My son really enjoyed the Train Museum. He is a train maniac so even the smallest sight of trains excites him. That's a good thing because the train museum is small. It's essentially one building with lots of newspaper clippings and older items related to the train history on the big island. If you're interested in the history there's a lot of things to read and old photos to enjoy. If your children don't have a good attention span and just want to see little trains it might be a quick visit. They have one older layout that doesn't run and they have a wooden table outside on the patio for kids to play with. The gift shop is tiny but my son still found a small train and shirt that he loved. You can go inside their caboose to check it out. It's been refurbished although not in the most authentic way. Still, my kiddos enjoyed it tremendously. Nice 30 minute stop, especially for train lovers. read more

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Driving up and down route 19 to several other activities, we passed the train museum multiple times during our week on the island. Sadly, we did not get to go inside to look at any of their collection as the hours here are very short at Mon-Sat 10am-2pm. The closest we got was on a Monday at 1:50pm but there were no cars in the lot, and everything was closed. I got out to take a look at the caboose and the switcher which both seemed decent enough. I don't see this as a destination stop unless you're a hard core foamer but it would be nice to learn something about the railroads historical impact on the sugar cane harvest on the island. Maybe next time. thetrainmuseum.com/coming-soon/ read more

Laupahoehoe Train Museum - Museums Near Me - Laupahoehoe, Hawaii

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Small home packed full of history of sugarcane and the railroad in area, including the end of both. Short film adds to the experience, as there was no guided tour. Plenty of photos, historical items, and news clips to look at. Caboose and model railroaddisplay. Small gift shop and helpful friendly host (mr cupcake the welcome dog) Limited hours, check website read more

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It's nice addition to the views on your way. It's small but filled with a lot of historical items. You can also see some real trains. read more

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Great train museum. Want to go back again. So much to see and do there. Make sure you check out the model trains. Only wish they had been running that day. read more

This kooky little community-run museum is on the amazing Hamakua Heritage Coast of the Big Island, just about 30 minutes from Hilo. It is a must stop for anyone who likes trains or train memorabilia. It's set inside an old railway company home and is furnished in total 1930's style. The docent who was working the day I stopped in was a high school girl with a bubbly personality and genuine appreciation for her community. I was enchanted with her stories and she seemed fascinated with visitors from around the world. It was just so precious I wanted to wrap the whole museum in a napkin and put it in my pocket. There was even a whole other little building with model trains that would make any Thomas the train engine-er feel as if they'd gone to heaven. Clean bathrooms, cheap admission, gift shop and drinks if you're thirsty. Go on, give em some love. read more

We spotted this museum on our way to Laupahoehoe point and decided to stop-in & check it out during our next trip to the area a few days later. What a gem! They request donations, so don't be a cheapskate and give a few bucks. The docent who greeted us was a Great Great Grandmother who grew up and raised her family a short distance from where the museum is located. She was able to give us a first-hand account of the Tsunami that destroyed the railroad in 1946 and told us about her life here on the Big Island. The museum is a bit of a hodge podge, but as you poke your way around looking at photographs, old news stories and collectible relics, you begin to get a clear picture of how this island subsisted before tourism became its number one economy. If you are a fan of trains, then I think you'll enjoy learning about the railroad history on the Big Island. If you have some kids with you, the staff will be more than happy to let you gain access to their train room and the caboose. read more

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Ditto on "teresita's" review... This Museum is a true slice of Hawaiin-Americana. I am insane about trains and this place is a mecca for trainofiles such as myself. They've got a set of abandoned tracks out back (remnants of the Hilo Railroad, which began in 1899 and lasted to 1946) that leads into the overgrown hillside that just beckons you to start hiking... It's like a scene from Lord of the Rings.. especially considering the railroad was killed by a tsunami! DEFNITELY worth the visit back in time!!! read more

NOT OPEN DURING POSTED BUSINESS HOURS. We stopped by today, Friday, 9/29/17 at 3:10pm. The museum was closed despite their website and museum door sign clearly stating it should be open. We had been greatly anticipating our visit for months ever since we learned of the museum and planned the day of our visit to this part of the island based on the listed hours of the museum. I was left having to explain to my train-loving 4 year old that we couldn't go inside the museum. I held out hope that when we passed by the museum on the way back (at 4:40pm) it might be open, but it wasn't. Updated to add: I sent them a polite, respectful email, but over a week later they haven't even had the courtesy to respond. I'm left with the impression that this museum doesn't care much about visitors. Very very odd. read more

Book a tour online and was greeted at the door. Wonderful tour guide: friendly, good with children, very knowledgeable. Beautiful antiques everywhere, inside and out. Might appear small but there is alot to see. Has two usuable antique bathrooms for those who need it. read more

On our latest trip to the Big Island, my family and I stopped to visit the Laupahoehoe Train Museum during a scenic drive from Waimea to Hilo. The photos I had previously seen online didn't do this museum justice. My young son is rail-fan in training, and he had plenty to look at and he was easily entertained. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find the inside of the museum packed full of unique Big Island railroad history, including photos, artifacts, and a short video you can watch. The docent was very friendly and knowledgeable. This museum has limited hours, so make sure to plan your drive around it if you're driving from far. Please don't forget this one of a kind museum can only stay open with your entrance fees and/or donations. Unfortunately my wife witnessed an unknown fellow Big Island VISITOR essentially being argumentative & disrespectful to the docent about the fee... If you're a Big Island visitor, please don't forget to be respectful. All who visit the Big Island are only lucky to be able to visit such a beautiful place and have access to such an amazing piece of history like this museum! Enjoy! read more

Currently standing outside closed and locked museum at 3:15pm on Thursday, 10/12. Hours are 10am-5pm on Thursdays. No one answers phone. Planned today's part of Hawaii trip so as to be here when it was open. Same experience as prior reviewer. Have they been closed since then? Are they OK? read more

I've lived on the Big Island, born and raised, my whole life. I've passed by this museum many times, I've been in it as a kid but I dont remeber anything about it. So I decided to stop and go in. I found this place a disgrace to Hawaii and the old railroad community. First of all our tour guide for the museum was a white guy, who was wearing a dirty shirt with stains on it. I was excepting a Kapuna or at least someone Hawaiian to be giving tours of these old railroad that are part of our Island history, not from some white guy whose not even from here and can't even say Hawaii the correct way. You can tell he's a mainlander. Second we went into this little room which has replicas of trains that run on a track through scenery, the replica is not even of the Hawaiian railroad, nor is anything else in the room. Its just scenes and artifacts from places on the mainland. Third when people asked our tour guide about certain functions and parts of the train, all he said was that he didnt know what it was or what it did. Lastly you go into the actual museum, which used to be the old train station conductors house, which has alot of the original items that belonged to the family unless they were brought in from the mainland like the tracks and train it self outside. Pretty much the museum had printed out pitures of the destruction of from the tsunami taped all over the walls. I can over look this part and enjoy the musuem but I would appreciate it more if the place was run by locals and not mainlanders because it takes away the meaning of Hawaii with haoles running the place. read more

This is a small hidden gem, it's in Laupahoehoe on the Hamakua Coast which means there is a gorgeous drive to it from either Hilo or Kona. The museum is small, inside a former train company home, which in and of itself is interesting as it is filled with furniture, photos, news stories, models and memorabilia that take you back in time. The history provided about the sugar-cane and the train is fascinating as is the information about the tsunami that took the lives of so many and destroyed the train line. The bathrooms are super clean, and it has a small gift shop. Our docent was friendly and informative, a lot of work has clearly gone into putting this little gem together and goes into keeping it running so don't be cheap leave a decent donation! When there, don't forget to stop by Laupahoehoe beach, a quick ten minute drive from the museum, with it's Tsunami memorial, another must see in Hawaii. read more