Sat., August 22, 2026 at 10:30am
Sat., August 22, 2026 at 4:00pm
Painesville Railroad Museum
475 Railroad St.
Painesville, OH
History comes alive at Painesville Railroad
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — The Painesville Railroad Museum, 475 Railroad St., will host its second NE Ohio Historical Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 22.
Visitors are invited to meet and greet representatives from The Lake County Historical Society, the Indian Museum of Lake County, Madison Historical Society and Fairport Harbor Light House. They can also meet Spankybird, a blue and gold macaw, weather permitting.
Also in attendance will be author Ken Springirth, who will be signing his book “Erie to Cleveland by Trolley,” and Dan Rager, author of “Ohio – Gateway to America.”
Guests will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with historical reenactors: George Washington by Dale Fellows, Abraham Lincoln by George Anderson, Commodore Carter by Ed Keyse, President James A. Grant by Ben Frayser and Lucretia Garfield by Anita Benedetti. The James A. Garfield Civil War Roundtable will also be represented.
The Lake County 250th Liberty Bell will be on display. In addition, the museum will be burying a time capsule to be opened on July 4, 2076. The time capsule will be filled with items related to the history of the Painesville Depot. The groundbreaking for the capsule will be done with shovels from the New York Central Railroad and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad at 10:30 a.m.
Visitors can tour the historic 133-year-old depot, built by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad in 1893. They are also encouraged to visit the new Collinwood Engine Barn, home of the Collinwood 999 engine (built in 1932 at the Collinwood NYC Yard) and a horse-drawn trolley (Cleveland #48) built by the East Cleveland Railroad Company in 1865.
A Model Train Flea Market will be held on-site, with many new items added thanks to recent donations. A 10-foot-by-10-foot space is $15; dealers provide their own tent, tables and chairs.
Food will be available, including the museum’s HoBo Beans, hot dogs, hamburgers and chips, all for a small donation.
For more information, email prrm@att.net or visit painesvillerailroadmuseum.org.
