The Museum is housed in The Station, a replica of the original brick 1873 train station. The 1873 station was built with an open platform after the first station burned down. Steam engines whistled their way into town, and four blasts was the sign to "wood up", to restock the fuel. Collingwood was the terminus of the Northern Railway, the first line to join Lake Ontario with Lake Huron. Pioneer settlers travelling west to the prairies changed from rail to ship at Collingwood for many years.