Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum

UPCOMING EVENTS

MUSEUM, GIFT SHOP & INFORMATION CENTRE
OPEN JULY 1st TO SEPTEMBER 1st

VOLUNTEER WITH US!

ABOUT US

The Museum

Enjoy the story of Nova Scotia railways at the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum. Examine the posters, tickets, maps and photographs in the restored Canadian Northern Railway station of 1918.

Don't miss the rare ex-CN GE 44-tonner, Snow Plow car, CN Caboose. and the unique mail crane. A Visitor Information Centre and Museum Gift Shop occupy the front room and you will find a food truck, beer garden, and an ice cream stand beside the quiet picnic grove.

The Musquodoboit Harbour Heritage Society owns and operates the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum on behalf of the community.

The Station

Architecturally, the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum is an excellent example of twentieth century railway station design. Railway stations were constructed for the convenience of the passengers and featured nicely furnished waiting rooms, freight sheds, ramps, platforms and living quarters for the railway agents. At the turn of the twentieth century, architectural styles of railway stations began to change from the large vertical brick buildings with tall gables and pitched roofs to a low horizontal wood frame structures. Those built between the late 1800s and early 1900s were long low buildings with broad flared hipped roofs under-pinned with large brackets. Other features of this style include the string course that wraps around the building emphasizing its horizontal form. The Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum is an excellent example of these architectural design elements.

Our Heritage

The construction of railway lines in Nova Scotia was slow to progress until the fall of 1911 when the Dominion Government purchased railway plans and began constructing lines using recycled materials. The line to Musquodoboit Harbour was officially opened in 1916 and became part of the Canadian National Railway.

The railway line to Musquodoboit Harbour ran from Windsor Junction, through Dartmouth, and then followed the shoreline, skirting beaches and fishing communities before turning inland, and eventually reaching Musquodoboit Harbour. From there, it followed the river into the rolling farmlands of the Musquodoboit Valley. Connecting the line to Musquodoboit Harbour was vital to the transportation of raw and manufactured materials from the ports in the Halifax Harbour and the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Prior to the railway line, goods and travel was only available by boat or over very rough roads. The railway station at Musquodoboit Harbour was the first to operate a booking station with a railway agent rather than a caretaker. Today, the railway station is a museum that offers a glimpse into the history of Nova Scotia's railway system including memorabilia, photographs, maps, artefacts, posters, tickets, and a small library.