Georgia State Railroad Museum

The Central of Georgia Railroad Shops Complex

Savannah, Georgia

Adopted in 1996

The Historic Railroad Shops complex located in Savannah, Georgia, is among the finest remaining examples of Victorian railroad architecture and design and is the most intact antebellum railroad repair complex in the country. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. The complex has been maintained as a railroad and industrial heritage museum by the Coastal Heritage Society with the assistance of the City of Savannah. On site displays include antique shaft driven machinery, locomotives and railroad stock, model train layouts, the oldest portable steam engine in the United States and an operating turntable. The Historic Railroad Shops has proven to be a valuable educational experience for local public school students as well as a popular local tourist attraction.

The Historic Railroad Shops
601 West Harris Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401

Georgia State Railroad Museum:
The Central of Georgia Railroad Shops Complex

The Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities is a 33.2-acre (134,000 m2) historic district in Savannah, Georgia listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is dominated by the Central of Georgia Depot and Train shed, a passenger depot and train shed constructed in 1860 by the Central of Georgia Railway (CofG) before the outbreak of the American Civil War. This pair of buildings was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Located in the vicinity of West Broad Street and Railroad Avenue in the city's historic downtown, the red brick passenger terminal of the CofG complex houses the Savannah Visitor Center and the Savannah History Museum. The site complex includes several notable structures. including cotton yard, a blacksmith shop, two brick viaducts and the train shed.

Georgia Law

The law designating the 'Central of Georgia Railroad Shops Complex' in Savannah, Georgia as the official Georgia state railroad museum is found in the Georgia Code, Title 50, Chapter 3, Section 50-3-74.

TITLE 50 - STATE GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 3 - STATE FLAG, SEAL, AND OTHER SYMBOLS
ARTICLE 3 - OTHER STATE SYMBOLS
§ 50-3-74 - Official railroad museum
O.C.G.A. 50-3-74 (2010)
50-3-74. Official railroad museum

(a) The Central of Georgia Railroad Shops Complex in Savannah, Georgia, is designated as the official railroad museum of the State of Georgia.

(b) The Department of Economic Development and other public agencies and leaders in the tourism industry are encouraged to work together to maximize advertising programs which permit citizens of other states and nations to learn of the Central of Georgia Railroad Shops Complex and to visit the State of Georgia for tourism purposes.