Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc. image

Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.

Tourist attraction Gift shop Electric vehicle charging station Non profit organization Heritage museum Scale model club

One of the Most Reviewed Non profit organizations in Roanoke


Address

303 Norfolk Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24016

Website

vmt.org

Contact

(540) 342-5670

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (1.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Sunday: 1 to 5 PM
  • Monday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: trains (23) museum (20) cars (12) visit (10) model (9) planes (9) time (9) great (8) worth (8) nice (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Andy N. 5 months ago on Google • 23 reviews
    It was a very nice place to go we enjoyed all of the exhibits the automotive collection was great. I really liked the 1934 dodge brothers school bus It was very interesting. They have a lot of model trains. The restored locomotives were very nice. They even have an airplane exhibit.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tom B. 6 months ago on Google • 114 reviews
    What an excellent museum! It’s professionally set up with trains, cars, planes, buses, fire trucks, and memorabilia. We really enjoyed our time here. The huge 611 steam engine was my favorite. Well worth the entrance fee.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Derik Austin M. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a great way to kill a couple hours or more if weather prevents you from doing more outdoor activities. The museum has a nice mixture of different types of transportation on display, but not a lot of each. They have real planes, trains, and automobiles on display here just not a lot. What they do have is very interesting and unique. The model ships and boats are exceptional and displayed well for everyone to see. There’s a simulation plane that you climb in the cabin, sit, and look around. The rail yard is really impressive with 3 locomotives that you can go out and look at if you choose. The automobile inventory, thought limited, is still impressive and worth checking out.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 elevaTOURS (. 10 months ago on Google • 295 reviews
    This is a nice museum however it is overpriced for what you get. At the St. Louis transport museum you can climb in the locomotives. Not here. If it were more hands on would be a five star as they have some awesome stuff. UPDATE Also this has now gone down to a 2 star review. An employee threw something at my drone while I was simply trying to document some of the work going on the 611. I live right behind the museum and had clear line of sight with my drone and was fully following the FAA rules. It is also a federal crime to attempt to destroy or hurt an aircraft which a drone is. If I was in charge of the 611, I would be proud to have people try to photograph and video tape it. Not try to destroy their camera.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Litzy A. 1 month ago on Google • 243 reviews New
    Informative and beautiful museum! Lots of rich history and cool cars and trains! It is about $15 per person, but they offer student and military discounts! Go Hokies!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Larry G. 4 months ago on Google • 29 reviews
    Very enjoyable for an old man. I saw a rail mail car similar to what my grandfather must have worked in over a hundred years ago. My age is showing. They have a Jet Comander mockup. I used to work on what we called "Jet Comodes" when I was a kid 50-years ago. The rail yard was impressive, as was the Lional train display.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Savannah F. 2 months ago on Google • 24 reviews New
    Toddler’s dream! Kids wonderland. Stroller accessible (except for second level but don’t think much is up there). Family restroom with changing table (bathroom needs to be cleaned though). Awesome to spend hours indoors here on a freezing winter day. Cars, trains, buses, planes, and more! Outside you can even watch real trains go by. Gift shop is fun. Highly recommend!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Seriah B. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to learn and marvel about trains, cars, and planes. The folks there are so kind and knowledgeable. The gift shop is cute and provides a sense of nostalgia...with the wooden train sets and water ring toss games. We will definitely be back!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Krzysiek O. 1 month ago on Google • 446 reviews New
    Very exciting visit today in the Virginia Museum of Transportation here in Roanoke. A really fascinating journey back in time to learn about the history of railways. 🚂⏳️ Beside restored locomotives and railroad cars, there are also some old airplanes and vintage cars. 🛻🚙🛩 So much to see here, that the time I had (around 1,5 hrs) was far not enough. Therefore I recommend to plan more time to be able to see and experience everything in all details. I did really enjoy the visit. 💯👍🏻

  • 4/5 Tom F. 8 months ago on Google
    Free parking right out front. Entry was $12. We spent about 2-3 hours here. The exhibits are a little tired in places (Some must be 15 years old!) But very interesting nonetheless. Definite highlights are railyard and the model trains!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Monica F. 1 year ago on Google
    Our family really liked exploring all the transportation vehicles in the rail yard. The other big hit was the model train exhibit of Roanoke. A great little museum. Definitely worth a couple hours if you're in Roanoke.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Stan A. 8 months ago on Google
    Really amazing place with many interactive displays. Fun for all ages, but not a lot of kids running wild. Not too crowded.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Stacy D. 6 months ago on Google • 69 reviews
    We like this place! It's easy to do and fun for all ages. We even joined last year but refuse to join this year because at this museum they make you pay for special events, like their trick or treating etc. So we will visit when guests come. They are constantly adding things, and the history they have collected is very impressive. It was great that the 611 was back, but we unfortunately missed it by a day! It is doing trips elsewhere. All in all, I would recommend visiting this museum, but the membership is NOT worth it. And some displayed were closed when we went. However, I think they may have just been painting. My company loved it!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Paul C. 10 months ago on Google
    This museum had about 20 cars, A decent aircraft display, including an old business jet fuselage that you can go inside of, and several old horsedrawn wagons from the 1800s. The strength of this museum is the train collection, which is outside. Plan on a couple of hours here. Admission is $12.00 and worth the price.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sarah G. 1 year ago on Google
    Great experience for transportation history buffs. Great cars, everything from a Studebaker wagon to 1970 muscle car. Trains you can actually get on to get a close look. Also airplanes. The guys in the gift shop are also extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They even gave us directions to see the roundhouse. Especially good for kids that love trains, real or model (I love watching the model trains and I haven't been a kid for a long time). Plenty of benches and films to watch for the older crowd. I highly recommend a visit even if you aren't a transportation history buff, you might just find a new interest in life. Have a great trip.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 John Van R. 1 year ago on Google
    We decided to come here to give myself a flashback of my childhood. Last time I was here was nearly 30 years ago and a lot has changed since then. They have revamped the yard and have put a lot of the trains and vehicles under a covered area. They have also really streamlined and organized all the exhibits. The flux capacitor in the Delorian was a nice touch. I was sad the 611 wasn’t available to look at during my visit, but at least got to see and touch the 1218. Definitely recommend this place as a visit if you enjoy planes trains and automobiles!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brad H. 1 year ago on Google
    Primarily devoted to trains this museum also has a great collection of older cars, a small aviation section and large model railroad. Great place to pass an afternoon or an hour or two getaway with kids.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jenna I. 1 year ago on Google
    Really cool place to visit in downtown Roanoke. Not to big you can roam through it in about an hour but they have some nice things to see. You will feel like you have been transported back in time!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Philip K. 2 years ago on Google
    This was our first visit and very enjoyable. We were brought here by friends that live in the area and had a great day. There is plenty to see and spend the day checking it all out. Great car collection, model trains, real trains outside, air planes, and much more. $10 entrance fee, $8 60 and over. Well worth the visit and you can spend a lot of time if you look closely at every display.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dale G. 9 months ago on Google
    Nice museum with various steam & diesel locomotives, and rolling stock. 611 steam locomotive was there when I visited last Sunday. It has been restored and is often out on excursion trips. Luck to get to see it - up close too. It was obvious that the museum could use a stronger endowment/benefactor but seem to do well with whatever they have. Railroads are not only focus of the museum. Have a nice automobile collection and several static educational exhibits. They also have an O-gauge model railroad children (and old men like me) would enjoy. It's worth a visit and a great place to take grandkids. Good for rail enthusiasts as well, whether young or old.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Howard H. 7 months ago on Google
    Such a cool place. They have a little bit of everything here. Some of the old cars they have I never knew they existed. So worth the time and money to go here.

  • 5/5 IPR 4 months ago on Google
    Great stop on our roadtrip. I’ve never been sort of a train fanatic but this was very informative. Little did I know we had electric cars 120 years ago. Now I do. Penny machine available.

  • 5/5 Tana W. 1 year ago on Google
    So much fun. My 6 yr old grandson loved everything. Price is not bad. You can climb in a few things.

  • 5/5 Mad M. 7 months ago on Google
    A very beautiful museum with lots of awesome vehicles. My favorite being the trains of course

  • 5/5 Russ D (. 1 year ago on Google
    Really fun museum. It seems to be geared more towards kids, but I enjoyed seeing the old cars and trains anyway. Really liked the few trains that they had built up a little entrance so you could go inside of them. The caboose was a really neat example of that. Ticket price is a little high for what it is, but then it can't be cheap to run such a museum.

  • 4/5 Marilee H. 7 months ago on Google
    The entry fee for 1 adult is $12.66, and you can add a donation. There's So Much to See! Trains, Planes, Cars! In addition, learn about the history of each mode of transportation, and important figures in each one. Very friendly and helpful people assisted us.

  • 4/5 Tammy F. 1 year ago on Google
    Museum was ok. But there were displays with information I wanted to read but they were roped off (to keep people from touching) and so far away (easily 15 feet) and just couldn't be read. There were cars and trains and boats and planes but not enough of any one thing... The biggest disappointment was they have an outside area (of trains) right next to the Norfolk Southern tracks but because of the way the display engines are arranged, you can't actually see the live track. No elevated platform or anything... Literally had to watch the trains going by just a dozen feet away on the "live webcam" instead of my eyes. That's all. Just disappointed as the potential was there. The last museum of transportation I visited (before this) I spent six hours at. This one, 1 was enough.

  • 5/5 Amanda B. 1 year ago on Google
    A lovely way to spend a few hours. Very educational. Well maintained, varied exhibits. My husband and I visited and had a good experience. The tickets were not expensive and the staff was courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. Kid friendly. Would recommend.

  • 5/5 Maggie R. 1 year ago on Google
    I've been to this museum with friends from out of town a few times, and I always enjoy it. There's loads of stuff to learn about, trains and planes to climb in, and of course the train yard outside is lots of fun. If you're at all interested in planes, trains, and automobiles, this is the spot!


Call (540) 342-5670 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair rental
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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