Bluegrass Railroad Museum Featured on Spectrum News 1
- Blue Grass Railroad
- Sep 18, 2025
- 2 min read
September 18, 2025
The Bluegrass Railroad Museum was in the spotlight this fall when Spectrum News 1 Kentucky visited Woodford County for a feature titled “Historic train rides await at the Bluegrass Railroad Museum.”
Reported by Austin Schick and published September 18, 2025, the story takes viewers beyond the station and shows what makes our railroad special: historic passenger equipment, hands-on preservation, dedicated volunteers, and the opportunity to experience Kentucky railroad history in motion.
Stepping Back in Time
Spectrum highlighted our Saturday excursions aboard historic passenger cars dating from the 1930s through the 1950s. For visitors, climbing aboard is an opportunity to experience a form of travel that once connected communities across Kentucky and the nation.
The story also featured our museum collection and the work required to preserve historic railcars and railroad artifacts. But perhaps most importantly, it focused on the people behind the trains.
The Bluegrass Railroad Museum is an all-volunteer organization. Volunteers operate the trains, maintain and preserve historic equipment, care for artifacts, welcome visitors, and help pass railroad history from one generation to the next.
Connecting Generations
Museum office manager Maggi Harrod, who became involved with the railroad as a teenager, spoke with Spectrum about seeing grandparents bring grandchildren to the museum and sharing memories of their own childhood train rides.
That connection between generations is at the heart of what we do.
Preserving a railroad isn't simply about keeping old equipment. It's about keeping the experience and stories of railroading alive so today's children can understand something their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents once knew as an everyday part of American life.
More Ways to Ride the Rails
Spectrum also visited Rail Explorers Bluegrass, located next door, where visitors can pedal rail bikes along the historic route. The attraction opened in 2023 and offers a 10.6-mile round trip assisted by electric motors.
Together, the museum's traditional passenger trains and Rail Explorers offer two very different ways to discover the railroad and the beautiful Woodford County countryside.
From Versailles to a National Audience
The Spectrum story came as our railroad attractions were receiving attention beyond Kentucky. The report noted that both the Bluegrass Railroad Museum and Rail Explorers had been recognized by AAA Magazine as immersive historic train attractions. Spectrum also reported that visitors come from around the world.
For a volunteer organization in Versailles, that kind of recognition means a great deal.
Every mile traveled, every railcar preserved, every artifact displayed and every passenger welcomed represents the work of people who believe Kentucky's railroad heritage is worth saving.
Keeping Railroad History Moving
We thank Spectrum News 1 and Austin Schick for visiting the Bluegrass Railroad Museum and helping tell our story.
Most of all, we thank the volunteers who make that story possible. Their work ensures that the sound of wheels on rails, the experience of riding a historic passenger car, and the stories of Kentucky's railroad past aren't confined to history books.
They're still here in Versailles—and they're still moving down the track.
