harvey house museum

Built in 1910 at a cost of $25,000 (about half a million dollars today), the Belen Harvey House was In operation until 1939 and contained a lunchroom, dining room, newsstand and cashier' office. Today it is a museum open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM which relates the history of Belen as "Hub City" as it was a major railroad center, tells of Fred Harvey and his famous Harvey Houses, and details the role of the "Harvey Girls" who served the RR passengers, crews, and local residents and lived upstairs where the girls were closely chaperoned.The museum is run by docents who are very knowledgeable and there is a filmstrip worth watching. The museum gives you a good idea of what it was like to eat or work at a Harvey House. Because the train had a schedule to keep, there were no restrooms in the Harvey House so passengers would not delay the departure of the train.The museum has a handout with colored pictures of all 18 Harvey Houses in New Mexico and their current status, most of which are no longer in existence. There is also a gift shop/bookstore on premises. If you want to see another Harvey House or learn more about Harvey Girls, stop in Winslow, AZ at La Posada, a restored Harvey House Hotel and Restaurant built in the style of a Spanish Hacienda which is open for lodging and meals. There is also a museum in Winslow that has exhibits on Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls.I enjoyed learning about the history of the Harvey Houses and was surprised how beautiful the buildings were outside and how elaborate the insides were furnished. Depending on your interest, allow at least an hour and more if you have questions for the docents.

I came to Belen just to see this Harvey House Museum. And I have been to many throughout the US. This one stands out! To see an original Harvey Girl Outfit was one of the most impressive views I have see(Many of the museums only have replicas or don't have them at all). This place also has rooms on the second floor that you can view. The museum has a lot of history of the railroad and the area.Another thing you can do is just next door to the museum is a group that runs a HO train layout. They are nice guys and I talked to them about the area. It is fun to watch the trains run.The third and last thing to do is to go outside and see the fueling depot with all the locomotives lined up. The day I was there there must of be 20 locomotives parked and waiting. It was quite impressive.All in all, this is a place not to be missed. If I am ever out that way I want to come back. Just the lady that ran the place who is so knowledgeable about the place was worth the time.Make sure you visit this place. You won't regret it! And can you believe it, it's by donation.

This is a neat little museum in Belen, New Mexico. It seems to be the only attraction in Belen, though. Do not plan on taking the train, however. It was fun, but there is only one train in the middle of the day and it arrives in Belen right when the museum is closing. If you take the AM commuter, you will have to wait until the evening to get home and there is absolutely nothing to do once you have spent an hour or two in the museum. Also, it's really, really hot to hang out outside in the parking lot. One of the museum workers was kind enough to keep it open for us to walk through when we got there at 3:30 after riding the train from Sandia. The building is really impressive as is the history and role Harvey Houses served in NM history.

This museum is truly a national treasure of the history of the American railroad! All the displays are well done and real...You see how the Harvey Girls lived and worked at the hotel and there are ample photos of the ladies working and what the menus were! There's a nice shop on the property to buy memorabilia, books, and other things which a railroad enthusiasts would be interested in! The drive from Albuquerque to Belen is a pleasant one...!

What a great museum! Definitely watch the video too. The docent was so informative and energetic. This is truly a piece of history preserved.

This Harvey House may be the only one in the West that is close to what it actually looked like when it was serving train travelers. It is being reconditioned by the City of Belen with volunteer help. It is worth the time to stop and take a tour. You will learn about the railroad and what a Harvey Girl was. It is open most afternoons. It also has a great little gift shop with books and train items.

Growing up I had heard of the Harvey House’s but didn’t know much of its history outside of what little is mentioned in history books or the “Harvey Girls” movie with Judy Garland. So while we were in Albuquerque for a couple of days we decided to drive down to the Harvey House Museum in Belen, Belen is only about a half hour drive south of Albuquerque.Upon arriving we were surprised as to how beautiful the building is, when entering we were greeted by one of the Docents who gave us a tour of the House. She explained how the House functioned back in the day of Rail Travel and showed us the many displays. We had a wonderful time.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Harvey House Museum. There is a huge amount of information available regarding the Harvey Girls and related railroad history. There is a small gift shop for railroad buffs to pick up some unique items.

A wonderful museum that represents a part of railroad history that is not in the academic history books!!! The "Harvey women" provided aid & comfort for travelers to this arid part of the United States...and this Museum shows what these wonderful ladies did to make their travel tolerable!!People today con not understand the hardships of that period of time but this Museum shows what it was all about...The Staff is knowledgeable and helpful...!

Not what I thought it was going to be. Has rail info and in weird part of town, safe area though. Staff was friendly enough.

My wife and I toured this museum after we ate at Pete's restaurant across the street. They have a nice 15 minute DVD movie about the history of the site and the Harvey House. While we were there a five engine BNSF freight train pulled out just on the east side of the museum. The staff was informative and friendly. There is also a small gift shop selling railroad books and souvenirs. The Belen Model Railroad Club maintains a large working model train exhibit inside the Harvey House. The building was constructed in 1910 as a Harvey House.

Interesting if you have read about the history of the Harvey Houses and the Harvey Girls. The parking is not that great, it is in a strange part of Belen. there is a great place to eat across the street (Pete's Cafe). They have art exhibits sometimes. It's just an ok place..the attituides of the people who are there volunteering are kind of off putting. We kind of felt we were intruding when we were there. I suppose it is good for an hour of entertainment.

This is a wonderful museum that will help you understand how important Belen was in the early development of railroad transportation in New Mexico. It not only walks you through the history of Harvey Houses around the country but also the enormous impact of the rail roads. Don't miss the Harvey House Museum!

Very well kept museum & person tending to the museum was very helpful with answering questions. Very interesting step back in history. Most people now never heard of the Harvey Girls. My husband visited here on his lunch break during a business trip. He wants to go back to learn more. Fascinating stories & place.

This Harvey House museum once had fine dining and a fully staffed cafe. The trains still go by as you watch the miniature trains inside and view the museum first and second floors. They are still changing and adding the exhibits. It's a nice quiet place to browse the past in this small quaint town and it's great to hear the creaking floors and staircase. The only thing is the upstairs rooms are roped off so I would have liked to been able to get closer to read everything. The museum staff were pleasant and helpful. She was even an extra in one of many films made there.