Paducah Railroad Museum

During our drive around the city, Rooster and I stumbled across the Paducah Railroad Museum. A sign on the door said it was open, so we decided to go inside. We found a second couple waiting to pay admission. Nobody stood behind the counter to take the money. We all waited for fifteen minutes, but no one came. We shouted a couple of “Is anyone heres?” I started to believe we’d walked into a haunted museum. Finally, we all decided to walk around and try to find a museum employee.

Our experience at the Paducah Railroad Museum

I have to admit our time spent at this facility was one of the most unusual experiences we’ve undergone so far on our travels. Unfortunately, the absence of any museum employees made it impossible to ask questions. So instead, we strolled around the exhibits hoping someone would show up eventually. One corner of the floor was set up like a train station.

There was a large toy railroad diorama in the middle of the floor. Not a single toy train was running along the tracks in the display. We came across a simulator where you could get the feeling of driving a locomotive. But, unfortunately, it was closed for the present time.

We didn’t wander around for very long. It took us about a half-hour to take in all the sights. When we finished, we stood at the front counter with the other couple. We wanted to pay for our museum visit. Sadly, there was a good chance we’d have to wait the entire day because no one seemed to be running the operation.

I found an employee at the Paducah Railroad Museum

So I decided to use the restroom before we walked out the door. A tiny room to the right of the facilities had an office with an older man sitting at a desk. I told him my husband was standing at the front desk waiting to pay. The elderly gentleman sat down at the front counter and ran our credit card through the machine. It took him a while to figure out how it worked. We spent more time trying to pay than we did looking at the exhibits.

Rooster and I climbed into the car and drove back across the Ohio River. Things have changed during COVID. Businesses and attractions are slowly reopening. But, I wonder if we will ever regain the luster of the way we lived before everything closed down because of the virus.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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