user
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad
49 Thames St, Portland, ME 04101, United States
Appearance

Comments
Al
Review №1

Fun train ride along the coast and back, with a short stop at the end. Photo opportunities all along. Dog friendly. Train moves relatively slowly - the dog was quite comfortable and happy to ride and look out the window/door.

La
Review №2

Nice train ride along the promenade trail in Portland. Train ride is approximately 30 minutes along the coast. Train stops for 10 minutes and allows you to get off and walk around.The staff are volunteers and were very kind.Due to COVID they are only open Friday-Sunday. Usually they are open all week in the Summer. Masks were not strongly enforced on the train. 2 of the carts were open air and the other 2 were closed in.

Jo
Review №3

Great! Love anything trains and this place is a gem if your like me. Everyone is so nice.

St
Review №4

I have been twice and both my kids liked it with my daughter enjoying the s more. I liked both the museum and short ride along Portlands coast, both in the fall and spring time.The price of admission is reasonable for the experience. Friendly staff and personal. On one of the stops, the conductor will let you ring the s bell. It can be a little loud inside the train as it rocks, but, you can tune it out.Museum is geared towards both history enthusiasts with historical displays and play areas for toddlers. Small gift area and vending machine available.I recommend a visit.

Br
Review №5

Fun little train ride. It was nice to hear the history of the train. I also enjoyed being able to walk around a bit at the end of the tracks before riding back to the station. Beautiful views of the ocean from the window.

Ra
Review №6

This was a great experience. We even had the opportunity to listen to the Executive Director on the train as he was wearing one of his many hats. The pictures are of thier 110 year old car.

ro
Review №7

Great ride and tickets are usable all day long. The kids really enjoyed it

Ja
Review №8

We really enjoyed our trolly ride and a quick walk through the museum. The husband and wife duo were extremely knowledgeable and even shared some history of the Portland railways during our ride. It was nice to stop over near the old train bridge that caught fire. All of the trolly cars are different so we did a walk through to see the lovely variety. During the stop we were able to see the engine and even ring the train horn.

Ke
Review №9

My son loves trains so this was a great little excursion. It seems the museum is temporarily housed in a trailer as renovations are happening. Still had a small childrens play area and shop. You go on a short trip and get off in a picturesque spot near the sea wall for photos. Really nice & funny tour guide on the train.

Ma
Review №10

Just enough of a train ride for the kids. It’s a 25 minute ride on a rustic old time train. My kids loved it and the museum was also just the right amount of trains to sustain a two and four year old.

Li
Review №11

Small museum with terrific staff and volunteers. Wonderful views from the train of Portland harbor.

Em
Review №12

Amusing diversion- a quick rail journey in historic cars that provides fantastic views of the bay. The guide provided interesting and amusing anecdotes about the history of narrow gauge rail travel in Maine and the history of the Portland area in general.

Fr
Review №13

Great people and organization. Fun Railroad ride.. Wish it was longer. Very pet friendly.

Ca
Review №14

Is amazing view of the water and so much info giving about the area and history. You can also ride it all day long with the ticket. Kids will have amazing time !!! Must visit !!

Jo
Review №15

Not a long ride, however that was explained when buying tickets. Beautiful scenery. Train showed how they were years ago, so interesting for the enthusiasts

Co
Review №16

Cool veiws and friendly people worth checking out

Ga
Review №17

If your local then this may be a trip for you. The train ride is short and there are very few lights for the kids to enjoy. Santa saved the day though. If it wasnt for him then the kids wouldve been on the verge of tears! Do not travel far to see this Polar Express!

Da
Review №18

This place is just a little delight. The engine is small so you dont move fast but its a short trip to the broken bridge and back. The conductor loves his job and it shows as he dresses and acts the part. Plenty of waves by passer-bys.

Ne
Review №19

As a local, I encourage you to walk the lovely harbor path instead of taking this train. I honestly cannot understand how tourists can choose to hop on a coal burning train that spews black smoke on the gorgeous coastline they are here to enjoy. Perhaps riders dont notice the locals that plug their ears as the chug by, or the disdainful looks of the residents just trying to enjoy nature without this noisy, dirty train next to their walking path. But the trail is less than a mile long and walking affords the ability to hear the birds, climb over the rocks, stop and enjoy our beautiful harbor. Please skip the train, opt for a bit of exercise, and spare our air in the bargain. Us locals, and future generations, will thank you for it.

Ro
Review №20

Lots of great information. Perfect for kids.

Ri
Review №21

Love trains and railways. This is one of the best such experiences Ive had across the countryWorth s visit.

Jo
Review №22

Once once you stop laughing youll start to feel sorry for Maine. Employees are sorryer. What are the two things that moved here in pOrtland.

Ma
Review №23

Hidden gem! Great for families!

ma
Review №24

Great outing for kids

Je
Review №25

Very nice staff and great scenery. We will definitely go again.

Ca
Review №26

The train ride was fun and everyone was friendly. Unfortunately they recently moved the entire museum to Wiscasset. The website does not mention this and the tickets do not reflect this ($40 for a quick train ride for the kids is pretty steep). Has we known about this in advance we wouldnt have made the trip.

A
Review №27

The location is under construction as of writing this but it was still easy enough to find. They will be moving into a temporary location soon, the conductor told us, but its a part of the area renovations and upgrades being done by the state. The train ride was short enough that my fidigity toddler was able to have fun the entire time. A fun time and I cant wait to come back and see the upgrades.

Er
Review №28

History meets adventure here. Made a special visit here for the train lover in our family and ended up spending half of a day! They have a fun train ride on an historic railroad, and lots of hands-on displays back at the museum. Absolutely worth the visit.One suggestion would be to improve the parking lot. This place is tucked away in an industrial park.

Tr
Review №29

Great place to go!

da
Review №30

Lovely train ride and mini museum. We enjoyed the ride very much!!

R
Review №31

Was a great experience, they talk about the history of the bay and the city. Great little experience.

Re
Review №32

Well, what to say ..it was my dream to get on the narrow gauge railroad . Based in Portland, right along the beautiful beachfront, this is straight out of a fairy tale. The ticket has to be purchased from the rail museum, a very small museum and the charge includes museum visit too. The trip is hourly so you can walk around the museum or play some board games while you wait for the railroad .

Lo
Review №33

They have temporarily moved the museum to Wisscassett. Another hour drive North and not everything is there. We, the kids and I were disappointed. The people working were wonderful, informative and playful in their roles. It was a beautiful day for an antique train ride. The train follows a walking trail by Casco Bay. People will wave and smile and some will run and pretend theyre trying to catch a ride. The conductor was great with his information and coming through and punching your ticket. The engineer lets the kids ring the rain bell. Picnic lunch, great way to spend the afternoon.

st
Review №34

Its a nice train that goes along the coast. Its a part of history and should provide some family fun. Not too expensive and nice views.

Ne
Review №35

We arrived about 20 minutes before the train left and we got to look around in the little museum. It was very fascinating, with small models and posters as well as actual old train cars people can walk around and sit in! Its very kid friendly while still being a pleasant time for adults too. There are gender neutral bathrooms, one smaller one and one handicapped one. The train itself is pretty loud and it can be difficult to hear the guide at times.If I remember correctly, the ride is about 40 minutes long. We got some nice views of the water and the conductor/guide told us some neat trivia about local history. They seem to really enjoy hosting these train rides, which makes the ride even more fun. When we went, they were doing a lot of construction, which made parking difficult and confusing, but its only temporary. Im looking forward to going again once its all finished!

Ji
Review №36

Ill support venues that preserve history and to have live steam running was a bonus.

As
Review №37

Such a fun place to visit and the conductor was so nice. He answered all our questions about the train and even let us ring the bell!

Jo
Review №38

Interesting museum and railroad. The train ride is nice. Parking is somewhat confusing.

tu
Review №39

Extremely nice place and fun place for kids. Awesome train ride.

Ha
Review №40

Great for a family adventure. The history of the Narrow Gauge is fascinating. Hope these guys can hang on as the area gets developed into condos & hotels.

No
Review №41

The people are great, the museum is interesting, it has several vintage narrow gauge cars. The ride on the train is good, and they let kids blow the whistle.

Le
Review №42

This is really cool. Theres a lot of history and its a terrific experience. Not to be missed...

ME
Review №43

A great experience for adults and kids. The ride and the little museum are very interesting and educational.

Jo
Review №44

If its hot get there early so you can sit in the open cars facing the water. We got there late and had to sit in the enclosed cars which would have been fine with the windows open but the Windows continually slammed shut during the ride. We ended the ride with 3 windows open out of 16.The tour was ho-hum, nothing spectacular or that interesting. It seemed most of the time was spent stopped waiting and accommodating the cruise customers. My son enjoyed it, well he enjoyed himself despite the lack of excitement or engagement.The museum was fairly interesting but not much in terms of kids interest besides the wooden train set. Lots of dont touch and just look. Parking is included in the price which is a plus.Overall I probably wont choose to do it again if I could go back. Although this is one of the cheaper activities to do with a family it was hardly worth the $30+ spent. Staff was very friendly!

Ir
Review №45

The most friendliest staff ever. Thank you!

Be
Review №46

I LOVE this museum. Its small but packed with awesome information and amazing historic trains. I didnt get to ride on the train but will definitely go back for that another day. The tracks run alongside the walking trail and have excellent views!

Ci
Review №47

Adorable and informative. Great for kids.

Ca
Review №48

Great place for the family to visit. (Including the well-behaved pup.) Andy the conductor and Bill the engineer are awesome.

Tr
Review №49

Great place for families with little ones.

Pa
Review №50

Even with the loss of the building and exhibits, this is worth a visit just for the views and experience.

Ad
Review №51

Great! Polar Express was amazing!!

La
Review №52

Great little museum, fun train ride

Si
Review №53

I actually do not have anything to say. The place is almost invisible from the road. Not good signs to get there.

Da
Review №54

Its ok, a couple things to see but not much of a wow factor and lacking in big exhibit items like engines, cars, etc.

Sh
Review №55

So jokey! Ride along the coastline. LOL it was about two blocks to nowhere and backing in reverse!

Cr
Review №56

Polar Express was great!

Ch
Review №57

Our family, including our 2 year old, loved this. The train ride is along the shore, and you get great views in addition to education about narrow gauge trains.

Ro
Review №58

Great tour worth every penny, great for kids

Mi
Review №59

Unfortunately the museum is closed, train ride still available.

Jo
Review №60

Great piece of history preserved

Ad
Review №61

So great I become a annual pass member. Small but great for kids and a wonderful train ride. If you go a few times makes sense to pay for the year membership

Ra
Review №62

Loved the ride and scenery! Excellent service!!!

Al
Review №63

I loved riding the narrow gauge. My friend and I went on this and took a ton of pictures. It was on a hot day, and since the railroad runs along the water there was a very refreshing breeze. Perfect place for a short outing.

Th
Review №64

Very entertaining short ride.

An
Review №65

Fun

He
Review №66

Was somewhat disappointed, no narrative for the one and half mile track trip and back, just showed the bay water, nothing else

Je
Review №67

Its a nifty little train by the water. I guess its narrow gauge. Not sure what that means. I think I passed by it once and was perplexed. Check it out for yourself bro.

Na
Review №68

Fun train ride!

Da
Review №69

Cute museum of trains.

Dj
Review №70

Great ride

Da
Review №71

Excellent ride along the river, incredible views, and even a stop at the end for pictures of the bay and the train. About a half dozen Ingress Portals/Pokestops along the way, and the train goes the perfect speed for trekker/hatch credit as a bonus for those that play either game.

Pa
Review №72

Hard to find. Small museum.

Cl
Review №73

Great little museum and fun for train enthusiasts of all ages!

An
Review №74

No hours posted. Closed until late April. Please update your Google profile.

M.
Review №75

Steam engines and ice cream trains

Ch
Review №76

Beautiful historical train in Portland, Maine

Ro
Review №77

Fun short ride

Pa
Review №78

Great place to visit .

Ga
Review №79

Cute.

Ta
Review №80

Boring and overpriced

De
Review №81

Loads of fun

em
Review №82

Highly recomend

Th
Review №83

Just wish the ride was longer

Es
Review №84

Awesome

Ry
Review №85

SAINT AIRPORT AT NEW YORK 79030

Mi
Review №86

It was broke down

Di
Review №87

Cool place

Ch
Review №88

Classic trains on the promenade

Information
100 Photos
88 Comments
4.4 Rating
  • Address:49 Thames St, Portland, ME 04101, United States
  • Site:https://mainenarrowgauge.org/
  • Phone:+1 207-828-0814
Categories
  • Museum
Working hours
  • Monday:Closed
  • Tuesday:Closed
  • Wednesday:9:30am–4pm
  • Thursday:9:30am–4pm
  • Friday:9:30am–4pm
  • Saturday:Closed
  • Sunday:Closed
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
  • Restaurant:No
Similar organizations