Lee Hall Train Station Foundation

Lee Hall Train Station Foundation We are a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the railroad history of Newport News, Virginia. The depot was acquired by the City of Newport News in 2001.

Lee Hall Train Station Foundation is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the railroad history of Newport News and former Warwick County Communities. The Lee Hall Depot was constructed by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1881 to serve the rural farming community in northern Warwick County, Virginia. The depot expanded in 1893 and again in 1918 to support the increase in traffic to nearby Camp

Eustis. In 1958 Warwick County and the town of Lee Hall became incorporated into the City of Newport News. The Railway Express Agency that operated a national package delivery service from the depot closed in 1956. The depot remained an active passenger station with the creation of Amtrak in 1971. In 1977 the passenger waiting room was closed and Lee Hall became a request stop. In 1995 Amtrak decided to create a stop at the Williamsburg Pottery Factory which eliminated Lee Hall from the timetable. The Lee Hall Train Station Foundation was founded in 2000 to help preserve the building which had fallen into disrepair. Under threat of demolition by the railroad, the depot was relocated a short distance from its original site in 2009. The depot has undergone extensive restoration over the last several years. City of Newport News Department of Parks and Recreation opened the depot as a museum in June 2021. In May 2022 a restored Chessie System caboose arrived and was placed on display outside the depot. Volunteers continued to work on a World War II era Army Hospital Car that will join the exhibit once restoration is completed. The Lee Hall Depot and Caboose are open on Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm; regular admission is $8 with discounts for seniors and children. The Lee Hall Train Station Foundation hosts a variety of events and programs at the depot throughout the year. Consider joining the Friends of Lee Hall Depot by attending one of our quarterly Rail Heritage Programs. If you have interest in joining our team of volunteers or would like to help our nonprofit in any way, please message the page.

An eastbound mixed fright passes Lee Hall in 1974. Geezer Rail Photo.
05/14/2026

An eastbound mixed fright passes Lee Hall in 1974. Geezer Rail Photo.

Williamsburg Wednesday. A special move of military equipments rolls eastbound past the Williamsburg station with an Army...
05/13/2026

Williamsburg Wednesday. A special move of military equipments rolls eastbound past the Williamsburg station with an Army es**rt coach and C&O caboose in 1973. Garland Harper Photo.

All Aboard for Train Day tomorrow!Visit the Lee Hall Depot for a day of history, music, and family fun at the Train Day ...
05/08/2026

All Aboard for Train Day tomorrow!

Visit the Lee Hall Depot for a day of history, music, and family fun at the Train Day Celebration on Saturday, May 9th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Event Highlights
Runaway String Band
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Chessie and Friends Puppet Show
• 11:00 AM
• 2:00 PM

Meet Chessie (Photo Opportunities)
Multiple meet-and-greet times throughout the day!

Train-themed bounce house
Crafts & games
Community partners & local history exhibits
Snacks & beverages available for purchase

Admission
$6.00 (Ages 13+)
$3.00 (Ages 2–12)
FREE (Under 2)

Parking is available at Lee Hall Mansion (163 Yorktown Rd).
A FREE shuttle will run continuously between the Mansion and the Depot.

Williamsburg Wednesday. C&O 5895 is a 1953 product of General Motors, Electo-Motive Division (EMD) seen parked next to ...
05/06/2026

Williamsburg Wednesday. C&O 5895 is a 1953 product of General Motors, Electo-Motive Division (EMD) seen parked next to the Williamsburg Station in 1973. Garland Harper Photo.

Terminology Tuesday: Crossover(s). A crossover, or in this example, a pair of crossovers are an arrangement of track tur...
05/05/2026

Terminology Tuesday: Crossover(s). A crossover, or in this example, a pair of crossovers are an arrangement of track turnouts (switches) which allow a train to move from one track to another parallel track.

In this photo captured by Geezer Rail in 1973 a westbound Chessie freight train has stopped short of Black's Crossing in Grove while waiting for another train to pass and use the crossover to get ahead of the freight. A local freight train might stop and work Busch, Cheatham Annex, and the Team Track in Williamsburg, all within a few miles of each other. With the crossovers at Grove higher priority trains could be maneuvered around the Local without disruption to either trains workload.

In this scene we're looking west, the water tower on the horizon exists today across from Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The crossovers here, and the corresponding signals were removed only a few years after this photo was taken while the Peninsula Division was undergoing reduction of the double track main line. The double tracks remained through here and a single block signal replaced the set in this photo. Black's Crossing in the foreground, which connected US60 with US143 was later removed, but evidence of the crossing can be seen under the overpass which connects I64 with the Busch Gardens toll plaza.

We're excited, Train Day is this coming Saturday!!!
05/03/2026

We're excited, Train Day is this coming Saturday!!!

05/02/2026

Built in 1980, the B&O No. 904093 was one of the last cabooses made for the B&O Railroad. Due to changes in federal regulations, and the adoption of End-of-Train (EOT) devices that electronically monitor air pressure, the use of cabooses on American freight rail was wound down and discontinued by the late 1980s. This caboose is equipped with steel bay windows protruding from either side. This design was especially popular on the B&O because it eliminated the need for a roof-top cupola, and thus provided more room for the caboose to fit under low clearances. The B&O No. 904093 was used for mining services in Peach Creek, West Virginia, until its retirement in 1995.

Williamsburg Wednesday. In Virginia it was required by law to have a caboose at the end of each train operating within t...
04/29/2026

Williamsburg Wednesday. In Virginia it was required by law to have a caboose at the end of each train operating within the Commonwealth until the law was repealed in 1988. Early that same year Charles Curley captured this last look at a caboose departing Williamsburg station at the foot of Boundary Street.

Terminology Tuesday's word is Roll-by. A roll-by is a type of inspection performed by crewmembers on the ground while th...
04/28/2026

Terminology Tuesday's word is Roll-by. A roll-by is a type of inspection performed by crewmembers on the ground while the train passes by.

In this 1973 photo by Geezer Rail the Busch Local crew have paused their switching duties at the brewery in Williamsburg to perform a roll by inspection on a loaded coal train heading to Newport News.

It's October 1974 as Geezer Rail captures this photo of Amtrak Train 99 stopping at Lee Hall. A single C&O locomotive le...
04/27/2026

It's October 1974 as Geezer Rail captures this photo of Amtrak Train 99 stopping at Lee Hall. A single C&O locomotive leads two Amtrak coaches up the Peninsula on a rainy day.

Address

9 Elmhurst Street
Newport News, VA
23603

Opening Hours

Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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