The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum in scenic Oyster Bay, NY is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of Long Island's railroad history. The goal of the museum is for our visitors to experience what it was like to work, ride and be a part of life on the railroad.Currently under development, the museum will feature historic railroad buildings and rolling stock, highlighting the important role the railroad played in shaping the Long Island of today.
The Museum’s Preview Center, open weekly at 102 Audrey Avenue in downtown Oyster Bay, features interactive, hands-on and audio-visual exhibits, descriptions of our ambitious plans for the Museum, and a wonderful gift shop with an ever changing variety of items for that special train enthusiast in your life. As we await the Museum grand opening we are also making preparations to offer Oyster Bay visitor services at the Preview Center.
A vision of Oyster Bay’s past and a glimpse into a future – a scene that will be re-created by the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum (OBRM) is to heighten public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the railroad’s role in our heritage and to increase public understanding of rail technology and its impact on Long Island life.The OBRM will collect, preserve and interpret the railroad heritage of Long Island for future generations.
The OBRM will transport us back to a time when, far from being simply a way to get to and from work, the railroad was Oyster Bay’s link to the outside world.The railroad brought the daily necessities, the news and the visitors.The railroad also carried the town’s residents to New York City, perhaps for the day, perhaps to connect with a train to Chicago or a liner bound for Europe.
It was a time when the highest job a boy could aspire to was locomotive engineer, when even Presidents of the United States came and went by train.When magnificent steam locomotives plied the rails and their melodious steam whistles echoed through the night.
The OBRM will celebrate the importance of individual Long Islanders in the railroad heritage of Long Island.
More than just equipment, the story of railroads on Long Island is the story of people…visionaries who could see over the horizon into the future, who undertook the massive projects that form the bedrock for Long Island’s transportation network today…..skilled railroaders who braved difficult working conditions to move the Island’s goods and people safely…..and colorful characters who made Long Island and its railroads so interesting.
The OBRM will be an educational and entertaining resource for the public.
The OBRM will feature meticulously restored vintage structures and railroad equipment.Massive machines such as the Oyster Bay turntable and Steam
Locomotive 35 will be restored to full operating condition to provide the visitor with a full appreciation of what running a railroad used to entail.
The beautiful Oyster Bay railroad station will be restored so that visitors to the OBRM will be greeted by a historic structure that looks just as it did when Theodore Roosevelt boarded a train to begin his journey to Washington DC and glory.
Inside the station, unique interactive and hands-on exhibits will provide museum visitors with information on railroading in a colorful, educational and fun manner.
The OBRM will be a major contributor to the revitalization of downtown Oyster Bay.
The OBRM will be a family-friendly destination that will draw visitors into downtown Oyster Bay.It will provide Oyster Bay with an important and unique offering that is not duplicated within the metropolitan New York area.
