Purchase Tickets: The North Carolina Railway Museum is home to the New Hope Valley Railway, which operates trains on scheduled operating days. Click on Buy Tickets to view availability and purchase tickets.

Dress Code: Please dress appropriately for the weather the day of your ride, SHIRT AND SHOES are required, closed toe shoes are recommended as the train cars and property have rugged areas. The museum is outdoors and the railroad operates open passenger cars with a roof, rain or shine.

One of our open passenger cars is pictured here, showing people getting ready to exit the train after an excursion. Open cars are furnished with bench seats like a school bus for passengers to sit comfortably.

Arrival TimePlan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your rides departure time. This will allow ample time to park, check-in, and board the train, even if traffic is higher than usual in the area.  We will have our Garden Scale model railroad running to view while you wait for the boarding announcement. The train cars do not have restrooms, but, we do have nice restroom facilities in the rail yard.

We are located about 30 minutes southwest of Raleigh off of US 1 and Exit 89, then down Old U.S. 1. The address is 3900 Bonsal Road, New Hill, North Carolina  27562.  Visit our Directions page for more details.

  • The Museum and Railway is open for guests on ride days only, due to insurance liability requirements.
  • On ride days, our ticket booth opens one-hour prior to the first train departure. Please come to the ticket office on your ride day so we can check you in and print your tickets. You may also purchase tickets (credit/debit cards preferred) on site, if seats are available.
  • The excursions take about one hour. There are no bathrooms on the trains, so please plan accordingly using our nice restroom on the rail yard grounds.
  • Boarding begins 15 minutes before departure. Trains must depart at the scheduled time so we don’t inconvenience passengers and cause delays for the crew. There are up to 5 rides a day, so, the trains will not be held if you arrive late.
  • The only animals permitted on the train are approved service animals.
  • Children under 2 ride free with an adult ticket holder.  If the train is full, they will need to sit on an adults lap.
  • A chair lift is installed on the first passenger car and golf cart drivers will assist passengers as needed. Please contact [email protected] regarding any special needs or let us know at the Ticket Office/Will Call when you check in.
  • The staff is an all-volunteer crew trained to operate the equipment in a safe and professional manner. If you have questions concerning the railway or museum, you are encouraged to ask an on-duty volunteer.
  • No rain checks are offered due to inclement weather. Our train cars have a roof with open windows and we operate in rain, sleet, snow or heat, so dress accordingly.
  • The railroad reserves the right to substitute equipment or cancel any event. If an event is cancelled, refunds will be provided back to the credit card on file and riders will be notified by email.
  • A refund will be provided if a rider can not attend due to a Covid or Monkey Pox related isolation requirement. No other refunds are available.
  • We’ll be taking photos at our ride events and posting them on our website and sharing them to our social media pages. If you don’t wish to be included, please inform the photographer.
  • Be sure to visit our gift shop located in a renovated rail car in the rail yard where you’ll find a variety of train themed gifts and water / crackers for purchase.