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Railway Coastal Museum
The Railway Coastal Museum is a transport museum located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the historic Newfoundland Railway terminal on Water Street and contains exhibits detailing the history of the Newfoundland Railway and the history of coastal water transportation in the province.Make your St. John's itinerary with Inspirock to find out what to see and where to go.
The building was designated a National Historic Site in 1988 for its role in commemorating the important role played by the Newfoundland Railway in the social, economic and political history of the province. It was also designated a Heritage Railway Station in 1990.
The museum has 40 themed exhibits, a virtual museum, artwork and displays highlighting the history of the railway beds in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The museum opened in 2003 on a grant from the Johnson Family Foundation, which later turned over the museum to the City of St. John's. The museum is also noteworthy as "Mile Zero" of the Trans-Canada Trail. In 2020, it was announced by St. John's City Council that the museum would close due to budget cuts. In 2021, it was announced that the museum would be purchased by the Genesis Coworking Centre affiliated with the Memorial University-owned incubator Genesis Centre. The Railway Coastal Museum will continue on a seasonal basis.
With the closure of the Newfoundland Railway, the terminal is no longer connected to any tracks, which were all torn up and the rails put to other uses. The museum does not own or display any rolling stock as it is now surrounded by development.
The museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.
Locations on the island with cars:
Port aux Basques - cars and station
Corner Brook - cars at Railway Society Of Newfoundland
Bishop's Falls - cars
Carbonear - museum
Avondale - track used for trolleys
Trinity Train Loop (Trinity) - functional section of track and museum
Lewisporte - train cars
Whitbourne - station
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Railway Coastal Museum reviews
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My son and I visited last weekend and as always we had a great time. The exibits are fantastic and irreplaceable, being able to physically show someone what the rail service was like in Newfoundland..... more
My son and I visited last weekend and as always we had a great time. The exibits are fantastic and irreplaceable, being able to physically show someone what the rail service was like in Newfoundland..... more »
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I don't often write reviews on local attractions, something which I suppose I need to be more pro-active about, especially for the great ones like this one. This particular local muesum recently made.... more
I don't often write reviews on local attractions, something which I suppose I need to be more pro-active about, especially for the great ones like this one. This particular local muesum recently made.... more »
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Enjoyed very much by myself and 7 year old granddaughter. Appreciate the freebie!
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I think the place is closing down. Looks nice inside, I liked the railway lines display by the gift shop. Gift shop was well stocked and I bought a nice poster!
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