LENOX STATION
On January 24, 1902, the first Lenox Railroad Station, at the intersection of Housatonic and Crystal Streets, burned to the ground. Originally constructed around 1850 when the Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad (leased by the original Housatonic Railroad) came to the area, Lenox station was one of three within the town, the others being at Lenox Dale and New Lenox.

On September 29, 1902, The Berkshire Eagle reported that the construction contract for the new station had been let to James Clifford & Sons of Lenox and that work would begin immediately. The building was speculated to be constructed of rustic field stone and stucco with a commodious waiting room. The construction was estimated to cost $13,000. Excavation of the cellar hole, located just north of the burned station, began October 8 of the same year. Construction of the station took less than a year and was completed in July of 1903.

The 1903 Lenox station continued as one of the major stops in the Berkshires for the affluent cottagers and thousands of locals and visitors of somewhat lesser means. After its abandonment in the 1950s, Lenox station was used as a motor-repair shop, a carpentry shop, and a warehouse for construction materials. In 1986, the building was donated to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum by George Taylor and Joseph Consolini of the then-nearby Restorations, Inc. Since then, the Museum has expended over ten thousand volunteer hours and over one hundred thousand dollars to restore the exterior to its near-1903 condition. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, the Lenox station houses the museum's administrative office, ticket office, museum store, and several archival displays.

THE GILDED AGE
Our former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad combine #1444, houses this unique permanent exhibit where visitors are introduced to the rich history of the Gilded Age in Berkshire County. A portion of this exhibit includes an interactive map which shows 24 of the remaining Gilded Age mansions and how you can find them.

YOKUN BLOCK STATION
Block stations were used in the days of the telegraph and single-track railroad lines to stop trains and give them orders allowing them to proceed safely to the next block station or to stay and wait for another train to pass. Block Stations were critical to the safe and efficient movement of trains in the era before modern signaling systems and radio communication.

Our block station is a replica of the "Rising" block station which was located in the village of Housatonic, 14 miles to the south of Lenox. As railroad block stations had to be named to be identifiable to trains, ours is named "Yokun" in honor of the original name of Lenox - Yokuntown.

Construction began in August of 2007 with donations of labor, materials and equipment from The Home Depot and LB Corp. Construction continues to date by museum volunteers and when complete, the building will be trimmed out with authentic, period railroad fixtures and décor so that it will be reminiscent of a 1950's era railroad building. Visitors will be able to view the period fixtures and learn more about communications and the control of train movements. In addition to being an exhibit for the museum, the building will also serve as the operations base for our train crews.