Museum’s Train Gallery to Temporarily Close in June

Buffalo families have one more opportunity to experience The Buffalo History Museum’s Train Gallery, which is scheduled to temporarily close on June 3. For more than 30 years, the expansive display has featured 1900s replica model trains running on more than 200 feet of track, a scale Erie Canal lock, and 100 miniature handmade buildings portraying 19th century Buffalo and Western New York. The Train Gallery has been maintained and operated by the Rail Barons, a longtime dedicated team of volunteers who custom built the model.

The gallery is closing to make way for the transition of offices from the Julia Boyer Reinstein Center across the parking lot into lower level where exhibit is located. Built in the 1920s as a private home and music studio, the Reinstein Center has housed staff offices since 1992. The Museum is currently in discussions to redevelop that property into a new attraction.

“I know it is difficult for the Rail Barons and museum visitors to see a beloved exhibit come to a close and we are grateful for their dedicated support to the gallery,” said Buffalo History Museum Executive Director Melissa Brown. “We have limited space in our historic buildings and need to make this move as part of our multi-year plan to further activate the entire museum campus.”

The trains in the Train Gallery will be operating from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday May 20, May 27, and June 3.

Museum staff will take great care disassembling the exhibit, storing the model buildings and trains in the museum’s permanent collection for possible inclusion in a new children’s exhibit in the future.