Switch Tower Museum

SONO SWITCH TOWER MUSEUM

SoNo is filled with train trestles​ and the intersection of Washington Street and North/South Main streets is the critical trestle that carries Metro Northcommuters up and down the shoreline. It is also the intersection for trains along the northern jaunt up to Wilton and Danbury. Hence, the location is just the spot for a museum dedicated to rails and the fascinating history of how trains switch tracks.

The architecture of the building alone though should inspire a visit. The building is just twenty feet wide or depending on your grasp of the x,y, z it is the narrowest three story building in Norwalk. This has made for a very narrow multi floor museum visit.

Originally the building served as the command center that contained theSoldiers and Sailors Monument, SoNo monstrous mechanical switch arms that enabled rail engineers to switch trains from track to track. The second floor is almost entirely occupied by this gear.

A unique architectural feature is that the staircase that takes you from floor tofloor is entirely outside the building. This also means the museum is only open from May through October on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-5pm.