Southeastern Railway Museum

Highly recommend. If you have a child into Thomas the Train or trains then this is the place to go. Fun for all ages.
They have a very short train ride for an additional 3 dollars per person. That is worth it
Lots of trains, buses, army trucks and even an antique case tractor
Must go for all trains and history buffs

NOT WORTH IT!
My kids love trains and they were so excited but it cost $ 10 (?) to get in and then they charge to ride the trains. Like another reviewer mentioned it is really old and grungy. We understand that it is old historic artifacts but they were not kept in condition worth paying THAT much for.
Would be better worth it if the price was half what is charged or something. Take your family to Olympic Park instead.

I really wanted to like this place but it was just a complete disappointment. Most of us go here because our kid loves trains so the Railway Museum just seems like the perfect choice for Saturday family time, right? WRONG!
CONS:
The trains are old and nasty. I get that’s it’s a museum and these are outdoors but come on now. The trains were so dusty and dirty we could barely touch anything. Some of the cabinets and drawers had trash, supplies, and whatever else in them. There were only a few trains of interest, the map/​history of trains was a little difficult to understand at first glance. I thought there would be someone helping you because the place is so small, but you are left to roam on your own to figure it out. The train ride is a complete joke. DO NOT pay your money for it. It was supposed to last 15 minutes and maybe it did but the train went about 2 – 3 miles per hour (this is not an exaggeration). One kid on the train did not even know it was moving. The train went backward, then forward, then backward super slow and then it was over. My son did not enjoy the museum trains, he liked the buses more and frankly so did I.
PROS:
If you’re looking for something to do, I guess it could work considering it is different. I’m sure some kids like it. Well, I guess that’s it for Pros. :)
Overall this just wasn’t a good experience. I would not recommend this for a school field trip, maybe a daycare but that’s just to say you got out and did something. I would not recommend this for a Family fun day and this is not good for teens. If your parents come into town and they have an genuine appreciation for the history of railway transport then maybe. Nothing is wheelchair/​stroller accessible so keep that in mind.

Took my son here and he loved it, the trains were really cool to walk through. Almost like taking a step back in time. What I wasn’t too impressed with was the train ride. I felt jipped, especially being charged separately for it. Going back and forth a few hundred feet for what seemed like 5 mins was not thrilling in the slightest. My son wasn’t happy about it. Other than that the place is pretty cool. Just skip the train ride until they get the other small ride up and running: that would be worth the extra money.

My son loves trains and he’s gotten me into them as well. Over the last 3 years we have been to some of the countries best train museums & destinations. So I will preface this review by saying, the 5 stars I’m giving it are for the Atlanta area only. And considering that Chattanooga might be the next closest place for a train museum of this size. I’m happy to give it 5 stars.
First, we went on a weekday and very often weekdays can be a grave yard more than a museum and I’mm not just talking about attendance, but exhibits and vehicles in operation. So I was happy for my son’s sake that they had a Norfolk & Southern diesel running the very limited route the museum has. He’s 4 and it was great for him.
As far as stock that is worth a look. There’s the replica of the General and the Pullman cars that were part of President Harding’s last journey. They use to have a steam engine that ran up till 1997, but now sits dormant in their main building, it is very much worth a look since it is in great shape and has several levers and gears that you & your kids can work. Go ahead, open the firebox doors.
As always, any place that allows you to climb on board an engine is alright in my book, and there are several trains you can step inside of.
Lastly, I need to give a shout out to the woman who was working the ticket counter on preschool Thursday. She was extra nice to my son and even gave him a little souvenir since she knew he was a true train fan.
PS. have a favorite railroad. Check out the gift shop. Ridiculously cheap pins from B&O to Union Pacific.

I found this place after doing a Google search for «trains Atlanta kids» trying to find something for my 2 year old that is obsessed with trains. I was very surprised at how nice this place was.
The inside area is nice and the back area with the model railroad was a favorite of my son. The trains outside were in a bit of disrepair, but still nice enough to walk though and enjoy. The MARTA buses we also a nice surprise.
Overall we really enjoyed ourselves and will be back, but be advised that the exterior is not stroller friendly and that you have to keep an eye on little ones due to some jagged edges, rust and open areas that could result in falls. but hey, you are real trains, not some simulation, so that goes with the territory.
Oh, don’t miss the postal car. It was our favorite!
I would give 5 stars if they had a decent playground for the kids to work out some energy after hours of «hold my hand» and «no running».

Went to a kids party here and must say that this place was interesting, great for kids (if they like ‘touch a truck’ type events).
It’s not just a bunch of pictures or trains that you can only look at. Rather, you can climb, explore them and poke around cars that were luxurious (and I’m sure mega-​expensive) accommodations back in the day (mid 70s and older).
The cars are mostly in their original state (some are dusty, torn seats). Only one car that looked like a top of the line sleeper car from the 1950s or so had the individual rooms roped off, but you could still examine the woodwork and cabinetry.
But most of the cars are open and you can walk through them, examine the kitchen, showers, sleeping areas, etc. One car had a lot of bright vinyls, looked like vintage mid to late 70s.
The postal car is also pretty interesting. Some would say, howso? If you’re into Americana, examining kitchens/​baths/​rooms on RVs and such, or even into urban exploration, I think you’d find it interesting, obviously if you’re into trains or big engines you’d find it interesting.
They also have some old buses, including a couple of older Marta buses.

Took my son here. Little boys will love this place and the little boy in me did too. Great value and something different for your children. Highly recommended.

Holy Chattanooga Choo-​Choo, I can’t believe no one has reviewed this museum devoted to trains, trains and more trains. Well I am a dork and a mother and just a little over enthusiastic about transportation history, so allow me. But, one more thing, this place isn’t a bar, repeat not a bar. You cannot buy alcohol here. Still reading? Great!
The actual museum is actually a huge warehouse type building and blends into the industrial area that houses this site. We (my son and I) started our self-​guided tour outdoors with a 10 minute train ride (basically just up and down a track, but your kids will pee themselves with delight, trust me), then spent a good solid hour or more exploring the retired freight and passenger trains lined up in the «yard». I loved the fact that you could just wander in and out of these old, beautiful trains imagining what it would have been like to travel on them. Funner still is seeing all the areas you normally wouldn’t have access to as a passenger like the porters rooms or kitchen areas. And did you know that on certain Amtrak trains, your seat-​side table actually doubles as the cover for your personal toilet, ingenious right?
Inside you will find more examples of older trains and a very cool restoration project in progress on the private train car used by President William G. Harding. You can check out exhibits of memorabilia including a model train, uniforms, tools and more. If that still don’t get your engine boiling take a moment to immerse yourself in the old depot replica and think about how much communication and planning it must have taken to keep things «on track» before cellphones and computers.
There are loads of places to eat in the area (check out the Super H Mart), but nothing inside the museum except for some snacks and drink machines.
Obviously, kids will love the old-​school approach and maybe you can even convince them that real trains aren’t supposed to have faces and talk. As for you non-​parents and miscellaneous adults, don’t write this place off as merely a kids destination, there is plenty of grown-​up appeal and opportunities for exploring, snapping some cool photos, or inserting yourself into an Agatha Christie type storyline.