Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue
Categories
Location on the map
Bellevue, Sandusky County, Ohio, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Phone: +1 419-483-2222
Site: http://www.madrivermuseum.org/
Site: http://www.madrivermuseum.org/
Opening hours
- Monday:12–4PM
- Tuesday:12–4PM
- Wednesday:12–4PM
- Thursday:12–4PM
- Friday:12–4PM
- Saturday:12–4PM
- Sunday:12–4PM
Comments (199)
Loved it. Very friendly staff. Nice little gift shop. A must see if you have train loving kiddos. They have dozens of train cars and engines they can explore.
Excellent little museum!! You can tour inside many of the train cars and get a little taste of what it was like to by train. It wad amazing how much space they were a life to fit into such small spaces! The bell that was on Lincolns memorial train as it traveled through Ohio resides in the museum. I look forward to coming back as they are in the process of restoring some of the passenger cars. If you like trains great place to visit! Very active tracks right next to museum... trains every 10 mins... the is an observation covered deck not far from the museum if you enjoy watching the trains go by.
Came here to check out the trains, although they weren’t open until May we did get to see some from outside and can’t wait to return when they are open! Looks awesome and so exciting for train enthusiasts!Check the schedule of when they open, says Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Absolutely incredible RR Museum - lots of one of a kind items/trains. Plan on about 2 hours - both indoor & outdoor exhibits. Wheelchair accessible and fun for kids as well.
Nice museum where you can spend a hour or two learning about NKP railroad. Several nice locomotives and wagons on display. Many interesting artifacts from the last century are on display. I wish there would be guided tours to put it all in perspective. Definitely worth the admission fee.
I belong to a Operating railroad museum (The Steam Railroading Institute) in Michigan and I can say honestly for a Static-display railroad museum, Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum is the best I have seen in Ohio so far. A good deal of the the equipment, you can climb into and see all the different artifacts,often thoughtfully grouped together,inside some of the passenger and freight cars for all to see.They also take care of the Railfan Pavilion that is around the corner where you can watch trains go into/out of the East end of Norfolk Southerns massive yard in Bellevue.The Mad River &NKP is definitely worth a visit by railfans and families alike.
All the displays were documented.
Excellent railroad museum with tons of historic documents and artifacts on display.
Great displays and friendly people all around. All around great spot
Definitely a great place to visit for those interested in history as well as with kids. Being able to go inside train cars and engines is fun as well as a great learning experience for the kids. Being right by the NS yard is awesome for those wanting to see moving trains as well.
Very cool place! You can get on some of the trains!!
If you have kids, get the water they sell... Trust me they will be asking for it later... At first I was like is this is it pulling into the wrong parking lot.. After we made it to the right one its very fascinating... The Person at the counter was great and filled us in with information... A lot of cool things to look at.. If you like history, trains, and museums youll love it..
I LOVE trains and this is a great place! And yes I did just put 100+ photos... lol
I dont know how many hours i spent combing your facility learning all there is to know about railroading. Dislike the fact your charge now. I loved the place, even rode trains through by your NS line. Uncle was an engineer, cousin was a conductor. Aunt lived a block away and the trains would roll on by. Never got boring even if i had seen it 1000 times. I bring my children when we make it back to Ohio so hope your still there in 2023 we will be visiting that summer pending health crisis aside.
Great place! Lots of equipment to see and learn about the good ole days of railroading.
Great museum, especially for fans of the Nickel Plate.
Great time as usual! Congratulations Nick Young
A railroad history treasure tucked right in Bellevue, Ohio. Staff was more than friendly and knowledgeable about locomotives and railways from yesteryear. The caboose ride was very enjoyable and thankfully heated. To top it off because of the Christmas season, with admission there were cookies and hot cocoa to enjoy in the old dining car when the caboose ride was complete.
If your into trains, this is the spot. Some coaches were a little got and some closed for renovation. Minimal fee though, $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and smaller fee for children. All is posted on website
An extensive and well-maintained collection that will thrill railroad enthusiasts with plenty of hands-on opportunities for small children.
Was trying to find museums in and around Point Clinton & Marblehead. While searching around this museum came up on my search. It was a little off the beaten track but was really well worth the drive! Staff very friendly, some the engines you could go up into and also enter the passengers & sleeper cars. Very nostalgic like going back in time. I recommend going here to see the museums and the trains well worth it!!!!!!!
Great museum! Well worth the stop for any train or history lover
Nice indoor museum to look through before heading to out door trains. Kiddos loved climbing in and out of all the different ones.Did not have enough time to visit the viewing platform down the street. But did get to stand and wait for a 2 diesel engines and 118 cars to pass before we could cross the road.
Some rare locomotives here. The only remaining ALCO S5, NKP RSD12 and GP30 WAB F7A MILW H10-44. Also NKP 787 Berkshire
Ive been visiting the train museum since I was a kid. Im 35 and still get excited when I go. Theyve really put a lot of work and money in restoring old cars. The bullet train is my favorite. They have some really cool military cars. Kids and adults alike will really enjoy it.
We love this place. Our son loved trains, its wonderful to go and relive some of this old experiences.
All the displays look like they could go in service tomorrow. The collection of railroad memorably was incredibly diverse . And a GREAT place to watch trains go by 😊
Five stars. there was lots to do including a dome car, a mail car full of baggage, sn engine where you can ring the bell. And a piece of Abe Lincolns funeral train. And thats just to name a few highlights. Overall a nice experience and I would not hesitate to go again
Nice gem of a museum. Lots of informative displays and walk through exhibits. Great collection of historic rail equipment. Very nice volunteer staff and close to active rail lines for watching trains.
Impressive collection of rolling stock. Most are very well preserved. Gift shop available. Closed in winter months but do have an occasional special event.
Overall, had a wonderful experience. The kids enjoyed themselves and We couldnt have been happier with that.I wish they could have more upkeep with everything, but I assume that its hard to do now a days.
What an array of rail cars. Passenger, caboose, sleeper, dining, training and engines. For a small museum, one can get a taste of all the different cars. I liked the displays of ticket books, gauges and uniforms as well. Well done. The only way to improve would be to offer a tour giuide with tales of the history.
Nice place for families to visit. Lots of memorabilia to look at. Nice little train store. Volunteers are helpful.
We had a great time. The train was awesome. None of the experience is wheel chair accessible.
This is a good train museum. I went here and was satisfied with my experience. I parked in front of the museum gift shop and walked in, where I bought a ticket for the museum. Once I bought my ticket, I walked past the admissions desk into a room which had a bunch of signaling equipment. After I looked at the signaling equipment, I walked into a depot which had some passenger train cars. I went inside the passenger train cars, and they were all well preserved. The cars were all normal train cars, but one of them had an observation deck. I went into the observation deck but I didn’t get much of a view because the train car was in a depot. After going through those train cars, I left the depot and walked across the street to all of the other trains. The trains on the other side were all on train tracks which connected to tracks that freight trains currently use. There were passenger cars, freight cars, mail cars, and train engines that you could go inside of. I went inside all of them and they were all well preserved. There was even a small replica train station, which I thought was nice. After going through all of those trains, I crossed the street to go back to the gift shop and get in my car. I drove away from the museum, satisfied with my experience. I gave this museum five stars because it has lots of well preserved trains.
What a great place to look at trains❤️ Holly loves it here🥰
One of the coolest attraction in the area. Located right on a major set of tracks that serve the Bellevue Norfolk and Southerns largest hub locations. The museum is basically outdoors and allow visitors to see and interact with old rail pieces. You usually see people getting up on these engines and checking out the other cars. Great place for photographers of incoming and outgoing train from the yard. A favorite for train enthusiasts from all over.
Loved this very well done museum. Plenty of static displays. A step back in time walking through mail cars, private berths, dining, and troop transports cars.
Went there for! Grandsons 5th birthday. Had a wonderful time. When you go, plan on several hours or multiple visits. They is so much to see. I could spend days studying the exhibits and displays. Well worth the price of admission.
Lots of equipment in great condition and many artifacts and tools. Well cared for and easy to get to. Nice gift shop with a mix of new and original railroad items. We plan to visit again when they reopen in May of 2019. They are closed now for winter but will be going Santa trains yet this year. Support the 757 project as well!
Very nice staff! Being in a wheelchair I was unable to get in to any of the trains 🙁 but the rest of my family did enjoy themselves. It wont be the first time I had to waitin the car. I was able to be pushed along the sidewalk in the area across the street while the family went up and down all the trains. I guess that is a small % of participation. Even if 1 Train could have a lift that would be great.
Was very cool my grandson and I had a great time
There events they have are fantastic and there staff / volunteers very knowledge able and polite. If you are expecting a huge place they are not the biggest rail museum ever, but they take care of what they have and it is still a very sizable collections of locotmives and rolling stock kept in amazing condition. If you get the chance the caboose ride event is the best to checkout in the winter and the museum itself in the summer.
Great museum, with good staff. Lots of history here! We really enjoyed the variety of train cars to look through, and the World War II portion of the displays inside the cars was fascinating. I hope this museum gets the funding and the volunteers needed to continue to restore more pieces, and add to their already enjoyable collection.
Awesome place to see. All them trains are so cool to see. Had a great time
This is an awesome railroad museum! I love going to this place. Theres so many great trains to see and they have tons of small stuff on display. Definitely worth the money to visit! 👌
A lot of cool repainted trains to explore outside. Unfortunately, museum closed for 2020. Didnt find out this tidbit until we drove out there. Still worth a 20 minute visit to take photos of the trains outside the gate.
What a gem in Northern Ohio! Fantastic museum, lots of rail cars to walk through, great little gift shop and busy main line for seeing modern railcars in action. Inexpensive for a family outing and worth every penny!
Wonderful museum and collection of equipment and artifacts. The staff is always knowledgeable and friendly. Some of the items in the gift shop can get a little pricey; but, considering that I know that the proceeds go to help support a first class museum, I have no issues with that whatsoever.
We actually re-visited this place because there are friendly helpful people there who are able to recommend items to look out for on your self-guided tour. Lots of steps into actual trains for us over-60s people. But if youre willing, there is a wealth of history & onfo. Cant wait to take our Grandkids next time!
This past weekend they also had a car show after being close for a year. Their grand opening. It was well organized.
Awesome railroad museum!!! Got to take a caboose ride during Berkshire weekend!! It was fun!!
Always fun, totally worth admission, lots to see if your into railroad history, and lots of fun for younger kids
My grandson Jake and I have been going to this Museum for I bet 6 years for 3-4 hours each time. He is 10 years old now and hes ready for another set of adventures. Last summer he started to teach me what the parts of the engine are named. Bellevue is very lucky to have such a great place to go. Check it out, your wont be sorry! Hats off to everyone who makes this museum happen.
Took our 2 year old grandson and he loved it, but he loves to watch the choo choos anywhere! Wanna go back to read the info we couldnt with him! Lots of history on the trains!
Great little gem - nice place to get lots of info and enjoy trains - great staff!!
Kids had a blast as did we!!! Will be back next year!!!
Nice, tour guide was very helpful, self walking tour also, climb up into the cars look at tools, and the way it used to be, nice gift shop neat history about the Nickleplate Railroad, bring the kids and make some memories
Awesome Museum.A place where you step back in Time. Great place for the family.
Enjoyed with grandson, may go back on my own. To take in all info not able to do at time, lots of histroy. including the bell off Abraham Lincoln funeral train.
Outstanding, interesting displays and cool walk throughs. Family friendly!
Awesome place and history collections
Super friendly staff! This place was so cool even my 3 year old loved it!
So much stuff and much more in restoration! Closed due to the pandemic sadly, but still a lot of outside displays to get close to. I will go back in the future when I can get in the museum buildings.
Please consult the website for hours and schedule before visiting. Google does not have the correct information.Museum Hours12:00 to 4:00 pmOPEN DAILY Memorial Day through Labor Day(May, September and October Open on Weekends Only)
We stopped off here on our way up to the Port Clinton / Put-in-Bay area and it was well worth it. It kept my family and I occupied for about two hours. There is a lot to see here.
Very good museum. Most item can be viewed up close. Most railroad stock and engines are outside. Volunteers running the place were very involved with its history and good hosts.
One of our favorite places to go during the summer. We have been here dozens of times, and the kids are still not tired of visiting. A reliable and dependable place to visit and spend a few hours.
Very interesting and such a great job they have done on the trains!
There are not enough stars to award this museum. I am a BIG fan of the Nickel Plate and the artifacts are amazing. I cant wait to go back!
The museum was already closed by the time I stopped due to I went somewhere else first, but I still took some nice pics.
My wife and I so enjoyed talking to the lady at the museum. Great place ,a must see for train enthusiasts! Great little town. Americana!
Lots of variety in their collection. Smaller items show gathering of donated items. Many great older pictures. Be prepared to do a lot of climbing.
We loved it! We plan on coming back this year also. Diana i am sorry you feel this way. One should have known before moving in with all the trains in that location.
Its a great museum been there multiple times I learn something new each time I go there. Bellevue is one of my favorite spots to railfan and the Museums just the cherry on top.
Fantastic place to visit is you are a railroads fan, right now is close for Covid 19, is very affordable , $10,00 adults, $9,00 seniors and $5,00 children
We love this place. The grandchildren love it too. We come here frequently for rides and events. Great place to bring the family.
Great place to see
This really surprised me it was like very box car i went into was another display and was filled. There is tons of stuff to see! Definitely worth the 10 bucks to get in.
Really nice place. Reasonable admission. My grandkids enjoyed being able to climb onto the train cars.
Super cute place a lot trains were open for viewing thank you
Super neat museum! If you or your kid(s) love trains, this is perfect for you!
Great collection with some really key pieces it is a little spread out but great photo opportunities 4 historic equipment along with modern railroading
Great local railroad museum with many great pieces of equipment.Good for rail fanning as well.Go and see the nice newly painted cabooses
Train ride wasnt what was expected. Place is nice though
Theres a lot of displays and rail road history in this museam.
Awesome displays and so much to see for $10
Great place to go and watch trains and also see old ones too The only disadvantage is they don’t do train rides every day and only on Special events
It was a good time and a great place to visit and spend the day.
Lots too see, could spend a day and come back for more, nice folks, good collection and the town is charming too!
I took the grandkids here, they had a good time its a good hands-on experience for the small kids an interesting things for the adults.
Love visiting the trains
Great place with a lot of history. A lot of displays!
Well worth the money 🤑 Very interesting RR history!
Went w/grandson & friends; great experience; short ride from Tiffin; interesting, fun & inexpensive!!
We go every year! My kids love it, especially getting to sit in the conductors seat.
Got to see volunteers doing some engine maintenance and car switching. Nice selection of cars from cranes, engines, and a giant snow plow engine.
Best train museum around me! Love it! Favorite is the wabash. (Most of the workers know that) and it is worth the time there!
We took a train ride about 5minutes it was this weekend only
My son and I love to watch trains, thats why we came here
It was great! HOPE to be back next year!
Nice train museum and gift shop. Reasonable admission prices. A lot of pieces to explore.
A GREAT train museum! You will be surprised by the extensive equipment collection. A must see for any train enthusiast.
If you like trains like I do this is a great place to visit & great people to meet
Lots of memorabilia and lots and lots of different rail cars. Fun for kids and adults if you love trains.
Soo many cars to walk through, impressive historical information. We were there for about 3 Hours.
I enjoyed the museum very much.
Great trip back in time, good exhibits, good family fun for all!
One of my favorite places to visit in north central Ohio. A must for any rail fan.
Didnt go into the museum but heard it was good. We just stopped in the gift shop.
Great museum! I will be back
My husband and I love spending time here on date night just enjoying each other and watching the trains go by
Super cool old timey museum coco and cookies for the kids and a cool 10 min train ride
Incredible, Great people, awesome steam train
Took a DD client here and he loved it. Staff was very patient with him.
Really Neat Train MuseumLots of old train cars and Lots of History to read on each one.
Staff was very courteous. Nice atmosphere. Great nostalgia and history.
Great place to learn more about the history of Bellevue, and the railroad heritage that keeps Bellevue thriving !
So many engines and cars to go through. We really enjoyed it!
If you are into trains it is a great place to see the past of trains.
757 looks treat!
Great display of historic rail equipment.
Very interesting railway museum, linked with the industrial history of Bellevue, OH.
Great museum must see
Love visiting this place and really enjoyed the train ride and visit with Santa
Not open yet but fun walking around all by ourselves!😉
Gift shop is great. The 757 Berkshire is fantastic addition.
If you like trains, then you need to go here! Fantastic
My kids loved it.
Good, not great, rail museum in Bellevue. Worth a look.
Great family time!
Neat place to take a little walk if you like old trains
Pretty nice. Needs to be more handicap accessible though.
Great place to see trains if your boy is obsessed as mine. Haha
Amazing
Great collection of trains. Also a good place to watch trains at.
If you like trains its a must see!
Great times, great history.
Great place for kids that love trains
Fun riding the train with my grandson and seeing Sants Claus.
Great place for inexpensive family outing. Ive been coming here since it opened.
The trains you can get on are great for kids obsessed with trains.
Fantastic collection. If you are into trains, this place is for you.
Love this place, great for anyone including kids and railfans
Great place to see and learn about railroad history.
NKP 765 AND NKP 757 what more needs to be said?
Great collection of equipment unfortunately closed for covid
Nice place to take family for some history on trains
Awesome place to go!!!! Loved it!!
Great Museum!
Loved this place! Had such a great time!
Amazing collection of locomotives, coaches, freight cars and cabooses.
Neat place to make a memory with your kids!
Cool if youre a lover of trains
Awesome if you love trains
Awesome place to visit!!
Love this place cant wait tell they get the 757!!!!!!!
Kids loved to visit Santa and ride the train
Great train museum
Great people great place!
Nice display great gift shop
Wow. Most cool
What a great place to spend a couple of hours
Very interesting to tour old cars.
Fun place for the kids, lots of history
A very nice railroad museum
Great place to take the whole family
Have a cool park surrounded by tracks
Nice to see what they have
My daughter loves to give this place
Great place!
Better mad River & nkp railroad
Great display , well run
I love this place
Very informative.
I like trains.
Fun place
Had a great time.
Great place and people!
Just stopped in gift shop
Awesome
Alot of history awesome
Great place to visit.
An Awesome Train Museam
Great museum!
Huge collection of equipment and artifacts.
AMAZING 👌
Fun.
Not open until may
Total reviews rating 4.7
199 Reviews for Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-25If youre looking for a fun, educational, and affordable activity in Bellevue, OH, look no further than the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum! This museum is perfect for railroad enthusiasts of all ages, as it offers tons of interactive exhibits and activities. Plus, the staff are all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about trains, which makes for a truly enjoyable experience.
Review №2
2022-05-15My son and I found out about Mad River & NKP Museum in Bellevue while we were visiting another nearby museum, and we were so thankful they told us about it (thank you Liberty Aviation Museum)!This museum has so much there, that we didnt get to see everything there after about two and a half hours. The staff was super knowledgeable and friendly. The exhibits are immaculate, have huge historicity, and many are hands on which adds so much to the experience. We were also lucky enough to see two trains go by on the track that runs through the museum property while sitting in the cab of their General Motors F7 diesel electric locomotive! What an exciting place and we look forward to going back soon!Bonus: They also are partnered up for the season with the Liberty Aviation Museum and the Maritime Museum in Sandusky. $60 gets you admission to all three museums for up to Eight people!!! This is only for the summer season of 2022 as far as I know, but it is an amazing deal!
Review №3
2021-08-23What a great place! If you like or love trains please stop and visit this museum. The staff is very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. One thing that makes the museum so nice is you are able to climb into and onto the trains and touch them. Feel how heavy they are and really get an idea of what it was like to ride/operate these machines. Some of the trains are restored and some arent. I really liked that because you can still smell and see their original colors and feel. There is an active Norfolk Southern line right next to the parking lot too! Their operating hours are short, but that is because everyone is a volunteer. They have a huge selection of train stuff in the gift shop too. You will not be disappointed by stopping here.
Review №4
2021-10-13What a great museum. We come to Bellevue all the time to railfan but we came here for NKP 765 and it was a great experience! All the staff were really friendly and did a great job! Amazing history here with a railfan park right down the street. Come see some trains!
Review №5
2022-06-17A truly phenomenal museum with a great friendly staff! Wonderful people working here and so much train history to see. A great place to bring the family!!
Review №6
2021-08-16The sheer amount of artifacts and railroad cars/engines here boggles the mind. The details,information availability and knowledgeable staff are second to none! The musty air (in a good way) adds to the atmosphere of the lives lived in the past. You can feel the touches of past train employees and passengers. You never feel truly alone and always feel watched. It is a magical and haunting feeling all at the same time. We WILL be returning. If you havent been here yet,You had better haul it here...You wont be disappointed!
Review №7
2021-07-14If you like trains or have a kid that does this is definitely a place you need to visit! Words cannot describe it you just have to go. Take a lunch Norfolk Southern main line goes right by the museum, they have a well stocked gift shop as well.
Review №8
2021-06-22This place is really nice. You can go inside most of the train cars and learn about their history. Located right next to an active main line makes it an ideal place to watch passing trains.
Review №9
2021-06-12This is a really cool museum for everything train related. From a museum with old to newer trains and a gift shop, there is something here for everyone to look at. I spent about an hour here looking at the insides of rail cars and an old engine. Definitely worth the drive over today.
Review №10
2021-07-11What an awesome place! Spent a few hours with all the exhibits and would go again for more.There is so much to see for young and old alike. If you enjoy anything about trains this is a must see!