The Depot Museum
The History Of
The Depot
When the existing wooden depot burned down in 1864, few lamented its passing as it was " good for nothing and a disgrace to our community." So, the citizens of Horseheads worked with the Pennsylvania Railroad to ensure the replacement depot would be better suited to our town. In 1866, the new depot was opened. Built with Horseheads brick, it was "one of the best and most substantial depots in this section of the country." It remained in use until passenger service was discontinued along the Williamsport, PA. to Sodus Point, NY, Elmira branch of the PRR on January 2, 1956. The old "Pennsy" station was then sold to the owner of a nearby mill and used for storage until 1994. It was sold to a private owner to be used as a business but by the following year was purchased by the Horseheads Historical Society.
Renovations began in 1997 and through the hard work and dedication of our members and generous donations from our community we were able to open the Depot Museum to the public on September 18, 1999.
Please come in!
Travel back in time and find out what makes our town unique.
With a name like "Horseheads," it's obvious our town has some interesting history. At the Depot, we have displays that tell many of the fascinating stories that come together to make us who and what we are today.
We have stories that will entertain, enlighten, and most likely give you a little more pride in your hometown including: how Horseheads got its name; how the Chemung Canal changed the local economy; why everyone around here is fascinated by bricks; and what famous peopled have called Horseheads their home.
Admission is free! Come experience the stories and see what makes Horseheads a great town.
Here are some examples of what you'll find...
RAH RAH SIS BOOM BAH!
Are you a member of the Horseheads High School Alumni? We have a wonderful display of pictures and items to highlight our hometown school.
We also have an extensive collection of yearbooks which you are welcome to come browse through. Come show your kids or grandkids how funny you looked back then!
All Aboard!
It's only fitting that we have a display of railroad memorabilia considering our museum is an old train station! In fact, it is the only remaining station out of four that we once had in our town!
Railroads have played a major part in the history of Horseheads and we love to share it with all the rail-fans out there. We have items from the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and Erie Lackawanna Railroads.
Our latest exhibit, incorporating original items from the heyday of passenger train travel, is a re-creation of a dining car table from the famous Phoebe Snow.
