Seville, OH
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
4.6· 95 Google reviews
Trip at a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-23- TypeVolunteer-built electric railway museum with weather-permitting rides on historic streetcars and rapid-transit cars
- LocationSeville, OH
- Rating4.6 ★95 Google reviews
- UpcomingSat, Sep 26
About Northern Ohio Railway Museum
Northern Ohio Railway Museum is a volunteer nonprofit preserving northern Ohio streetcars, interurbans, rapid-transit cars, and electric-railway work equipment on a 63-acre campus built around former Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus interurban right-of-way. The museum's current history describes more than fifty pieces of equipment and about 1,800 feet of operating track. Public electric-car operation began in 2017. The current normal passenger lineup uses 1914 Shaker Rapid car 12 and 1954 Cleveland Transit System car 109, but weather, maintenance, staffing, and the selected day's operating plan control which car runs.
Plan a Northern Ohio Railway Museum Day
Choose the visit that fits your groupFamilies, electric-railway enthusiasts, first-time visitors, and riders planning around a short seasonal window
Ride a historic electric car
Choose September 12 or September 26 and arrive for weather-permitting half-hour service from 11 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.
Transit historians, photographers, engineering-minded visitors, and repeat riders
Compare Car 12 and Car 109
Learn how a 1914 Shaker Rapid car and a 1954 CTS PCC rapid-transit car anchor current passenger operation without assuming which one will run.
Museum visitors, families, researchers, and guests visiting on a non-operating Saturday
Walk the collection
Use the hourly docent tour or self-guided option to explore the museum's electric-railway collection and volunteer-built campus.
Wheelchair users, companions, caregivers, and visitors planning around equipment-specific boarding
Coordinate Car 109 access
Contact the museum before travel when the wheelchair lift is essential because the published access feature belongs specifically to Car 109.
Film viewers, transit-history learners, families, and weather-flexible visitors
See THE TROLLEY
Add the hourly 46-minute large-screen film to a ride or walking-tour visit while protecting the last 3:30 p.m. departure.
Visitors building a full Medina County day, walkers, architecture fans, and travelers seeking food or shops
Add Medina Public Square
Pair the museum with the independent 2.2-acre Uptown Park, gazebo, historic downtown, and free public parking about 8.1 driving miles away.
Upcoming Events
Official schedule information
2026 special-event calendar
Schedule information was checked against the linked official source. Dates, availability, and operating conditions can change. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ArriveThe museum recommends arriving by 3 p.m. to experience the available ride, tour, collection, and film
- AccessibilityA wheelchair lift is available for CTS car 109; because the operating car can vary, contact the museum before travel if the lift is essential
- 2026 SeasonMuseum grounds are open Saturdays from May 23 through September 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; the two remaining ride dates after the August 23 review are September 12 and September 26
- Ride DeparturesElectric cars depart every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. on operating Saturdays, weather permitting
- Ride Day Fares$7 adults and teens age 13+; $3 children ages 6-12; children 5 and under free with an adult; members free
- Non Operating Saturdays$3 for adults, teens, and children ages 6-12; children 5 and under free; walking tours and the film remain available
- Purchase MethodTickets are sold at the Museum Store; the official page does not offer online ride checkout
- Ride Day InclusionsThe 2026 announcement says ride-day admission includes unlimited rides, tours, and the film
- Walking ToursGuided tours begin hourly on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.; the museum also describes a roughly 30-minute self-guided option
- FilmThe 46-minute film THE TROLLEY is shown hourly during public Saturdays
- Weather And OperationsRides are weather-permitting and can change with volunteer staffing, maintenance, and operating conditions; check the museum's real-time update channel before travel
- Road AccessThe directions page says local access from OH-224 to Buffham Road remains maintained during Lake Road infrastructure work despite some road-closed signage
- PhotographyPersonal photography and video are encouraged; commercial use requires advance written authorization and a fee
- TimezonePublished hours and departures use Eastern Time
- Calendar ScopeThe detailed 2026 schedule and official PDF end September 26; a broader homepage phrase says May through October but exposes no October date, so no October ride is published here
Find the Depot
The Trains
The official collection concentrates on electric equipment that served northern Ohio, spanning streetcars, rapid-transit cars, interurbans, work cars, electric locomotives, freight equipment, and related artifacts built from 1895 to 1970. Current normal passenger operation pairs 1914 Shaker Rapid car 12 with 1954 CTS PCC rapid-transit car 109. Car 109 returned to service in 2023 and has a wheelchair lift and high boarding platforms; that equipment-specific capability must not be generalized to every car or departure.
History
The museum's founding effort began with three electric-railway preservationists.
Northern Ohio Railway Museum incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit.
The museum took possession of its former Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus right-of-way.
Shaker Rapid car 12 moved under museum wire during the members' picnic.
The museum operated its first public streetcar rides on June 10.
Restored CTS rapid-transit car 109 returned to service and joined the passenger lineup.
Car 109's wheelchair lift and the museum's two-car operating pattern entered regular use.
See full history
The museum began in the mid-1960s when Anson 'Red' Bennett, Lee Smith, and Walt Stoner pursued preserved electric-railway equipment. It incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit in 1976 and took possession of its former interurban right-of-way in 1977. Volunteers spent decades acquiring equipment, building track, overhead wire, carhouses, and support facilities. Car 12 first moved under museum wire at a 2016 members' picnic, and the first public streetcar run followed on June 10, 2017. CTS car 109 joined public operation in 2023; the lift and two-car operating pattern matured in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the remaining 2026 trolley rides?
September 12 and September 26. The detailed official calendar ends on September 26 even though a broader homepage phrase says May through October; no October date is currently published.
What time do cars depart?
Every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. on operating Saturdays, weather permitting. The museum recommends arriving by 3 p.m.
How much are ride-day tickets?
$7 for adults and teens age 13 and older, $3 for children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under with an adult. Museum members ride free.
Can I buy tickets online?
The current official page directs visitors to buy tickets at the Museum Store and does not publish an online ride checkout.
Is the trolley wheelchair-accessible?
Car 109 has a wheelchair lift. Since the museum can operate Car 12, Car 109, or a changing plan, contact the museum before travel if the lift is essential.
Do rides operate in rain or bad weather?
Rides are explicitly weather-permitting and can also change with maintenance or volunteer availability. Check the museum's current update channel before leaving.
What is available on a non-operating Saturday?
Museum grounds, walking tours, exhibits, and the hourly film are published for Saturdays through September 26. Non-operating-day admission is $3 for ages 6 and older.
Which cars normally carry passengers?
The museum's current history identifies 1914 Shaker Rapid car 12 and 1954 CTS rapid-transit car 109 as its normal lineup, but that does not guarantee a specific car for a selected departure.
Is Medina Public Square part of the museum?
No. It is a separate city-owned park and historic downtown about 8.1 driving miles away, with its own events, parking, and access conditions.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 23, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official 2026 rides-and-tours page for exact dates, departures, fares, ticket purchase, walking tours, film, weather rule, and Car 109 lift
- Official detailed calendar for the full 2026 operating and walking-tour schedule
- Official 2026 season announcement for hours, inclusions, operating cars, and non-operating admission
- Official contact page for campus address, mailing boundary, phone, and email
- Official directions page for the campus approach and current Lake Road access notice
- Official collection index for equipment classes, roster, and build-year range
- Official Car 109 record for history, specifications, restoration, and passenger-service context
- Official 60-year history for the campus, collection, track, and public-operation milestones
- Official 2010s history for the first 2016 under-wire movement and June 10, 2017 public operation
- Official 2020s history for Car 109, lift, platforms, and current operating pattern
- Official photo policy for personal and commercial-use boundaries
- Exact September 2024 museum hero and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact July 2025 CTS car 109 image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact July 2025 Shaker car 12 image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact May 2023 Car 109 interior image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact July 2025 visitor image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact May 2023 RTA line car 024 image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
