Harvey House Museum

If you are a history buff or interested in the history of Fred Harvey, the Harvey Girls and the Harvey hotels and restaurants this is a must stop. We arrived a few minutes before the Fred Harvey Whistle Stop Cafe closed at the museum and Francis, the woman who runs the restaurant graciously sat us down and told us what was left for the day. Mr. B had the Homemade Chicken and Dumplings and I just wanted a slice of the incredible looking carrot cake. Francis brought the food out, and it was amazing. The decor of the cafe, and the food gave you the feeling you are sitting in grandma's kitchen having a home cooked meal. The chicken and dumplings were full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. The carrot cake was moist and honestly the best slice of carrot cake I have had.Once we finished our meal, Francis gave us a tour of the museum. It was like stepping back into history with original dishes from the Harvey House restaurant, there is local history and railroad history too. It was well worth the stop, and I highly recommend a visit.It is a bit confusing to find, but it sits right at the railroad, just follow the signs. There is a nice size parking lot, so that is easy and everyone at the cafe and the museum are extremely kind, helpful and very knowledgeable about the history.

Went to Pete's Cafe around 4:30 for dinner yesterday. Our plan was to see the Bugg Christmas Lights at the Belen RR Harvey House museum. What a delightful experience! Worth a drive. I plan on going back and spend more time going through the museum. Fascinating stuff. The people who volunteered there were most helpful and knowledgeable... very engaging. I'm a Belen native but learned a lot more about Belen's rich history. You won't be disappointed.

The museum is free to the public and has a lot of interesting facts and memorabilia pertaining to the old Santa Fe Rail Road days when passengers would stop in for a good meal and relax before moving onto their next port of call.

Very interesting to walk back in time. Interesting history of the Harvey House chain concept, western railroad history and a great deal of Belen history. Well worth the time to visit. Would be nice to see the BNSF invest in restoration to include period appliances and fixtures. Took time to look at upstairs rooms. Sad to see most being used for storage. Artificial Christmas trees?

It's not fancy but it's not bad either. The staff are friendly. The model train display is fun to watch. Overall it gives a sense of Belen's earlier days.

This is a must stop.cafe is open thur-sat Museum has a nice little gift shop a nice collection of orginal dishware.

Fascinating story of the Harvey House chain and some additional local Belen history too. Well presented and excellently explained by the guide (optional) plus the bonus of a lovely, lively cafe too. Highly recommend a visit to this little museum.

As visitors from the northeast, we had no idea the Harvey Houses even existed until we came to this excellent and carefully curated museum. It's remarkable that in the late 1800s a visionary entrepreneur conceived of a chain of rapid service but high-quality restaurants, standardized menus, and a dedicated in-house staff of servers, the Harvey Girls, who became iconic throughout the US, and was one of the few employment options for women. The volunteer staff is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and dedicated to their conservation of this important slice of Americana.

A true must stop for anyone interested in Fred Harvey and the Harvey girls. The museum has been restored and the tour guides are well informed and friendly. If you are not familiar with Fred Harvey, check out the book " Appetite for America " to truly understand what Fred Harvey did for the railroad passengers, The Fred Harvey museum is only 10 minutes off the interstate and well worth a visit ! P S..The Mexican restaurant across the street is wonderful..it's called Pete"s.

They have added a lot the past few years! There are new exhibits upstairs!