Railway museum will remain closed for 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northern Ohio Railway Museum will not be open to the public in 2020. This means museum walking tours and demonstration trolley rides are canceled for the year. Other functions canceled include the annual meeting, members' day picnic and media morning meetings with guest speakers and other programs through November. A decision on resuming media morning meetings will be made later in the year based on Ohio Department of Health directives and the pandemic situation. The museum's board of directors said it did not make this decision lightly, according to a news release. They examined the property, buildings, antique trolley cars and the trolley ride experience with the pandemic and health department directives in mind. There were many challenges to overcome, some nearly impossible. Factors included the physical layout of our facilities and the desire not to alter the historic trolley cars. The most vital factor was the health and safety of the museum's volunteers and visitors. During this time, volunteers will continue to maintain the museum. If funding allows, they will also make improvements. These include adding infrastructure that will allow a longer trolley ride and reactivating additional cars for operation. Also, other volunteers are also continuing to work on museum projects while sheltering at home. These include administrative, education and archive department work. Not opening to the public brings great hardship to the museum. It will not be generating income from the sale of trolley ride tickets and museum store merchandise. Income earned from donation fareboxes will also be lost. These sources represent a significant portion of its annual budget. The news release said the museum is watching its expenditures very carefully, but utilities, insurance, and general maintenance expenses still need to be paid. The museum is asking for support by becoming a member, making an online purchase at the museum store or a donation. The museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization and donations are tax-deductible. The Northern Ohio Railway Museum's mission is to collect, preserve, restore, display and operate streetcars and other electric railway equipment for the education and enjoyment of the public. The museum owns 62 acres of land in southern Medina County, including two miles of the former Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus interurban railway right of way. Contact info for the museum is by phone: (330) 769-5501, website, Facebook or email.