Cowan Railroad Museum, Tennessee
Depot museumOpen May through October, Thursday to Sunday
The Cowan Railroad Museum is a volunteer-run museum in the historic Cowan Depot, which local residents saved from demolition and moved across the tracks in 1976, set in a railroad park beside a busy CSX mountain grade.
- Depot moved across the tracks in 1976
- Rare 1920 Porter 2-4-2 steam engine
- Active CSX mainline next door
- Listed on the National Register
- Official Tennessee State Railroad Museum
- Volunteer run since 1979
Cowan Railroad Museum at a glance
- Hours
- May through October: Thu to Sat 10 am to 4 pm, Sun 1 pm to 4 pm
- Admission
- $4 per person, $2 per child, $10 per family; free for members, military families and school or camp groups
- Plan for
- About 1 hour, longer if you stay to watch trains
- Best for
- Train watchers, families on a short stop, Tennessee rail history fans
- Best ages
- Toddlers to age 12, with close supervision near the tracks
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address108 Front Street South, Cowan, TN 37318(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(931) 967-3078
- Websitecowanrailroadmuseum.org(opens in a new tab)
Follow Cowan Railroad Museum
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Cowan Railroad Museum? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Cowan.
Rally Takes the Train
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See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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How Cowan bought its depot for a dollar and carried it across the tracks
The Cowan Depot stopped serving passengers in 1965, when local service ended on the Nashville to Chattanooga route. It worked a short while longer as a yard office for freight crews, then sat empty. In the early 1970s, word reached Cowan's civic leaders that the building was slated for demolition, and residents were alarmed at the thought of losing a symbol of their town.
That scare pulled the community together. Townspeople formed the Cowan Beautification Commission, which took ownership of the depot for one dollar and set out to turn the grounds into a park. After long negotiations with the L&N Railroad, the Commission agreed to move the depot away from its original spot to a safer distance on the far side of the track. On September 21, 1976, a hired crew lifted the depot and carried it across, where it stands today.
Residents filled the building with donated relics and organized a team of volunteer tour guides. In 1979 the Commission reorganized as Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc., and that same year it bought the Porter steam locomotive that still greets visitors. The museum remains a private, volunteer-run nonprofit overseen by an elected board and accountable to its members. The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the museum is an official Tennessee State Railroad Museum. In 2026 it is celebrating 50 years with a special Green and Gold Membership.
Inside the depot and out in the railroad park
Inside the old depot are historic displays, relics and memorabilia, a photo exhibit on area industry, and a model railroad layout. Outside, the landscaped grounds that locals call the railroad park hold a short train of rare equipment: a 1920 Porter steam locomotive, a fifty-foot wooden-decked flat car, an antique bay window caboose, and a vintage diesel-electric locomotive. One tourism listing also mentions a boxcar.
The park also holds a replica of the log cabin home of Major William Russell, a pioneer settler, mentor to Davy Crockett and Franklin County's first Judge Magistrate, whose cabin served as the county's first courthouse from 1807 to 1814. And running right through the middle of it all is an active CSX mainline, with trains passing throughout the day, including the pusher locomotives based in Cowan to help heavy freights up the steep mountain grade.
Don’t miss
- Porter 2-4-2 steam locomotiveBuilt in 1920 as a Columbia type, it hauled clay for the Cherokee Brick Company in Macon, Georgia, gave excursion rides for the South Carolina NRHS chapter, and arrived in Cowan by rail in 1979. Most Porter engines were smaller.
- NC&StL cabooseIt began life in 1910 as an NC&StL boxcar, was rebuilt as caboose No. 143 in Nashville in 1943, and later served L&N as Radnor Work Train 42335.
- The fifty-foot flat carRiding on 1940 Bettendorf trucks with solid bearings, it served as the music stage for Cowan's Homecoming '86 celebration.
- CSX pusher unitsHelper locomotives based in Cowan push heavy freights over the mountain grade, and rail fans come just to watch them work.
- Major William Russell cabin replicaA copy of the pioneer's log home that doubled as Franklin County's first courthouse.
Real trains rolling by and a model layout inside
For many kids the best exhibit is the one the museum does not own: real CSX freight trains pass through the park throughout the day, sometimes with pusher engines on the back. Inside, the model railroad layout gives them something to watch up close, and the little Porter engine and caboose outside are easy to photograph.
Because this is an active mainline, keep children well back from the track and cross only at the signaled crossing on Cumberland Street (US Highway 41A). The museum also asks visitors not to stage photos on the tracks. Admission is low, with a family rate, so a short stop works well with small children.
Plan your visit: tips for Cowan Railroad Museum
- Cross the tracks only at the signaled crossing on Cumberland Street (US Highway 41A).
- Keep a safe distance from the active CSX mainline and do not pose for photos on the tracks.
- Check the museum's live YouTube webcam to see the trains before you go.
- The museum is closed November through April.
- Military families, members and school or camp groups get in free.
Volunteers and 100 members a year
Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is a private nonprofit run by volunteers and an elected board. Each year it aims for 100 annual members and reached that goal in 2024 and 2025. Memberships are $20 a year, $10 for students, $200 for a lifetime membership, or $50 for the 50th anniversary Green and Gold Membership, and they can be mailed to PO Box 53, Cowan, TN 37318 or paid online.
Rail stops within an hour of Cowan
The Scottsboro Railroad Depot Museum is about 34 miles away in Alabama. About 40 miles out, the North Alabama Railroad Museum and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway make good add-ons in either direction. For a wider list, see our Tennessee train museums page.
- Scottsboro Railroad Depot MuseumScottsboro, AL · about 34 mi
- Lookout Mountain Incline RailwayChattanooga, TN · about 40 mi
- North Alabama Railroad MuseumHuntsville, AL · about 40 mi
- Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic Terminal StationChattanooga, TN · about 40 mi
- Historic Huntsville DepotHuntsville, AL · about 45 mi
- Tennessee Valley Railroad MuseumChattanooga, TN · about 46 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
Cowan's museum keeps a live webcam on its trains, and I love the idea of a little one at home watching freights climb the mountain from a window of their own. In our book, Rally rides beside Mom and Dad with his nose near an arched train window, looking out at the ocean and saying hello to a white bird. Watching is half the fun of trains. Our coloring pages include that window view.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in Tennessee: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Tennessee
- Halloween train rides in Tennessee
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Cowan Railroad Museum?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
- Cowan Railroad Museum official website(opens in a new tab)
- Cowan Railroad Museum on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- Cowan Railroad Museum on YouTube(opens in a new tab)
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Cowan Railroad Museum: 20 questions before your visit
Where is the Cowan Railroad Museum?
The Cowan Railroad Museum is at 108 Front Street South, Cowan, TN 37318, in the historic Cowan Depot. The depot sits beside an active CSX mainline, so cross the tracks only at the signaled crossing on Cumberland Street (US Highway 41A). Mail goes to PO Box 53, Cowan, TN 37318.
What are the Cowan Railroad Museum hours?
As of October 2026, the museum is open May through October on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. It is closed Monday through Wednesday and from November through April. Call (931) 967-3078 to confirm before a late October trip.
How much is admission to the Cowan Railroad Museum?
As of October 2026, the museum's home page lists admission at $4 per person, $2 per child, or $10 per family. Military families, museum members, school groups and summer camp groups get in free. An older page on the site shows lower prices, so check the home page for the current rate.
Is the Cowan Railroad Museum open in winter?
No. The museum keeps seasonal hours from May through October and is closed from November through April. During the off season you can still watch CSX trains pass through the town, and the museum's live YouTube webcam shows the tracks year round.
What is the history of the Cowan Depot?
The depot stopped serving passengers in 1965 and later stood empty. When it faced demolition in the early 1970s, residents formed the Cowan Beautification Commission, bought the depot for one dollar, and moved it across the tracks on September 21, 1976. The group became Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. in 1979. Some sources date the depot to 1904.
What steam engine is at the Cowan Railroad Museum?
The museum owns a rare 1920 Porter steam locomotive of the Columbia type, built on a 2-4-2 wheel arrangement. It hauled clay for the Cherokee Brick Company in Macon, Georgia, then pulled excursions for the South Carolina NRHS chapter. It spent time at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum before Cowan bought it in 1979.
What else is on display outside the Cowan Railroad Museum?
Coupled to the Porter engine are a fifty-foot flat car on 1940 Bettendorf trucks and an antique bay window caboose that began as a 1910 NC&StL boxcar. The grounds also hold an antique diesel-electric locomotive and a replica of Major William Russell's log cabin, Franklin County's first courthouse.
What are the pusher trains in Cowan, Tennessee?
Pusher units are extra locomotives based in Cowan that help heavy freight trains climb the steep mountain grade on the CSX mainline. Rail fans especially enjoy watching them work, and the mainline runs right through the museum's railroad park with steady traffic all day.
Is there a live train webcam at the Cowan Railroad Museum?
Yes. The museum links to a live webcam on YouTube that shows the tracks through Cowan, so you can watch CSX trains from home. It is a good way to see how busy the line is before you plan a visit to watch the pusher engines.
Is the Cowan Railroad Museum good for kids?
Yes, for a short visit. Children enjoy the model railroad layout inside the depot and the real freight trains passing outside. Admission is low and there is a family rate. Because the mainline is active, keep children well away from the track and cross only at the signaled crossing.
Is there a model railroad at the Cowan Railroad Museum?
Yes. The depot houses a model railroad layout along with historic displays, relics, memorabilia and a photo exhibit about area industry. It is included with regular admission during the May through October season, and it gives younger visitors something to watch between real trains outside.
Can you take photos on the tracks in Cowan?
No. The railroad through Cowan is an active freight mainline, and the museum discourages visitors from staging photographs on the tracks. Take pictures from a safe distance in the railroad park, and cross only at the signaled crossing on Cumberland Street (US Highway 41A).
How long does a visit to the Cowan Railroad Museum take?
Most visitors spend about an hour touring the depot, the model layout and the equipment outside. Rail fans often stay longer to watch CSX trains and pusher engines on the mountain grade. The museum closes at 4 pm, so arrive with time to spare.
Who runs the Cowan Railroad Museum?
Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is a private nonprofit operated by volunteers, overseen by an elected board of directors and accountable to its membership. It grew out of the Cowan Beautification Commission, the group that saved the depot in the 1970s. It is an official Tennessee State Railroad Museum.
How do I become a member of the Cowan Railroad Museum?
As of October 2026, annual membership is $20 per person or $10 for students, lifetime membership is $200, and a $50 Green and Gold Membership marks the 50th anniversary. Pay online through the museum's website or mail a check to CRM, PO Box 53, Cowan, TN 37318. Members get in free.
Do school groups visit the Cowan Railroad Museum for free?
Yes. As of October 2026, the museum charges no admission for school groups or summer camp groups. Call (931) 967-3078 ahead of time to arrange a visit during the May through October season so volunteers can be ready for your group.
Is the Cowan Railroad Museum on the National Register?
Yes. The museum is housed in the Cowan Depot, a local landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The depot now stands on the opposite side of the track from its original footprint after the 1976 move.
Who was Major William Russell?
Major William Russell was a pioneer settler, a mentor to Davy Crockett and Franklin County's first Judge Magistrate. His log cabin home served as the county's first courthouse from 1807 until 1814, and a replica stands in the museum's railroad park.
How do I contact the Cowan Railroad Museum?
Call (931) 967-3078 or write to Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc., PO Box 53, Cowan, TN 37318-0053. The museum also posts updates on its Facebook page. Because it is volunteer run, a message may take a little time to answer outside open hours.
What train museums are near Cowan, Tennessee?
The Scottsboro Railroad Depot Museum is about 34 miles away. About 40 miles out are the North Alabama Railroad Museum and Mercury & Chase Railroad in Huntsville, and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway and Chattanooga Choo Choo in Chattanooga. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is about 46 miles away.
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