A museum that moves you with trains, old cars, aviation, exhibits, stories, and more located in Spencer. 

The North Carolina Transportation Museum is fun for the whole family and less than an hour northeast of Charlotte. This museum comprises 60 acres of old cars, aviation, exhibits, stories, and trains. This historic site was once home to the Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility in the southeast. The property includes an authentic train station built in 1898 and the Bob Julian Roundhouse, which is the largest remaining roundhouse in North America and houses locomotive passenger rail cars. There is even a full-sized replica of the Wright Flyer. The massive building was once the Back Shop, where steam locomotives were brought to be overhauled. Now it displays rail cars, antique automobiles, fire trucks, and the restoration of the Piedmont Airlines Potomac Pacemaker. They also have a train you can ride with your family. It tours around the property before bringing you back to the roundhouse. This is especially fun for the train lovers in your family. 

The Transportation Museum is a favorite for people of all ages to visit. You can easily spend most of the day here. There are plenty of places to walk and see the attractions. The area is stroller-friendly, but you will not be able to bring a stroller onto the trains to see inside so you might consider bringing a front pack or baby carrier of some sort. They have a fun “I Spy” kids map for the kids to keep a lookout for. When you are done at the museum, the nearby town of Salisbury offers some great eats.