Georgia State Railroad Museum

The Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the most significant and atmospherically compelling railroad sites in the American South, occupying the extraordinarily well-preserved Central of Georgia Railway’s antebellum repair shops complex — a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest surviving examples of pre-Civil War railroad infrastructure in the United States. The brick-vaulted roundhouse, car repair shop, blacksmith shop, and tool room were built between 1845 and 1855 and represent masterworks of 19th-century industrial architecture. The site includes the nation’s oldest surviving roundhouse (1851) and a working turntable that visitors can operate with staff assistance. Costumed interpreters and working demonstrations of blacksmithing, woodworking, and machine operations bring the antebellum railroad shop environment vividly to life. The museum’s collection of steam locomotives, vintage coaches, and historic freight equipment is displayed throughout the complex. Miniature train rides through the museum grounds and guided tours of the historic shop buildings are available. Special events include spring and fall steam-up weekends when vintage locomotives are fired and operated, and holiday events during the Christmas season. The museum is operated by the Coastal Heritage Society and forms part of Savannah’s remarkable concentration of historic industrial sites.