You can start by doing some analysis of how people are reaching your web site now. Your service provider can send you periodic reports with various statistics including the referencing domains. Use this information to gauge how people find you now and devise approaches to be linked in new ways.

Google a variety of searches that you think people may use to try to find you. How far down in the list of hits is your attraction when someone searches on 'black locomotive with green train near Oshkosh'?

You can also see what pages within your domain are used most. You might find that the page with the location of your ticket office gets only a tiny fraction of the hits that your main page does. That's a clue that you need to reorganize and/or better link to what you feel is the key information people need to know. I highly recommend that your location, hours, and admission/fares are right on the main page. Get as much key information as possible on the first page they see. Don't do something like "Welcome to XYZ, click here to enter our fabulous web site." If they made it this far, give them a payload of information they can use now. Don't assume everyone clicks to the next page.

In my case what I found most curious is that by far the biggest 'hit' on tmny.org is the archival photograph viewer. That's probably driven by just a few users who find our archives and then view lots of pictures.

That brings up the question as to how the people decide to visit your website.

Do they:

Just go looking for nearby train (or trolley rides) using one of the search engines.
Find the link in print somewhere.
Do they hear it by word-of-mouth.

If they find it in print where do they find it?

An advertisement
A travel story in the newspaper
A travel report on the internet
A posted flyer
A rack card
etc.

Does your local newspaper have a website that allows non-profits to promote their events for free? This would be a really great way to get some free promotion. I've got a link to a couple of events from the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic I'm going to show, just as an example. I was able to get it off the Akron Beacon Journal's website, Ohio.com, just by going to the "upcoming events" section of the lifestyle "page" and clicking on "sports and outdoor". You really need a PR person in your group who does nothing but this sort of stuff, and develops contacts with your local media to keep your museum/organization in the public's eye.

Link: http://events.ohio.com/search?cat=9&st=event

CVSR also does things like sponsor programing on local PBS stations, and not the cheap sponsorships that just get a printed nod. They pay enough to get the 15-30 second video clip shown.

They must be doing something right. The CVSR carried 152,000 passengers last year, and Akron Northside is the busiest passenger train station in Ohio, boarding 100,000 passengers in '09! When service to Canton runs in the Summer, the station has 10 arrivals and departures, 5 days a week. They almost double the busiest Amtrak station in Ohio for boardings - Toledo, with 54,000 - and that is for 7 days-a-week, year round.

You're still thinking too limited. For folks to google "train rides in whoville", they have to think about train rides being an option.

Start in broader terms. These are folks who aren't thinking "vintage steam train rides", but rather "something to do with the kidlets next weekend". That could be train rides, tall ships, county fair, Disneyland or a ride on the Goodyear Blimp. Usuually location and price are the deciding factor.

The foamer families already know about you and where to find you. What about the other 95% of the people in your vicinity? The ones who reply "There's a steam train up near Mt Rainier? I never knew that!" when I tell them about MRSR. (We've only been there 30 years now...)

I read an article on the CVSR Santa Train operation someplace a few years ago. The numbers and details were staggering, not only the quantity of passengers and runs they make, but the massive crew they use to pull it off. I could be wrong, but something like 200+ people are part of the holiday crew sticks in my memory?

Get the word out. Brochures to local hotels and other area attractions. Here in CT, we can go across the state to another museum and find our literature. We can be easily found online as well. Get with your state tourism board and local chamber of commerce. Some municipality websites have a tab for local tourism. The possiblities are endless.

As for your "tall ship" experience, it could have been a private vessel. If you're looking for information on tall ships, I suggest you try the American Sail Traning Association (ASTA). They keep a current list with all kinds of information on all tall ships in the US and many abroad. I am a former crewmember of the US Coast Guard Barque Eagle, the largest tall ship and the only one in government service in the US. I also work at Mystic Seaport, the nations' best maritime museum. I'm happy to help.

The Tall Ship turned out to be the "Adventuress", I solved the mystery when she sailed back into Port later that week. Since it wasn't really relevant to the point of my story, I hadn't posted the update.