The Golden Age of Steam: Strasburg Rail Excursion and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

A mecca for aficionados of railroad technology and history, Strasburg, Pennsylvania, offers the ideal destination for a tour led by rail historian James Reaves. Featured in the leisurely day are a round-trip steam train excursion through beautiful Lancaster County on the country’s oldest continuously operating railroad and an afternoon at one of America's finest rail museums.

On arrival in Strasburg, take your seat on the Strasburg Rail Road in a meticulously restored Victorian-style railroad car that provides the perfect vantage point for picturesque views of Amish farms on a 45-minute ride through the rolling countryside. Step off the train and into the mechanical shop where steam trains are built and refurbished for a behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the mechanical department has been producing everything from fabricated parts to complete historic restoration for over 50 years.

After a boxed lunch, spend the afternoon at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, which displays more than 100 locomotives and cars from the mid-19th and 20th centuries. An in-depth guided tour includes attractions such as one of the few surviving camelback steam locomotives, the elegant stateroom of a private car, and a 62-ton locomotive under which visitors can walk.

Know Before You Go

• The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
• Tour participants meet at and leave by bus from Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C St., SW (corner of 6th St. and C Sts.), with a stop at the I-495 Exit 27 carpool lot at about 7:55 a.m.
• The railroad reserves the right to substitute coaches and motive power as operating conditions demand.
• Closed-toe shoes are required for the shop tour.

General Information

• Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, October 4, 2024.
• Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
• As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
• For additional tour information:
• Study Tour Policies
• Refund/Cancellation Policy