on a gravity railroad of inclined planes, then sending it by canal toward New York. The company wanted to try steam, so in 1828 it sent its deputy engineer, Horatio Allen, to England. He ordered one engine from the Stephenson family in Newcastle and three from Foster Rastrick and Company in Stourbridge, run by the engineer John Urpeth Rastrick. One of those three had a lion's head painted on the front of its boiler. It weighed eight tons and cost $2,915.

The Stourbridge Lion reached Honesdale in July 1829, where about three miles of wooden track, faced with wrought iron strips, crossed the Lackawaxen River on a trestle some thirty feet high. On August 8, 1829, crowds gathered expecting failure, and no one would ride with Allen. He climbed aboard alone, crossed the bridge to cheers and came back running in reverse. The wooden rails proved too light for regular use, so the Lion went into storage; later its boiler was reused and parts were lost, and in 1889 what remained went to the Smithsonian.

The Wayne County Historical Society, organized on May 26, 1917 and incorporated in 1922, now tells that story in the very building where the canal company kept its offices, built in 1860. The D&H Gravity Railroad met the canal directly behind it. In 1993 the society built an addition to hold the full-size Lion replica, which anchors its award-winning canal exhibit.

Inside the 810 Main Street campus

The Stourbridge Lion replica is the centerpiece of Movin' Energy: The History of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 1828 to 1898. Sharing the floor are the Eclipse, a D&H passenger gravity car with a hand-stenciled ceiling and carved wood interior, and a paymaster's buggy.

Beyond the rail and canal gallery, Faces in Clay draws on historian Vernon Leslie's archaeology collection of more than 4,600 pieces to tell the Native American history of the upper Delaware Valley, with a 17th-century dugout canoe. The Marjorie Smith Glass Gallery links the main building to the Jason Torrey land office and shows glass made or decorated in Wayne County from the 1820s to the 1980s. There is a Children's History Lab, a museum shop with books by Wayne County authors, and a Research Library with genealogy files and more than 12,000 searchable photographs.

Don’t miss

  1. The Stourbridge Lion replicaA full-size copy of the first locomotive to turn a wheel on commercial track in the United States, which made its first run right here in 1829.
  2. The Eclipse gravity carA D&H passenger car from the gravity railroad, with a hand-stenciled ceiling and carved wood interior.
  3. The 1860 canal company buildingThe museum itself was the D&H Canal Company's headquarters, and the gravity railroad met the canal right behind it.
  4. The 17th-century dugout canoePart of Faces in Clay, the exhibit on Native American life in the upper Delaware Valley.
  5. Wayne County glassCut and decorated glass from dozens of local firms, along with tools and rare photos of the cutting shops.

A lion-faced locomotive and a history lab

Kids are usually drawn straight to the Stourbridge Lion with its painted lion's head, and the story of Horatio Allen riding it alone while the crowd jeered, then cheered, is an easy one to tell on the spot. The museum also has a Children's History Lab with activity stations.

Everyone 18 and under gets in free, which makes it an easy add-on to a train ride on the Stourbridge Line nearby. The Winter Wonderland Open House in late November is a good first visit for families.

Plan your visit: tips for Wayne County Historical Society

  • Check the day before you go: winter hours drop to Fridays and Saturdays only.
  • Kids 18 and under are free, so it is an inexpensive family stop.
  • Pair it with the D&H Canal Park near Hawley, which is free and open dawn to dusk.
  • Plan research time separately if you want to use the Research Library and its photo archive.

Each holiday season the society hosts a Winter Wonderland Open House at the Main Museum; in 2026 it falls on Saturday, November 28 at 11 am. It is a festive time to see the Stourbridge Lion with the family. For more holiday ideas, see our list of Christmas train rides in Pennsylvania.

A county historical society since 1917

The Wayne County Historical Society is a nonprofit membership organization that runs the Main Museum, the museum shop, the Research Library and the D&H Canal Park. Members get free admission every day, and the society holds an Annual Fall Dinner and other events. Visitors can support it by joining, shopping the museum shop in person or online, or signing up for its email list.

Ride the rails and keep exploring

The Stourbridge Line departs about a mile away, a natural pairing with the Lion. About 24 miles off in Scranton, Steamtown National Historic Site and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour show the locomotives and the coal that drove this whole story. Browse Pennsylvania train museums for more.

Every train museum in Pennsylvania

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.

The part that gets me is that nobody would ride the Lion with Horatio Allen on that first day, so he went alone. Rally gets a much kinder welcome in our book: Mr. Conductor, in his blue uniform, holds out a hand to help him aboard. I think every brave first trip deserves someone waiting with an open hand. My kids would have cheered for Mr. Allen.

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 Wayne County Historical Society?

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.

Wayne County Historical Society: 20 Stourbridge Lion questions

Where is the Stourbridge Lion replica?

The full-size Stourbridge Lion replica is at the Wayne County Historical Society's Main Museum, 810 Main Street, Honesdale, PA 18431. It stands in an addition built in 1993 specifically to house it, as the centerpiece of the museum's Delaware and Hudson Canal exhibit.

What are the Wayne County Historical Society museum hours?

As of October 2026, the Main Museum is open May through December 31, Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm. From January through April 30 it opens Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am to 4 pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call (570) 253-3240 to confirm before you go.

How much does the Wayne County Historical Society museum cost?

As of October 2026, admission is $5 for adults, and everyone 18 and under gets in free. Members of the Wayne County Historical Society enjoy free admission every day. The D&H Canal Park near Hawley, also run by the society, is free and open dawn to dusk.

What was the Stourbridge Lion?

The Stourbridge Lion was the first locomotive to run on commercial track in the United States. Built by Foster Rastrick and Company in Stourbridge, England, and named for the lion's head painted on its boiler, it weighed eight tons and cost $2,915. It made its trial run in Honesdale on August 8, 1829.

Who drove the Stourbridge Lion?

Horatio Allen, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's deputy engineer, drove it. Afraid it might kill anyone aboard, no one would ride with him, so he went alone amid jeers. He crossed the Lackawaxen River trestle and returned running backwards, and the crowd's jeers turned to cheers.

Is the Stourbridge Lion at the museum the original?

No, the museum displays a full-size replica. After its 1829 trials, the original was stored, then taken apart, with its boiler reused and some parts lost. In 1889 the boiler and as many parts as could be found were deposited at the Smithsonian, where they were partially reconstructed and displayed for many years.

Why did the Stourbridge Lion stop running?

After a second trial, the D&H Canal Company decided the light wooden rails, faced with thin wrought iron strips, would not hold up to regular use by the locomotive and coal trains. The Lion was put into storage in a shed at Honesdale until 1849, when it was moved to the company's Carbondale workshops.

What is the Eclipse at the Wayne County Historical Society?

The Eclipse is a Delaware and Hudson passenger gravity car with a hand-stenciled ceiling and a beautifully carved wood interior. It shares the gallery floor with the Stourbridge Lion replica and a paymaster's buggy, showing how people, not just coal, traveled on the gravity railroad.

What was the D&H Gravity Railroad?

The D&H Gravity Railroad carried anthracite coal from the mines of Lackawanna County to Honesdale using a system of inclined planes, with cars moved largely by gravity. It met the D&H Canal directly behind the museum building, and the canal carried the coal on to Rondout, New York, on the Hudson River.

What building is the Wayne County Historical Society in?

The Main Museum and museum shop are in a building constructed in 1860 as headquarters of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. The Marjorie Smith Glass Gallery links it to the Jason Torrey land office, and four additions complete the 810 Main Street campus, including the 1993 addition for the Lion.

Is the Wayne County Historical Society good for kids?

Yes. Children 18 and under get in free, and the lion-faced locomotive replica and its story of a brave first run tend to grab young visitors. The museum also has a Children's History Lab with activity stations, so kids have something to do beyond looking at displays.

What other exhibits are at the Wayne County Historical Society?

Besides the canal and railroad gallery, Faces in Clay covers Native American history of the upper Delaware Valley using Vernon Leslie's archaeology collection and includes a 17th-century dugout canoe. Wayne County's Glass shows locally made and decorated glass from the 1820s to the 1980s, with tools and photographs of the cutting shops.

Does the Wayne County Historical Society have a research library?

Yes. The Research Library offers the society's archive of books, microfilm, genealogy files and more than 12,000 searchable photographs. Microfilm can be viewed on a View Scan III reader. Contact the society at (570) 253-3240 or wchs@waynehistorypa.com to plan a research visit.

What is the D&H Canal Park?

The D&H Canal Park is a second site run by the Wayne County Historical Society at 179 Texas Palmyra Highway, on Route 6 about one mile west of Hawley. As of October 2026 it is open dawn to dusk and free. It pairs well with the Main Museum's canal exhibit.

Does the Wayne County Historical Society have a holiday event?

Yes. The society hosts a Winter Wonderland Open House to welcome the holiday season, set for Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 11 am at the museum. Check the society's news and events page for details and any changes, and follow its Facebook page for updates.

Does the Wayne County Historical Society have a gift shop?

Yes. The Museum Shop at the Main Museum sells historical books by Wayne County authors and many Wayne County related items. The shop is also online through the society's website, so you can order books and gifts even if you cannot visit in person.

How do I become a member of the Wayne County Historical Society?

The society is a membership organization, and members enjoy free admission every day. Contact the society at (570) 253-3240, email wchs@waynehistorypa.com or use the contact form on its website to ask about joining. You can also sign up for its email list to hear about events.

When was the Wayne County Historical Society founded?

The Wayne County Historical Society was organized on May 26, 1917, and incorporated in 1922. Today it operates the Main Museum in Honesdale, a research library and the D&H Canal Park near Hawley, and it hosts events such as its Annual Fall Dinner.

How long should I spend at the Wayne County Historical Society?

Allow about an hour or two to see the Stourbridge Lion gallery, the glass and archaeology exhibits and the museum shop. Researchers using the library may want a separate, longer visit. If you are also riding the Stourbridge Line, plan the museum before or after your train.

What train attractions are near the Stourbridge Lion replica?

The Stourbridge Line runs excursion trains from Honesdale, about a mile away. Steamtown National Historic Site, the Electric City Trolley Museum and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour are all about 24 miles away in Scranton, and the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway is about 55 miles off.

Keep exploring

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Kelsey Cecil
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