Meridian’s newest attraction, celebrating the city’s rich railroad history, is open for businesses.

Elected officials and community leaders gathered Friday to cut the ribbon on the new Meridian Railroad Museum, which is now operating under full-time hours.

Lucy Dormont, president of the Meridian Rails Historical Society, said the museum celebrates the city’s rich history as a railroad town as well as acts as another draw for tourism and economic development downtown.

“Our town was founded on the railroads, and it’s time we pay a little homage to that, and at the same time bring in some economic development,” she said.

Located down from Union Station on Front Street, the old Railway Express Agency building which houses the museum was donated to the society by the City of Meridian in November 2021 along with the old cotton compress building.

The museum is a pet project Dormont began a few years ago after she began searching for a nearby museum to take her two young, train-loving sons.

“This all started because two little boys loved trains, and I loved history,” said Dormont, who also serves as executive director of the Railroad Museum. 

Meridian City Councilman George Thomas, who attended the ribbon cutting, said he had some doubts when Dormont first approached the city about the property, but he was glad to see the museum come to life.

“We all had doubts when you started,” he said. “But Lucy, she never had a doubt.”

While the opening of the museum is a huge milestone for the society, it just the beginning of long-term goals, Dormont said.

MRHS will spend this year focusing on undertaking repairs to the REA building that will include roof repairs, repainting the interior and exterior and upgrades to the building, including electrical work.

“Next year, we can start looking forward to phase two,” Dormont said.

One of the society’s short-term goals is to preserve historical railroad equipment found locally.

“We are working with the City of Meridian right now to acquire the steam locomotive from Highland Park and relocate it here,” she added.

MRHS also is developing plans to grow even further.

“We have a much larger project that we’re looking forward to that will bring tourism and excursions and economic growth to the city that’s already thriving,” she said.

Those long-term plans include turning the old cotton compress building into a Mississippi state railroad museum, she noted.

Thomas said he believes the Railroad Museum has the potential to make Meridian a go-to destination for railroad enthusiasts nationwide.

“We have interest not just locally, regionally, but nationally,” he said.

The museum, which is working to increase its program offerings, is currently funded through corporate sponsors, donations, memberships and grants.

Newly added programs include Tots & Trains, story time with an engineer, birthday parties, field trips, the Little Engineers Club and model railroading for beginners. Events planned for this year include an easter egg hunt by the rails, a spring model train show and National Train Day celebration, Railfest in the fall and the Meridian Christmas Express.

“We are working to do track-side musicians, track-side artists and track-side photography also to encompass all of the heritage and culture that Meridian is so rich in,” Dormont said.

The Railroad Museum is now open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. until noon. Admission is $8 for adults ages 18 and older; $5 for children, seniors and military personnel; and age 2 and under get in free.