From coast to coast, train museums highlight the history of America’s railroad expansion, showcase vintage cars, and offer scenic rides so guests can climb aboard for themselves. With the help of a few train travel experts, we compiled the below list of the best train museums to visit in the U.S.
The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum in Chicago, Illinois
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“I love The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum because it shares the Black history behind train travel,” says Sojourner White, a travel vlogger and the self-proclaimed “Train Travel Queen” behind Sojournies. “It honors the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters and how they became the first Black labor union in the U.S. while also showcasing how vital Black men and women were as maids and porters during the Pullman era.” Although the museum is currently closed due to construction on an expansion, it’s set to reopen this year; 2025 also marks its 30th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania
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“Steamtown is managed by the National Park Service, and it offers special tours, demonstrations of railroad technology, train rides, and both indoor and outdoor displays,” says Greg Stout, an author who has written 20 books on the history of American railroads. Start your visit by watching the 18-minute orientation film, “Steel and Steam,” then explore all of the rolling stock in the roundhouse, join a guided tour of the Locomotive Repair Shop, and get a ticket for the “Scranton Limited” yard shuttle, a three-mile round-trip ride that takes passengers across the Lackawanna River and stops at the University of Scranton.
California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California
California State Railroad Museum
“The California State Railroad Museum collects and features a wide array of railroad equipment used on California and Nevada railroads, including the awe-inspiring Southern Pacific cab forward locomotive, which operated over the rugged Sierra Nevada range,” says Daphne O. DeLeon, the director of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City. “Must-see exhibits include the Golden Spike Exhibit Gallery, the Chinese Railroad Workers’ Experience, and Farm-to-Fork: A Public History.” Stout also favors the California State Railroad Museum, noting how it’s “especially kid-friendly, with music, stories of the past—including the building of the original transcontinental railroad—and a toy train exhibit.”
Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois
“The Illinois Railway Museum is located just off Interstate 90, about 45 minutes west of O’Hare Airport, and is the self-proclaimed largest railway museum in the country,” says Stout. “Depending upon the day of your visit, you can take a ride behind a steam locomotive, interurban cars, or even the original Nebraska Zephyr streamlined passenger train (featured in the film ‘A League of Their Own’).” The IRM is also a favorite of DeLeon’s. “The collection features a wide variety of railroad equipment, including steam, electric, and diesel locomotives, freight and passenger cars, streetcars, interurbans, and more. Other highlights include the Electroliner, a Union Pacific turbine locomotive, and an operating Shay steam locomotive,” she says.
National Museum of Transport in St. Louis, Missouri
The National Museum of Transport
“The National Museum of Transport is located a short distance west of St. Louis in suburban Kirkwood. As its name suggests, it is a railway museum with many examples of historic steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, and freight and passenger equipment,” says Stout. “However, NMOT is also a bit of an outlier, as it offers a look at other modes of transportation, including military aircraft and notable historic automobiles, including the custom ‘Dream Car’ once owned by entertainer Bobby Darin, plus transit buses and railway cars and even a Mississippi River towboat.” With more than 190 exhibits, the museum has something for every interest; in fact, it’s even described as as having the “largest collection of transportation vehicles in the world.”
Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, Nevada
Nevada State Railroad Museum
Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City focuses on Nevada railroad history—specifically, the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, the short line railroad incorporated in 1868. In its heyday, the railroad transported gold, silver, timber, lumber, and goods for the area’s residents; its last run was in 1950. “Most of the locomotives and cars in the collection have starred in Hollywood films and TV shows, such as ‘Union Pacific,’ ‘The Harvey Girls,’ and The Wild, Wild West,” says DeLeon. “During holiday weekends over the summer, visitors can take a ride in a restored 19th-century railroad car being pulled by a wood-burning, 1875-built steam locomotive.” Plus, she adds, the McKeen Motor Car, built in 1910, is a National Historic Landmark as well as the only one of its kind operating in the world.
B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
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The B&O Railroad Museum also comes recommended by Stout. Located in Baltimore, the institution attracts those who want to claim a bit of history; here, you can ride along the country’s first mile of commercial railroad. The seasonal experience is known as the Mile One Express, and the round-trip journey is about 40 minutes long. The museum’s rolling stock also includes the No. 147 Thatcher Perkins steam locomotive, which was used during the American Civil War to transport troops and supplies for the Union Army.
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pennsylvania
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With more than 100 locomotives and railroad cars to see, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania should definitely be on every railway enthusiast’s must-visit list. “This museum features a large, climate-controlled indoor display of meticulously restored railroad equipment, including steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, and freight and passenger cars,” says Stout. “There is also a large operating model railroad and nearby access to the Strasburg Railroad, which offers 45-minute train rides through scenic Lancaster County.” Can’t make it to this part of Pennsylvania? The museum has virtual tours of select equipment you can check out.
National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
If you ever find yourself traveling with kids in Green Bay, Wisconsin, White recommends swinging by the National Railroad Museum. “This one is interactive, and you can actually walk through the train cars. I also think this one is best for kids, because there’s a short train ride and lots of space for them to run around,” she says. The rolling stock collection includes more than 70 train cars; you can even see the only A4 Class locomotive in the country, the Dwight D. Eisenhower. Visitors can also align their trip with one of the museum’s various special events—the Dinner Train, The Polar Express Train Ride, or Holidays On The Rails.
