All aboard May 16, 17 for Railroad Heritage Days in the 'Hub City' of Hagerstown, Md.
HAGERSTOWN, MD >> Return to the days of the train station platform and roundhouse when on May 16 and 17 the Parks & Recreation Division and Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum present a variety of activities and entertainment for families to enjoy during Railroad Heritage Days.
The "Hub City's" annual tribute to railroad heritage features shuttle transport for visitors between locomotive history sites in Hagerstown. Admission is available at either Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd. or Hagerstown Railroad Museum & Engine 202, in City Park off Key Street and Virginia Avenue.
Admission is $7 for adults and $1 for children ages four to 12. Admission wristbands grant entry to all locations, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 Sunday.
• Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum activities include: Trains of Christmas, Lego model train display, various scale model railroad layouts, railroad photos and artifacts, display of the historic railroad and military equipment, gift shop, food, train inflatable, music, and more.
• City Park's Hagerstown Railroad Museum & Engine 202 activities include: Wagon train rides on the new Tommy 202, rock climbing wall, inflatable bouncing fun, face painting and kids' activities, displays of historic railroad equipment, cabooses on interactive display including Engine 202, food, barrel cart rides, and music by the Mason-Dixon Barbershop Chorus.
Railroad history in Hagerstown
The railroad industry's historical impact on Hagerstown is undeniable; not only did the transportation industry fortify a stable and constant economic stream to the city, the positioning of the railways themselves led to the city earning the nick name "Hub City," the junction point where trains could switch tracks and change directions through the Round House. On a map, the intersecting rail lines made Hagerstown resemble the hub of the wheel -- the rail lines themselves look like the spokes. First shipping agricultural goods, then fueling the industrial boom, perhaps now the greatest draw to the railroad is for tourism and transit.
Parking: Available at the Roundhouse Museum as well as on the street around Burhans Boulevard and Ridge Avenue. Additional parking near City Park is available at The Learning Center on Virginia Avenue. A shuttle bus will transport visitors to activity locations.
For more information call Hagerstown Parks & Recreation at (301)739-8577, Ext. 180 or visit www.hagerstownmd.org/parksandrec.