Chester Railway Station & Museum

Hours:
July - Sept Sat, Sun 11 AM to 3 PM,
By appointment anytime @ 413.354.7878, or by accident.

2024
To all who made our
15th Annual Hobo Harvest Dinner
on Saturday October 19th another fun time and success
It really helps keep our facility alive and well.
THANK YOU!!!

Visiting Western Massachusetts?
Enjoy the best things to do in Chester with a plan including Chester Railway Station
Get a plan

Live Station Webcam Link

Take a tour of our facilities with this 360 degree rendering by Fred Gore Photography

MEMBERS NEEDED

Throughout the year, members of the Chester Foundation
engage in a wide variety of projects,
from restoration of historic artifacts to planning
and hosting community events.
The talents needed by this all-volunteer organization
run the gamut from computer skills to metal fabrication.
Please consider becoming a member of the Chester Foundation.
Membership Annual Dues:
Individual $20.00
Family $30.00
Student $10.00
Lifetime Membership $300.00
          Corporate $500.00
     Give us a call at (413) 354-7878
     or use these standard links.

 

Chester Massachusetts.
Come join us all season long for a trip down the
Chester Railroad memory lane at our 1862 restored
Depot and Museum with rolling stock including an
early steam engine, two boxcars with museum
articles to study, a Baker's Chocolate tanker,
our Blue Caboose kitchen with two cook stoves available
for parties, a campout wooden caboose available for
sleepovers and a small rail work car.
A full wrap-around deck encompasses the depot with a
large stage at one end for concerts, speeches or just to
have a relaxing picnic.
There is no charge to visit the depot museum and a
modest fee to rent the facility.
We do encourage donations to help support the stations
existence. You will not believe what you will find at our
Study our web site and discover more of what we have to offer.

The Official Chester Walk Brochure 2023

Click the above image for the official two page MAP and Legend page

Friends of the Keystone Arches and The Chester Foundation
participated on the committee that created this Chester Walks map.
 Three of the loops comprise the Chester & Becket Trail
created by the Friends of the Keystone Arches. This trail
showcases the contribution of the Chester & Becket Railroad
which connected the Becket quarries with two finishing works on the
valley floor in Chester.
This single track line operated from 1897 to 1930, when trucks were substituted.
A section of the line highlights the remains of a wooden trestle on the
JJ Kelly Wildlife Conservation Area off Hampden St. in Chester.
This trail has been blazed thanks to a grant from Healthy Hampshire,
but awaits a crosswalk and the re-surfacing of Hampden St. in 2019 to be
fully open and functional.
An 'Urban Loop' of the C and B Trail leads visitors through the Historically
Listed Downtown Chester Business District, terminating at Chester Station across
the street from the Granite Saw, one of the facilities served by the branch.

Visit our sister site:

The Keystone Arches

 

Chester Factory Village Railway Station, along with the Keystone Arches,
were Designated National Historic Landmarks.

Model Train Shows and Conventions Link

Western Mass Rail Coalition

Chester Railway Station is a proud member of the Western Mass Rail Coalition

CSX: Keeping the Rails Safe Video

Sunrise and Sunset Times

We are honored to have our 'Little Caboose' featured in this link
Saratoga Family Magazine Winter issue.
Consider Caboose Camping for the next family adventure.
It's about more than just camping.
There are myriad opportunities for hiking and outdoor
exploring to immerse yourself in multi-faceted historic
and geologic wonders, including a few fascinating 'firsts'.
There are a number of close-by cultural experiences as well,
Jacob's Pillow and Chester Theatre Co. among them.
You can easily fill a weekend in Chester, MA. Come join us.


We are happy to announce expanded and paved parking area at the
trailhead to the Keystone Arch Bridges Trail,
thanks to the Chester Highway Dept.

Thank You for Supporting Our Efforts.


NICE SURPRISE. This new volume, 'Massachusetts Treasures',
a collection of 42 Museums in MA, features Chester Station
as the only railroad museum in the book.
We were pleased upon receiving this copy that we are also one
of the four pics chosen for the cover.
An honor we will strive to live up to.
We will have copies for sale at the station.

Visit The Official Keystone Arches web site
A sister effort to the Chester Railway Station and Museum
operated and maintained by some of the same volunteers of
this Station and Museum