Oyster Bay Railroad Museum set to open

The board of directors of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum is excited to announce the 2023 season opening the weekend of April 2930 from 12 noon to 4 pm. The museum will be open weekends thereafter through November.

The volunteer-led museum, which is in the midst of a multi-year station restoration project, features interactive exhibits, historic artifacts and an operating O gauge model train layout in the station building.

The nearby display yard features full-size railroad equipment and an operating turntable.

For the 2023 season, the museum will feature an exhibition on the history of the Oyster Bay Branch, which includes some of the most historic and architecturally significant stations of the Long Island Railroad.

The exhibition is produced by railroad historian and author David D. Morrison, in conjunction with museum board member Joel Friedman. Morrison will be part of opening-day festivities with a special appearance and book signing. Docents will be on hand to answer questions and offer insights.

“Our team of volunteers has been working all winter to prepare for our opening and are ready to share their passion with visitors of all ages, ” says John Specce, president of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum.

The station building is a New York State landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed in 1889 by noted architecture Bradford Lee Gilbert and expanded in 1902.

The station’s most famous commuter was President Theodore Roosevelt who traveled from Sagamore Hill, his “Summer White House,” to New York City, Washington D.C. and beyond.

The museum also includes a railyard with Long Island’s only operating turntable, a device used for turning locomotives. Visitors can board the turntable during specific hours.