An Exciting Addition to Downtown Wolfeboro
The Lakes Region Model Railroad Museum will be located in the recently restored Freight House to the left of the Station in downtown Wolfeboro. The museum currently being designed with state of the art model train layouts will feature interactive train operation, railroading related history of towns from Boston to North Conway, and educational opportunities.
All Aboard! A Campaign for the Lakes Region Model Railroad Museum. Join us as we close-out a $1,124,000 Capital campaign to renovate the 1872 Freight House in the Center of Wolfeboro and bring the vision for a new year-round interactive museum to the heart of downtown Wolfeboro.
The museum is now being designed. Here is a video of one version of the layout and features: (Click on the image to start the video)
The model railroad layout at the bench level will be HO Scale (1:87), where a person on the layout would be around 3/4 inch tall. The Mezzanine double shelf layout at the 7 ft. level is O Scale (1:48). Train layouts can be very realistic, as shown in this video by Wolfeboro resident Russ Schundler of his Rainy Day Railroad.
-
Vent Fan Installation 2026-07-16
LRMRM Board Member Richard Chiasson and volunteer Jeff Brown installed a new vent and fan in the Freight House. It gets very hot in the attic, and the lobby entrance to the museum because it is open so you can see the original interior of the building and how it was built. The new fan…
-
Happy 4th of July, 2026
In 1872, the Wolfeboro Branch brought the railroad age to the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, linking Wolfeboro to the wider Boston & Maine system and opening a new era of travel, trade, summer visitors, and local industry. Nearly a century later, the old branch found new life when the Wolfeborough Railroad began carrying passengers again…
-
Senior Health and Fitness Fair 2026-05-27
The Lakes Region Model Railroad Museum will have a booth Wednesday 5/27 from 10AM to 1PM at the Senior Health and Fitness Fair at the Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center in Wolfeboro. Stop in and take a look. The museum needs many more skilled volunteers. Come to the museum on Tuesdays and Thursdays from…
Freight House
The museum will be in the Freight House (middle right) built in 1872
Freight House Restored
The Freight House has been restored and is now listed in the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places as the Wolfeboro Freight Shed.
Freight House Restoration
Here are some images of the freight house during restoration.
Future
The ramps and loading dock will be completed soon. In the future we may expand into railroad cars on a siding at the freight dock.
Some Aspects of the Museum
In the museum design that is in progress many different ideas are being explored.
Two Levels
The bench level at about 3 feet shows the history of the towns from Boston through North Conway, while the upper mezzanine level at about 7 feet features stations along the west side of lake Winnipesaukee. Both levels have detailed scenery and historical content, and allow hands-on operation of trains.
History Narrative
The museum is divided into sections for Boston, Portsmouth, Dover, Rochester, Wakefield/Sanbornville, Wolfeboro, Ossipee, and North Conway. Tablets in each section show and tell the history.
Story Telling
A First Person Discussion by a Family to Tell the Story at a Personal Level for each building using video and slide presentations on Smart Phones or Tablets with earphones.
Donate or Volunteer
Contact us if you would like to donate or volunteer.
We have received funding from the Revo Casino and Social House in Lebanon NH, arranged by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission.