SC Railroad Museum

Did you know that the only railroad museum in South Carolina is located right here in Fairfield County? The South Carolina Railroad Museum is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places, the Confederation of South Carolina Local Historical Societies, and many more historical lists. The museum was established in the 1970s in Charleston, SC, and eventually moved to Winnsboro, South Carolina.

During an interview with Henry Nechemias, he was asked a number of questions that ranged from what activities they offer, to how far people travel to visit the museum. Nechemias has been a volunteer at the railroad museum for 11 years. He has always had an interest in railroads and his volunteer work at the museum has only enhanced that.

When asked about the activities the railroad museum provides, Nechemias listed a number of events. Every year, they provide an Easter Bunny train ride, a Pumpkin Patch train ride, a Santa Claus train ride, and more. They also supply regular train rides every Saturday. The museum also provides a five-mile train ride to students on field trips. Their longest train ride is a ten mile round trip. The railroad museum is always trying to come up with new activities for the community to participate in. They are planning more evening rides like their very successful BBQ Buffet and nature train ride. Furthermore, a Bed and Breakfast facility is in the works!

The exclusive nature of the South Carolina Railroad museum attracts about 10,000 people from all over the state and surrounding states, specifically, from Charleston, Charlotte, Augusta, and New York. They even have members from Colorado!

Many may wonder how the museum funds itself? The majority of their income comes from ticket sales, membership dues, donations, and county funding.

The majority of the museum’s staff consists of volunteers. If you are interested in being a volunteer or want to learn more about the museum, visit www.scrm.org. They are always in need of more volunteers and are currently looking for someone to handle their social media networks.