Railroad Museum of Long Island

The Railroad Museum of Long Island is a railway museum in Riverhead with collections at two locations, with the main facility displaying passenger cars, freight cars, and working locomotives. The Freeman North Exhibit Hall houses multiple model train layouts of different gauges and eras.

The main facility occupies a former warehouse of a lumber company that operated near the LIRR station starting in 1885. The site was later converted to a museum to preserve the regional railroad heritage.

The museum preserves a model train layout that came from a company showroom in the 1940s and represents a bygone era of toy train collecting. Visitors can observe how enthusiasts maintain and operate these detailed displays as living pieces of that heritage.

Visitors can examine railroad cars, watch restoration work on vintage locomotives, and ride a small-gauge train from 1964. The facility is walkable and allows self-guided tours through the various collection areas.

The museum owns a large model train layout that originated from the original showroom display of a famous toy maker from the 1940s. This rare piece showcases the intricate details and craftsmanship that went into vintage railroad layouts.