THE SONO SWITCH
TOWER MUSEUM
Railroad History, Hands On

The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is housed in the restored New Haven Railroad Signal Station 44. The tower was placed in service on July 5, 1896 and closed on November 17, 1984.  During the 88 years the tower was in service, tower operators manipulated 68 “Armstrong” levers and the mechanical interlocking machine in order to move trains safely through South Norwalk.  Levers were connected to signals, switches, locks and derails by a series of metal pipes that moved on rollers.

Opened in 2003, the SoNo Switch Tower Museum is a partnership with the State of Connecticut, City of Norwalk and the WestConn Chapter – NRHS.  Visitors to the museum learn how a complex mechanical interlocking machine allowed tower operators to route trains through switches on a four-track mainline and onto single-track branches to Danbury and Wilson Point.  Visitors can try their hand at throwing levers, subject to mechanical locking, just as operators did for 88 years.  There are various interactive exhibits and you can watch the many Metro-North and Amtrak trains pass by the museum.

Our museum is located in the heart of the historic South Norwalk (SoNo) neighborhood.  There are many restaurants nearby and the popular Maritime Aquarium/4D Theater is one block away. 

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You can get to the Tower by train!  The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is within walking distance (7 - 10 minutes) of Metro-North's South Norwalk railroad station.  Frequent train service is provided to South Norwalk.

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