Railroaders Memorial Museum

40°30′52.01″N 78°23′57.01″W / 40.5144472°N 78.3991694°W / 40.5144472; -78.3991694 The Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum concerns the contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry. The museum also operates the visitor center at Horseshoe Curve.

For more than a century, Altoona was one of the most important rail facilities in the United States. The city was home to the Altoona Works: the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) repair and maintenance shops, locomotive construction facility, and test department. Altoona's location at the foot of the Allegheny front and its proximity to the Horseshoe Curve route over the mountains made the city a key location in the PRR's operations. By the 1920s, the Altoona railroad works employed 15,000 workers; by 1945 the PRR's facilities at Altoona had become the world's largest rail shop complex.

In 2004, several members of the Ghost Hunters team investigated the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, where the spirit of a railroad worker has reportedly been seen walking the halls. The museum did not prove to be haunted.^[1]

History

1966 - An ad is placed in the Altoona Mirror searching for parties interested in establishing a Railroad Museum for Altoona.
1967 - The group forms the Altoona Railway Museum Club and adopts the name Altoona Railway Museum Association.
1968 - The National Railway Historical Society grants a charter to the association. Chapter members begin collecting railroad memorabilia and displaying historical objects at civic events, etc.
1972 - The name Railroaders Memorial Museum is officially incorporated.
1975 - Museum acquires the private rail car of Charles M. Schwab - The Loretto. The Altoona Redevelopment Authority sells the former Penn Central Railroad shop complex land to the Center Associates with an agreement providing that Center Associates make a 5-acre (20,000 m²) plot available for the Museum.
1979 - Ground-breaking ceremonies are held on May 12.
1980 - Museum celebrates grand opening on September 21.
1985 - Museum acquires the PRR K4s #1361 locomotive and moves it from the Horseshoe Curve to Altoona for restoration.
1987-1988 - K4s excursions haul thousands as the “Pride of Altoona” returns to the rails.
1993 - Museum acquires former PRR master mechanics building and an adjoining parcel of land.
1995 - Renovations to the master mechanics building begin.
1997 - Exhibit fabrication and installation work begin.
1998 - Grand opening of the new Railroaders Memorial Museum held on April 25.
2004 - Ghost Hunters investigates the Museum, however they found non conclusive evidence that it was haunted.
2007 - RMM board fires management and lets Salone Marketing Group run the museum.^[2]
2020 - RMM hires Joseph A. DeFrancesco as Executive Director of the organization.

References

^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983462/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
^ Kibler, William (2007-11-01). "RR museum strikes deal with firm". Altoona Mirror. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2008-12-18.

External links

Railroaders Memorial Museum & Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark Official Site

[1] ttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983462/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

[AltoonaMirrorSMGHired-2] Kibler, William (2007-11-01). "RR museum strikes deal with firm". Altoona Mirror. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2008-12-18.

[1]

[2]

v t e Museums in Pennsylvania
Art	Allentown Art Museum Andy Warhol Museum Athenaeum of Philadelphia Barnes Foundation Brandywine River Museum Carnegie Museum of Art The Clemente Museum Demuth Museum Deshong Art Museum Erie Art Museum The Frick Pittsburgh Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia La Salle University Art Museum Mattress Factory Michener Art Museum Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon Palmer Museum of Art Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia Museum of Art Pittsburgh Glass Center Randyland Reading Public Museum Rodin Museum Susquehanna Art Museum Wayne Art Center Westmoreland Museum of American Art Woodmere Art Museum
History, culture, and religion	African American Museum in Philadelphia American Jewish Museum American Swedish Historical Museum Bicycle Heaven Civil War Museum of Philadelphia Erie Maritime Museum Gettysburg Museum Heinz History Center Independence National Historical Park Independence Hall Independence Seaport Museum Johnstown Flood Museum Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania Meadowcroft Rockshelter Mercer Museum Museum of the American Revolution Museum of Indian Culture National Civil War Museum National Constitution Center Nationality Rooms Philadelphia History Museum Rosenbach Museum and Library State Museum of Pennsylvania U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Science, technology, and industry	Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University America on Wheels Carnegie Museum of Natural History Carnegie Science Center Center for PostNatural History Choo Choo Barn Da Vinci Science Center Delaware County Institute of Science Drake Well Museum Everhart Museum Franklin Institute Miniature Railroad & Village Mütter Museum National Toy Train Museum North Museum of Nature and Science Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Railroaders Memorial Museum Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Roadside America Science History Institute Steamtown National Historic Site Wagner Free Institute of Science
Children's	Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Please Touch Museum

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States

History

See also

References

External links