Come visit the Bo Thomas Room at the Henderson County Heritage Museum to see the Saluda Grade diorama built by the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club.
The nation’s steepest standard-gauge mainline railroad made possible the trade and tourism that started Henderson County’s Golden Age. Also on display are railroad videos, photos & artifacts. There is a live model train running near the ceiling & a recreation of the Carolina Special which ran from 1911 until 1968. The train was a vital passenger link between South Carolina and the Midwest.
Housed in the Historic Henderson County Courthouse on Main Street, the Museum offers artifacts, collections, archives, libraries, demonstrations, performances and other similar exhibitions relating to the history, culture, heritage and stories of Henderson County.
The Museum offers a wonderful variety of exhibits including the “Golden Age – the Coming of the Railroad” exhibit, Apple Valley Model Railroad Club’s replica of the Saluda Mountain Grade, the steepest main-line standard gauge railroad in the United States, will be on display, along with other artifacts. The Civil War Exhibit features artifacts of military weaponry & uniforms dating back to the war and and a replica of Hendersonville’s first general store, from the 1900’s.