Corner Brook Museums in Western Newfoundland, Canada

Corner Brook Museum & Archives in Western Newfoundland, Canada.

There are a couple of Corner Brook museums that looked interesting when I was doing my on-line research of Newfoundland. Unfortunately, the Corner Brook Museum and Archives (2 West Street, 709-634-2518) was closed until Spring 2010 (it’s filled with the city’s history, housed in a 1925 building). A stop at the Railway Museum (Riverside Drive @ Station Road, 709-634-2720) made up for that.

Railway Museum
I got dropped off at the Railway Museum excited because ahead of me a lady was going inside. Oh good, I thought, this one’s open.

It turns out that it was also closed but this older lady was the widow of the founder of the museum, an engineer who died six years ago. Elizabeth Hickey has been volunteering here for 25 years, when Rohoady Hickey first founded it. She was happy to show me around the small building that houses memorabilia and many old train photos.

There’s also a model train set up for kids to look at and a souvenir room to pick up railway gifts.

Outside, one Newfoundland car (the one at the front) is set up for visitors, as well as many old CN rail cars. A volunteer guide takes guests through some of them during the operating season (June-the end of August).

Corner Brook Railway Museum Train in Western Newfoundland, Canada.

The museum is so quaint and if you’re lucky enough to be there when Elizabeth is around (she is there for large group tours that call ahead), it’s a real treat to listen to her stories and ask her questions.

What I Liked:

• It was a major coincidence that Elizabeth was there at the time I stopped by. She was there for a short consult with the maintenance man and then they were shutting up the building for the winter.
• I planned to walk back downtown afterwards to get some errands done and take advantage of the crisp fall day. Elizabeth was certain I’d be exhausted and the maintenance man said the winds blowing in that direction, along the water, were fierce. Well, they were and I was silly cold, but it was the most refreshing walk of the trip so far!

Tags: canada, CN rail cars, corner brook, Corner Brook Museum and Archives, Elizabeth Hickey, Museums, Railway Museum, Rohoady Hickey, western Newfoundland