The Model Railroad Museum Board of Directors is closing-out an ambitious campaign to open the first of its kind New England railroad museum in the center of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. This project will transform the original Wolfeboro 1872 Freight House into an interactive, educational, historical, and high-tech learning center for all ages. The LRMRM will be a destination for visitors and New Hampshire residents and a cultural resource that tells the story of the railroad and its profound impact on New Hampshire communities.
LRMRM is dedicated to celebrating the heritage of the railroads and providing educational and entertaining programming utilizing model railroading as a comprehensive tool to teach the real-life applications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to support and enrich what students are learning in school.
Fast Track to the Future
Visitors to the LRMRM will learn about the beginning days of the railroad, the numerous owners and visionaries that transformed transportation through the late 1980s, and the eventual closing of the Wolfeboro Station.
High Tech — Interactive
The Museum will be an extensive high-tech learning center with a multi-level interactive model railroad with a detailed reconstruction of early 1900s towns, including Wolfeboro and the line to Sanbornville, with sidings and switches in each town sufficient to support railroad operations. QR codes and smartphone links with recorded narrative history will be available for each historically significant place, building, and event depicted in the model.
Get Your Hands On This
Visitors will be able to drive a train on the layout. Simple, computer- restricted activities for the novice youngster and more extensive operating sessions for the experienced hobbyist are planned to create an enjoyable experience for all. Additionally, customized software will allow multiple operators with different skill levels to engage simultaneously, with various trackage layouts for operating complexity for hobbyists, with systems in place to prevent derailing and collisions.
STEM Programming, Job Training, and More
Our vision includes creating year-round STEM programming for students and job training opportunities for adults. We have begun outreach to local schools, clubs, and camps to identify the instructional needs of their students and members and will work with them to adapt an existing K-12 STEM curriculum based on model railroads. Additionally, we are working with a local resident with expertise in technology transfer from NASA to schools to assist with the execution of the curriculum.
Displays, Exhibits, and Archives
Through the Museum’s collection of artifacts, archival material, videos, first-hand instruction, and interactive displays, visitors will learn of the Region’s rich heritage of historical stories through the railroad’s lens.
Lakes Region Model Railroad Museum 