This longtime metro Atlanta museum is in peril — here’s how you can help

Many of the museum’s interior surfaces are in dire need of a new paint job. Outdoor elements are deteriorating because of weather.

Chuck Miller, who has served as the museum’s executive director since 2023, nominated the building for inclusion on the list. Buildings on the list typically come from nominations that the trust accepts on a rolling basis. The trust receives about 25-30 nominations each year, with a committee choosing the final list.

“I’m amazed,” Miller said about the museum being on the list. “We’re truly grateful.”

Credit: Connor Franklin Leland

Credit: Connor Franklin Leland

This year’s list was announced last week. Other sites include 148 Edgewood Ave. in Atlanta (a former Georgia Railway and Power Co. substation); Crossroads Rosenwald School in Dixie; Gaissert Homeplace in Williamson; Miami Valley Peach Packing Barn in Fort Valley; Historic Nicholsonboro Baptist Church in Savannah; Powell Opera House in Blakely; Historic Rock House in Thomson; and Buckhead Town Hall and Jail.

Ben Sutton, Georgia Trust’s director of preservation, said it’s not “super common” for attractions to make the list. But there have been success stories in the past. Sutton cited Pasaquan, an eclectic art gallery in Buena Vista. The space was on the list in 2006 but has since been restored, thanks to funds from the Kohler Foundation, an organization that works in preservation.

He said Southeastern Railway Museum operates within the bounds of the trust’s mission, understanding that history and tourism are greatly aligned.

“A place like the Railway Museum is a direct tangible connection to the history of our state as well as the history of transportation,” he said. “They provide an opportunity for younger generations to connect physically with parts of the past that they may not otherwise interact with. Most kids in Atlanta aren’t seeing a passenger rail car go by on a regular basis and don’t necessarily understand the significance of the railroad in American and Georgia history.”

Credit: custom

Credit: custom

Out of the museum’s 90 rolling stock, more than half require immediate attention, said Miller. He said each car will likely need up to $30,000 for repairs.

The museum receives roughly 20,000 visitors annually, including 5,000 students. It only has two full-time staff and 10 part-time employees. Miller said the museum has at least 120 volunteers, who receive certified training in skills like welding and painting.

“A lot of the materials were donated to us by railroads giving away obsolete equipment, so some of it came to us well worn,” he said. “It was fairly obvious when I got there that we had a challenge. This does not reflect poorly on the organization. We have great volunteers (who are) real believers in our mission and the educational work that we do. It’s just quantity (of items) and the Georgia weather.”

Credit: Connor Franklin Leland

Credit: Connor Franklin Leland

Southeastern Railway Museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission ranges from $13-19.

Information on volunteering at the museum can be found here. Donations can be made on the museum’s website.

“We want what’s best for the museum and the community,” Miller said. “We believe that paint and repair will stabilize the collection for decades. It’s better to do it now than 10 years from now because it’ll cost more, and it’ll be more work.”