5 Incredible Train Collections in Ohio

Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum, Sugarcreek: When Jerry Jacobson sold his 525-mile freight railroad in 2008, he kept some of the old equipment, including the steam engines. To protect them, he bought land in rural Tuscarawas County and built a roundhouse with a 115-foot train turntable and 2 miles of storage tracks. Today, visitors can tour his collection of more than 20 steam locomotives that span from 1897 to 1948. ageofsteamroundhouse.org

Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Findlay: The quarter-scale train rides that take visitors in a large loop around the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation’s campus are the big draw here, but the whole place is a celebration of the railroad era and its importance to our nation. Adding to that atmosphere is a relocated train depot and full-size rolling stock as well as a building that houses model train displays — all of it overseen by a dedicated group of volunteers. Open seasonally, nworrp.org

EnterTrainment Junction, West Chester: Don Oeters created what he bills as the largest model train display in the world — a massive 25,000-square-foot layout that is the centerpiece of his EnterTrainment Junction entertainment destination. More than 1,200 computer-controlled G Scale model trains cars (each about the size of a loaf of bread) roll through the immersive scenes that begin in 1890 and continue to present day.entertrainmentjunction.com


Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens, Dover: Carver Ernest Warther’s trains depicting the age of steam engines are impressive. Then you learn he crafted each from thousands of individual pieces he fashioned himself, and you begin to understand the depth of his genius. This museum bearing his name features 64 of his trains as well as his famous Plier Tree, which has 511 interlocking sets that all open and close and were carved from a single piece of wood. thewarthermuseum.com

Ohio Railway Museum, Worthington: Founded in 1948, this outdoor attraction in suburban Columbus offers train enthusiasts the opportunity to walk among and, at times, climb inside railroad cars that volunteers have cared for and restored. The collection spans electric trolleys, steam engines, a caboose, a postal car and more, and train rides are regularly offered on the Ohio Railway Museum’s 2 miles of track. Open May through December, ohiorailwaymuseum.org