Combining a nicely restored country depot with a surprising variety of early diesel motive power and vintage rolling stock, the all-volunteer North Alabama Railroad Museum is a hidden jewel tucked away in the scenic Tennessee Valley.
Choices
The North Alabama Railroad Museum’s depot and collection of rolling stock with more than 30 pieces is open for self-guided tours daily, with volunteers available most Wednesdays and Saturdays. The museum also runs a diesel-powered, 10-mile round-trip excursion over its Mercury & Chase Railroad. Coaches are air-conditioned, and all seats are reserved.
When to go
Excursions operate primarily on select Saturdays from April through December. Magic on the Mercury & Chase is an enchanting ride just before school starts and special guests visit the museum to entertain visitors. The annual Fall Color Specials are always a sell-out, drawing crowds from across the Southeast to see the changing of the leaves in the Tennessee Valley. Many trips have a special theme. Regular excursions last an hour and 20 minutes, while other rides can last 30 minutes to an hour.
Good to know
The centerpiece of the North Alabama Railroad Museum is the Chase Depot built by the Chase family in 1937 to serve its nursery business and the community that grew around it. The depot served the Southern Railway and the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis, and is the smallest Union Depot in the country. Most excursion revenue and donations made by visitors and guests are spent directly toward preserving historic artifacts.
Worth doing
No trip to the Huntsville area is complete without a visit to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a 10-minute drive from the museum. Other attractions include the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, the Huntsville Museum of Art, and Monte Sano State Park.
Don’t miss
The historic Huntsville Depot is located downtown. Built in the 1860s by the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, this building is steeped in Civil War history. It features exhibits on Alabama railroads, with displays of rolling stock, locomotives, and Civil War artifacts.
Getting there
The museum is located a few minutes east of Huntsville. Take Highway 72 to Moores Mill Road for about a mile and then turn left onto Chase Road for a half mile. The museum grounds are on the left.
Location: 694 Chase Road NE, Huntsville, AL
Phone: 256-851-6276
Website: narm.info
E-mail: narm-mail@comcast.net
