Bed inside Dennison’s Pullman Bed and Breakfast (photo by Jim Celuch)
Travel

Experience a Unique Getaway at Pullman Bed & Breakfast in Dennison

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to stay in a luxury, 1920-era railcar, the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum has your answer.

If you’re curious about the golden age of rail travel, the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum invites you to stay overnight inside a Pullman train car. Once known on the Pennsylvania Railroad as the “Times Square,” this 1920s-era Pullman car came to the museum by way of donation, before it was restored as the Pullman Bed and Breakfast.

“A lot of the light fixtures, the mechanicals, the signs are original,” says Wendy Zucal, executive director at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, a historic site that is the nation’s best remaining example of a World War II servicemen’s canteen. “We kept what we had. There wasn’t a lot.”

The $1 million project was made possible by funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation, as well as other organizations and foundations, and the B&B opened to the public in 2022. The Pullman’s restoration is accurate down to the correct color paint on the walls, but the car is also outfitted with modern amenities like Wi-Fi and small televisions.

Interior of railcar at Dennison’s Pullman Bed and Breakfast (photo by Jim Celuch)

The quarters are tight, but a stay has all the makings of a cozy getaway. The Pullman has five rooms: two single compartments and three doubles. There is also the option of renting the entire car. 

Reserved parking spots are set aside for guests, and the neighboring museum houses a diner that is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday. For dinner, guests can head down the street to the nearby Dennison Yard, a local Italian spot.

Because Dennison’s historic depot sits alongside active railroad tracks, another train may pass by in the middle of the night. That just adds to the authenticity. 400 Center St., Dennison 44621, 740/922-6776, dennisondepot.org