Danbury Railway Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | 120 White Street, Danbury, Connecticut |
| Type | Railroad History |
| Public transit access |   Danbury HARTransit: 2, 7, 8 |
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New Haven Railroad Danbury Turntable
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Railway Turntable in October 2016
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| Area | 3 acres (12,000 m2) |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Nichols, Geo. P. & Bro.; American Bridge Co. |
| Architectural style | Center-bearing deck girder |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001048 |
| Added to NRHP | September 15, 2005 |
The Danbury Railway Museum is a cool place where you can explore the history of trains! It's located in the old Union Station in Danbury, Connecticut. This museum opened in the mid-1990s after the train station closed. It focuses on how important railroads were in southern New England and nearby New York. Besides the station building, the museum has a big collection of old train cars in the rail yard.
The station building was built in 1903. Back then, many different train companies used to serve Danbury. They all merged into one big company called the New Haven Railroad. At its busiest, about 125 trains stopped here every day! By 1993, only a few commuter trains used the station. The state decided to close it and build a new one nearby. Just two years later, the museum was formed. They worked hard to restore the old station to its original look.
The station building has a special design, mixing old Romanesque and Colonial styles. A famous movie director, Alfred Hitchcock, even filmed scenes for his movie Strangers on a Train on its unique curved platform. In 1986, before the museum opened, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, the old train turntable nearby was also added to the Register. It's the only working turntable left in Connecticut!
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Exploring the Museum Site
The museum is located on a 1.3-acre (0.53 ha) piece of land. It's right next to the railroad tracks and a 6-acre (2.4 ha) rail yard. The current Danbury station is very close by. Sometimes, Metro-North trains are stored on the tracks behind the museum. The museum's collection of old train cars is also kept on tracks inside the yard.
The Station Building
The station building is shaped like an "L" and is made of light and brown bricks. It has a gabled roof covered in asphalt. There are windows of different sizes and shapes. Some tall windows on the southwest side, near the tracks, show off the Colonial Revival style.
Inside, the museum has exhibits and displays in what used to be the main waiting room. This is the southern part of the building. In the northern part, you'll find the museum's gift shop and restrooms. You can still see the original ticket window and fancy wooden door frames. There's also a fireplace with cool flower patterns made from brick. The station is important for Danbury's history and is a great example of an old train station.
The Rail Yard and Turntable
On weekends during the summer, visitors can take a ride called the "Rail Yard Local." This ride lasts about 30–35 minutes. A special part of the ride is when passengers get to experience the museum's working turntable. The turntable was built around 1914. It was once part of a bigger complex with a roundhouse and machine shop. A fire destroyed those buildings in the 1980s. This left the turntable as the only working one in Connecticut. It works like a giant swing bridge for trains!
You can also explore some of the old trains in the yard. These include a 1907 steam locomotive, two cabooses, and a special rail diesel car. The museum is run by volunteers. They welcome anyone who wants to help out, even with operating the trains!
History of the Danbury Station
In the 1880s, three different train companies served Danbury. They each had their own small stations. Later, these companies all joined together to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. People in Danbury soon asked for one big station instead of three small ones.
In 1901, the new company built the current station. It combined a Romanesque style with Colonial Revival details. It was said to be the biggest station on the New Haven's New York Division.
In the early 1900s, the station was very busy. Up to 125 trains passed through each day! Many passengers were workers in Danbury's big hat-making industry. Others were people traveling to jobs in Bridgeport or New York City. Summer travelers came to visit country hotels, and many people visited the famous Danbury Fair every October.
After World War II, fewer people rode trains. More people started flying or driving on new highways. The hat-making industry also declined. Many of the station's original decorations were removed. By the 1960s, train service was much less frequent. The last long-distance passenger train left in 1972. The station then became owned by the state's Department of Transportation.
Metro-North closed the station in 1993. The mayor of Danbury, Gene Eriquez, didn't want to see another old building fall apart. He and others thought the station would be perfect for a train museum. So, the Danbury Railway Museum was started in 1994 by a group of train fans.
The museum quickly grew. They ran their first special train ride that same year. A temporary museum opened while the old station was being restored. This restoration cost $1.5 million. In late 1995, the restored station was officially opened again. The museum's inside exhibits opened the next year.
The turntable was fixed up in 1998. Since 2005, it has been a regular part of the "Rail Yard Local" rides. Today, the museum has many members and over 60 pieces of train equipment.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of railway museums
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut
