Hours+Admission
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Plan Your Visit
Audio Tours
Train Rides
Gift Station
ASTC Reciprocity
Navigate
Plan Your Visit
Train Rides
Audio Tours
Gift Station
ASTC Reciprocity
Museum Hours
January – February
Tuesday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday & Monday: Closed
Admission Only**
$10 for Adults (13-64)
$9 for Seniors (65+)/Military
$8 for Children 3-12 years of age
Free for Members & Children under 3
Admission + Train Ride**
$20 for Adults
$18 for Seniors (65+)/Military***
$16 for Children 3-12 years of age
Turntable Rides**
$1 per person ages 3+
Purchase General Admission & Regular Train Ride Tickets ONLY.
For Special Events Ticketing, CLICK HERE.
Kids under 3 are free and do not require a ticket. Members are free on regular operating days (fees may apply during some special events.)
**N.C. sales tax will be added at time of purchase. No refunds or exchanges.
***Must present approved military ID along with ticket for entry. Limit 1 per military ID.
Plan Your Visit
Barber Junction Visitor Center
Authentic 1898 railroad depot Visitor Center, ticket purchase, check-in, and train ride boarding.
Back Shop
Built in 1905, this building showcases railroad, auto/trucking, and aviation exhibits.
Master Mechanic’s Office
Built in 1911, this building houses the Gift Station and rotating exhibits.
Storehouse No. 3
This 1896 structure is the oldest on site. Open on select days.
Flue Shop
Built in 1924, this building is home to the Bumper to Bumper auto exhibit.
Roundhouse & Turntable
Built in 1924, houses locomotives and railcars; rail and aviation exhibits. Turntable rides available.
Wheel Balance Shed
Built 1944 to balance steam locomotive driving wheels. Only one known to exist in United States.
Barber Junction Visitor Center
Authentic 1898 railroad depot Visitor Center, ticket purchase, check-in, and train ride boarding.
Master Mechanic’s Office
Built in 1911, this building houses the Gift Station and rotating exhibits.
Flue Shop
Built in 1924, this building is home to the Bumper to Bumper auto exhibit.
Back Shop
Built in 1905, this building showcases railroad, auto/trucking, and aviation exhibits.
Storehouse No. 3
This 1896 structure is the oldest on site. Open on select days.
Roundhouse & Turntable
Built in 1924, houses locomotives and railcars; rail and aviation exhibits. Turntable rides available.
Wheel Balance Shed
Built 1944 to balance steam locomotive driving wheels. Only one known to exist in United States.
Download Site Map – English
Download Site Map – Spanish
Audio Tour
Self-Guided Audio Tours
Our audio tour brings transportation history to life and is a great way to explore the museum at your leisure as you discover fascinating details about our displays, vehicles, and exhibits. As you tour the museum’s historic structures, narrated audio will be available through your mobile device.
Explore and Discover
This tour will give you a general overview of the museum’s collection as you explore the Back Shop, Roundhouse, Wheel Balancing Shed, Flue Shop, Storehouse #3, and the Master Mechanic’s Office.
Get the App
Download our tour app before you visit and bring your earbuds or headphones. The App is available for Apple and Android devices.
Google Play: [ Click Here to Download ]
Apple: [ Click Here to Download ]
Funding provided by the Salisbury-Rowan Community Foundation
Train Rides
Train Ride Schedule
January – February
Saturday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
March – May 10
Thursday & Friday: 10 a.m., 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m.
There will be no 2 p.m. train rides Sat., Feb. 14 and Sat., Mar. 14.
Museum Train Rides
The museum offers a train ride pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive on select days during the year. The seasonal schedule of the train ride is available on the “Plan a Visit” and home pages of our website. The ride takes place entirely on the property of the 60-acre North Carolina Transportation Museum and offers a tour of the historic site by train. You’ll ride along and see the structures that were used to service Southern Railway’s steam locomotives when the Spencer Shops were in operation. Tickets can be purchased at the Barber Junction Visitor Center upon arrival. Train rides last approximately 25 minutes and are fun for all ages.
Locomotive Cab & Caboose Rides
Enjoy a ride inside the cab of the diesel locomotive as it pulls the train around the site, or ride in the caboose on the rear of the train! These special opportunities are limited in capacity and are offered at the discretion of the train crew. Rides in the locomotive or caboose are not available on all operating days. Please ask our ticket agent about availability upon arrival at the Barber Junction Visitor Center when you arrive.
Seated diesel locomotive cab rides are $25 per person, plus museum admission. Standing locomotive cab rides are $20 per person, plus museum admission. Pricing applies to all ages, and minors must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Caboose rides are $10 per person, plus museum admission. Pricing applies to all ages, and minors must be accompanied by a paying adult.
The locomotives and the cabooses are not ADA accessible due to their design and vintage nature of the equipment. Those wishing to ride in either must be able to climb into and out of the equipment on their own.
Gift Station
Stop by the Gift Station in the Master Mechanic’s Office for a wide variety of transportation themed items. Choose from a selection of toys, apparel, housewares, signs, magnets, and other souvenirs. Drinks and snacks, including chips, cookies, candy, and ice cream are also available for purchase. There’s something for everyone with an interest in trains, planes, automobiles, trucks, and more.
ASTC Reciprocity
You must have your membership card with you.
- The membership card must be in your name.
- You must present a photo ID.
- The expiration date on the membership card must be valid.
To find out if your museum is part of the reciprocity program, view the lists online: ASTC
– Please note the exceptions listed here* for centers within 90-linear-miles of the N.C. Transportation Museum. Reciprocity is subject to change.
– It is recommended that you call the N.C. Transportation Museum prior to your visit to confirm the status of reciprocity.
704.636.2889.
Guests using their ASTC Travel Passport Program membership can only purchase tickets on-site at the Barber Junction Visitor Center; no online reservations accepted.
ASTC Travel Passport Program visitors receive free general admission and train ride (excluding special and premium events) for immediate family members residing in the same household; limit four.
Reciprocity*
- Catawba Science Center, Hickory NC
- Kaleideum North, Winston-Salem NC
- Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium, Gastonia NC
No Reciprocity*
- Discovery Place, Inc., Charlotte NC