Satellite Parking Guide: A250 Event

Planning to attend the A250 Event from August 28 to August 30? To ensure a smooth arrival, additional satellite parking locations with direct shuttle service to and from the museum are available throughout the weekend.

Please review the schedule below to find the correct parking location for the day of your visit. Note: Additional parking charges may apply.

Friday, August 28

• Location: Oakdale Baptist Church (Spencer)
• Address: 200 Charles St, Spencer, NC 28159
• Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Shuttle Service: Continuous loops running to and from the museum between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

Saturday, August 29 & Sunday, August 30

• Location: North Rowan High School (Spencer)
• Address: 300 N Whitehead Ave, Spencer, NC 28159
• Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Both days)
• Shuttle Service: Continuous loops running to and from the museum between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

Important Reminders:

• Please allow extra travel time to park and board the shuttle.
• Shuttle services will stop operating promptly at 6:00 PM each day. Please ensure you return to your vehicle before the final shuttle departs.

The Barber Junction Visitor Center, located adjacent to the parking lot on the north end of the Museum site, is the check-in location for all guests. Whether you purchased your tickets online in advance or plan to purchase them upon arrival, you will receive your daily admission wristband at the Visitor Center before entering the event.

Additional ticketing and check-in booths will be located around the site. You will be required to check in each day to receive a wristband for that day. Please have your tickets available for scanning.

Yes. Complimentary shuttle service will be available for Amtrak passengers arriving and departing during select scheduled train times throughout the America 250 Locomotive Celebration. Shuttle service is only offered for designated arrivals and departures and is not available on demand. Please check the event schedule for shuttle times listed below before planning your trip.

The museum cannot be responsible for train delays. Shuttles must run at designated times.  If a shuttle time is not suitable for your travel plans, we encourage the use of ride share options.

The museum’s address is 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer N.C, 28159.

NCTM To Salisbury Amtrak Station

• Shuttle Boarding: Barber Junction Visitor Center
• Travel Time: Approximately 12 minutes from NCTM to Salisbury Amtrak Station

Salisbury Amtrak Station To NCTM

• NCTM Shuttle will remain at Salisbury Amtrak Station for approximately 15 minutes after the scheduled train departure/arrival time. If a train is running behind schedule, you will have to wait for the next shuttle bus or rideshare to get to the museum. The museum address is 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC 28159 and it is approximately 3 miles from the Salisbury Amtrak Station.
• Travel Time: Approximately 12 minutes from Salisbury Amtrak Station to NCTM.

NC Transportation Museum Shuttle Bus Schedule

1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer N.C, 28159

The N.C. Transportation Museum is conveniently located just minutes from I-85 in Spencer, N.C., about an hour’s drive from Charlotte, Greensboro, or Winston Salem.  From I-85, take Exit 79 and follow the brown Historic Sites directional signs. 

You can also take North Carolina’s Amtrak trains to get to the Salisbury Station located approximately three miles from the NC Transportation Museum. For train schedules and pricing, visit www.ncbytrain.org. 

CLICK HERE for more information.

Yes. Guests are welcome to leave the museum grounds and return later the same day. Please keep your admission wristband or proof of admission, as it will be required for re-entry.

The museum’s train will be operating on each event day.  All ticketholders are permitted to ride the train at no additional cost.  Seating is limited and is on a first come-first served basis for all train rides. Trains depart from the Barber Junction Visitor Center. A schedule of train ride times will be provided.

The event will take place rain or shine.

Drone Event Only:
If the museum must cancel the drone session due to weather conditions, a refund will be issued in that circumstance.
All other events are rain or shine and there will be no refunds or exchanges.

Museum exhibits, train rides, and all public access are ADA accessible. Due to the nature of this event some activities may take place in areas outside of the normal public areas and therefore access may be limited.

Food vendors will be on site. Participating food vendors are: BBQ On A Stick, Roadway Dawgs, Kait’s Coffee, Old 97 Kettle Corn, and Chill Shak. The museum has three picnic shelters, or if you prefer, you are permitted to leave the site and return the same day.  There are some restaurants in Spencer and Salisbury (about three miles away) which have a wide selection of options. Click Here for a list of restaurants.

Yes, if you are staying overnight for the America 250 Locomotive Celebration, special lodging benefits are available through Rowan County Tourism’s America 250 Locomotive Celebration Stay & Play Package. Guests who book a stay at a participating Rowan County lodging property may receive complimentary daytime event passes based on the length of their stay. Please note that hotels and AirBnB, bed and breakfasts, VRBOs, and camping cabins each have different booking processes. Be sure to review all deadlines, terms, and conditions before making your reservation. CLICK HERE for more information.

For questions regarding the America 250 Locomotive Celebration hotel package, please contact the Rowan County Tourism call center at (704) 709-3410. The call center is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.

In Salisbury/Rowan County, there are a variety of lodging establishments just a few miles from the museum.  For more information on lodging options, please visit the Rowan Convention and Visitors Bureau. CLICK HERE for the website.

Drone tickets are available for limited five-minute drone flights at the Bob Julian Roundhouse on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. during the America 250 Locomotive Celebration.

Drones are not allowed at any other time during the three-day celebration August 28-30, so take advantage of this limited opportunity while tickets last. Tickets are $50 plus tax and are limited to 48 tickets per day on August 28 and 29 only. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

Drone Event Only:
If the museum must cancel the drone session due to weather conditions, a refund will be issued in that circumstance.
All other events are rain or shine and there will be no refunds or exchanges.

Nearly three dozen locomotives have been confirmed to be coming for the three-day event. Updated listings will be provided as available. The participation of certain locomotives is subject to change due to conditions that are beyond the control of the museum.

Only registered service animals are permitted.

There are no refunds or exchanges unless the event is canceled by the event venue. By purchasing tickets, you are agreeing to all stated terms and conditions including “no refunds or exchanges.” Your method of payment will not be charged until you have indicated your agreement with those terms by checking the required box. If at any point you determine that you are unable to use your tickets for any reason, you are welcome to transfer them to another party. We will not be able to honor requests for refunds or exchanges.

Drone Event Only:
If the museum must cancel the drone session due to weather conditions, a refund will be issued in that circumstance.
All other events are rain or shine and there will be no refunds or exchanges.

American 250 Locomotive Celebration will feature a variety of themed merchandise available in our Gift Station. Cash and all major credit cards are accepted. An extensive selection of railroad and transportation related merchandise is also available at the N.C. Transportation Museum’s Gift Station.