The North Carolina Transportation Museum announces a new exhibit in the Master Mechanic’s Office showcasing elegant dining car china and silver service pieces from railroads that operated through North Carolina and across the United States. The N.C. Transportation Museum is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The exhibit explores the evolution of onboard dining; from early station restaurant stops to the introduction of the first Pullman dining car, the Delmonico, in 1868. Railroads and steamship lines soon elevated travel with personalized china and silver bearing their logos and custom designs, turning functional tableware into works of art. Nautical lines along the eastern seaboard, some connected to railroads, even extended vacations to Cuba and the Caribbean through the 1960s.

Fine dining on the rails continued into the late 20th century, and today AMTRAK carries on the tradition.

This special exhibit will remain on display through the end of May and is included with general museum admission. Visitors are encouraged not to miss this opportunity to experience a unique chapter in transportation history.

For more information about the exhibit, visit our website: https://www.nctransportationmuseum.org/the-golden-age-of-railroad-dining-exhibit/or call the N.C. Transportation Museum at 704-636-2889.

*Closed Sundays and Mondays