The days of roaring steam engines and soot-covered men toiling away may be gone, yet the imprint of this classic American period stays with us through stories and structures.
Over many years, many community members have labored to preserve and restore not only pieces of railroad history, but the arts and artifacts of the pre-Civil War era through the Gilded Age and well into the 20th century.
Sites like the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum invite the visitor to see life in an older time, as the only museum of its kind in America.
The Gallitzin Tunnels Park and Museum and Portage Station Museum show off the instruments and engineering of a city born of the locomotive. The Tyrone Rail Park gives spectators an up-close experience as trains roll by, while the Everett Railroad takes families on a journey through hills and pastures aboard a classic steam engine. No matter which track you’re on, you’ll be able to transport back to the past!
