DeQuincy Railroad Museum, Louisiana

Written By Kelsey Cecil

DeQuincy, Louisiana · Updated October 19, 2026 · 13 min read

Depot museumFreeOpen Tuesday to Saturday, free admission

The DeQuincy Railroad Museum keeps a small Louisiana railroad town's story inside its Mission Revival Kansas City Southern depot of 1923, with the original waiting room benches, a 1913 steam switch engine and a 1947 Pullman coach outside.

  • 1923 Kansas City Southern depot
  • Nonprofit founded in 1974
  • Free admission, donations welcome
  • 1913 steam switch engine
  • Playground beside the museum
  • Railroad Days Festival every April

DeQuincy Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; closed city holidays
Admission
Free; donations welcome
Train rides
Carnival rides during the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival in April
Seasonal events
Louisiana Railroad Days Festival (second weekend in April)
Plan for
About 1 hour, more with the playground
Best for
Families with young kids and depot history fans
Best ages
Toddlers to age 10

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to DeQuincy 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 DeQuincy.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

A railroad junction town and the depot it refused to lose

DeQuincy grew up because of the railroad. The Kansas City Southern finished its line from Shreveport to Lake Charles in 1897, and the route split at DeQuincy, with a branch running on toward Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. The town incorporated in 1903, and in 1923 the railroad gave it a proper urban depot in the Mission Revival style, larger and grander than the plain board and batten stations of most small towns.

That building is one of only three urban railroad stations of its kind still standing in Louisiana, alongside the Central Railroad Station in Shreveport and the Texas and Pacific depot in Bunkie. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1983, and the museum calls it one of the finest examples of Mission Revival architecture in the South.

The museum itself began in 1974, when a nonprofit corporation formed to collect, preserve and display railroad artifacts and to remind people how much the railroad shaped DeQuincy, the region and the country. Its collection draws on the Kansas City Southern, the Missouri Pacific and the Union Pacific. The museum honors the pioneers who pushed it into being, among them Gary Cooper and Lauretta and Fred Fluitt, and keeps their motto close: preservation is a passion, you either feel it or you don't.

Recognition followed. In August 2013 Union Pacific welcomed DeQuincy into its Train Town USA registry, an honor shared in Louisiana only with Natchitoches and Bunkie. More recently the museum compiled a long-awaited pictorial history of the town from its earliest railroad days, sold in the gift shop.

Waiting rooms, an agent's office and a pavilion of rolling stock

You come in through the gift shop and welcome center. From there the depot opens into a baggage room, the agent's office and a large waiting room arranged as it looked when passengers sat here, with the original wooden benches and ticket window. Thousands of railroad artifacts fill the rooms, and model train sets donated by local families sit on shelves and in cabinets throughout.

The middle room holds a running model layout of DeQuincy in the 1940s, with the Strand Theatre, the drug store and the lumber yard, built and donated by the East Texas and Gulf Rail Modelers Association. In the large waiting room, a lighted antique cabinet shows off a collection of Gauge 1 brass steam and diesel models donated in 2006.

Outside, a covered pavilion shelters a 1913 steam switch engine, a 1947 Pullman coach and two vintage cabooses. Next door is a landscaped park with playground equipment and picnic space.

Don’t miss

  1. The large waiting roomSet up as it was in the passenger era, with the depot's original wooden benches and ticket window still in place.
  2. The 1913 steam switch engineThe oldest piece of rolling stock on the grounds, displayed under the covered pavilion beside the passenger and caboose cars.
  3. The 1947 Pullman coachA postwar passenger car that shows what long-distance travel looked like when trains still carried most travelers.
  4. The brass Gauge 1 model enginesMuseum-quality models made in the 1970s and 1980s by Samhongsa, Row & Co, Adler and Marklin, built to the exact specifications of real locomotives.
  5. DeQuincy in the 1940s layoutA running model of the town in its railroad heyday, complete with the Strand Theatre and the lumber yard.

Model trains inside, a playground outside

Kids tend to head straight for the running model layout of 1940s DeQuincy and the shelves of donated toy train sets, then out to the pavilion to look over the steam engine, Pullman coach and cabooses. The landscaped park and playground right beside the museum make it easy to let little ones run off energy and eat a picnic lunch after the indoor visit.

Because admission is free and the museum is compact, it works well for short attention spans. School groups are welcome, and the museum shares educational material on display for classes.

Plan your visit: tips for DeQuincy Railroad Museum

  • Call (337) 786-2823 to confirm hours before a long drive.
  • The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays and city holidays.
  • Pack a picnic for the park and playground next door.
  • The pictorial history of DeQuincy is sold in the gift shop and by mail.
  • Plan an April trip around the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival.

The big date on DeQuincy's calendar is the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival, held on the museum grounds on the second weekend in April. It runs Thursday to Saturday with carnival rides, a food court, crafts, contests and an annual pageant, and the East Texas and Gulf Rail Modelers Association has long set up its own train layouts inside the depot for the weekend. For holiday outings elsewhere in the state, see our guide to Christmas train rides in Louisiana.

Board, docents and friends of the depot

A nonprofit corporation with a volunteer board runs the museum, and docents like Katy Haley greet visitors in the depot. Donors have shaped the place, from the families who gave their model train sets to a visiting rail fan who replaced faded exhibit signs at his own cost. Visitors can help with a donation at the door, a museum membership, or a copy of the town history book from the gift shop.

More rail history within a drive of DeQuincy

Across the Texas line, the Orange Depot Museum is about 31 miles away. Heading north, the Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf is about 65 miles off and shows how railroads served the sawmills. For a longer trip, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in its Baton Rouge depot is about 134 miles east. See all of Louisiana's train museums for more.

Every train museum in Louisiana

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The waiting room in DeQuincy still has its wooden benches and ticket window, and I can picture families sitting there with their bags at their feet. In our book, Rally packs his own little suitcase: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball. My kids think that part is the funniest. If yours want to draw their own packed bag, our coloring pages are a good place to start.

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
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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

Work or volunteer at DeQuincy 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

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

DeQuincy Railroad Museum: 20 questions families ask

Where is the railroad museum in DeQuincy, Louisiana?

The DeQuincy Railroad Museum is at 400 Lake Charles Avenue in DeQuincy's historic downtown, inside the 1923 Kansas City Southern depot. DeQuincy is in Calcasieu Parish in southwest Louisiana. The depot stands where the town's two railroad lines meet, and the museum park and playground sit right beside it.

What are the DeQuincy Railroad Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and closed on city holidays. It is closed Sundays and Mondays. The museum asks visitors to call (337) 786-2823 to confirm hours, which is a good idea before a long drive or around a holiday.

How much does the DeQuincy Railroad Museum cost?

Admission to the DeQuincy Railroad Museum is free as of October 2026. The museum is a nonprofit and welcomes donations, which help care for the depot and the outdoor equipment. Memberships are also offered, so ask at the gift shop and welcome center if you would like to support it on a regular basis.

Where can I see DeQuincy Railroad Museum photos?

The museum keeps a photo gallery on its website, dequincyrailroadmuseum1923.com, and posts pictures on its Facebook page, Instagram and Pinterest. For history photos, the museum's pictorial history of DeQuincy collects pictures and writeups of the town from its earliest railroad days, and it is sold in the gift shop.

What do reviews say about the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

Visitors tend to mention the restored depot itself, the outdoor steam engine and cars, and the free admission. Return visitors are a good sign too: one rail fan who stops by on every business trip to see the brass engine models even paid for new exhibit signs. Tripadvisor and the museum's Facebook page carry visitor reviews.

What is inside the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

Inside the 1923 depot you will find the gift shop and welcome center, a baggage room, the agent's office and a large waiting room with its original wooden benches and ticket window. Thousands of railroad artifacts are on display, along with brass model engines, donated toy train sets and a running layout of DeQuincy in the 1940s.

What trains are on display at the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

Under the covered pavilion outside, the museum displays a 1913 steam switch engine, a 1947 Pullman coach and two vintage cabooses. Indoors, the brass Gauge 1 model collection shows famous steam and diesel locomotives of the twentieth century in fine detail, and the running model layout adds trains moving through a miniature 1940s DeQuincy.

Can you ride a train at the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

The museum does not list regular train rides. Its locomotive and cars are static displays under the outdoor pavilion. During the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival in April, the museum grounds fill with carnival rides, but for an actual train ride you will want to look at a heritage railroad elsewhere in the region.

When is the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival in DeQuincy?

The Louisiana Railroad Days Festival is held every year on the second weekend in April on the DeQuincy Railroad Museum grounds, running Thursday through Saturday. It brings carnival rides, a food court, crafts, contests and an annual pageant. Check the festival's own website or the museum's Facebook page for this year's dates and schedule.

When was the DeQuincy depot built?

The Kansas City Southern built the DeQuincy depot in 1923 in the Mission Revival style. The railroad had reached DeQuincy in 1897 with its line from Shreveport to Lake Charles, which split here toward Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1983.

When did the DeQuincy Railroad Museum open?

The museum was established in 1974 as a nonprofit corporation with a mission to collect, preserve and display railroad artifacts and to show how the railroad shaped DeQuincy and the region. Its collection includes pieces from the Kansas City Southern, Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Local pioneers including Gary Cooper and Lauretta and Fred Fluitt helped make it happen.

Is the DeQuincy Railroad Museum good for toddlers?

Yes, it is an easy outing with small children. Admission is free, the museum is compact, and the running model train layout and donated toy train sets catch young eyes. When attention runs short, the landscaped park and playground next to the museum give toddlers room to play, with picnic space for a snack.

Is there a playground at the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

Yes. A landscaped park with playground equipment sits right beside the museum, with a picnic and play area for visitors. It is the same park that hosts the Louisiana Railroad Days Festival each April. Bring lunch and make a morning of the depot, the outdoor trains and the playground together.

Can you rent the DeQuincy Railroad Museum for an event?

Yes. The depot includes a meeting room for public functions that can also be rented for private events, and the large waiting room is available for events as well. The museum does not post rental rates online, so call (337) 786-2823 or email dqrrmuseum@gmail.com to ask about dates and pricing.

Can school groups visit the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

Yes. The museum encourages school groups to visit and use the educational material on display about the railroad's role in DeQuincy, Louisiana and the country. Admission is free. Call (337) 786-2823 ahead of time to arrange a class visit, since the museum is small and a heads up helps staff prepare.

What is the brass model train collection at the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

It is a collection of Gauge 1 brass steam and diesel engines donated in August 2006, made mostly in the 1970s and 1980s by Samhongsa, Row & Co, Adler and Marklin. Each is built to the exact specifications of a real locomotive. Some engines are also displayed at DeQuincy City Hall, the library branch and local banks.

Does the DeQuincy Railroad Museum have a gift shop?

Yes. You enter the museum through the gift shop and welcome center. One popular item is the museum's pictorial history of DeQuincy from its earliest railroad beginnings, priced at $30 as of October 2026. It can also be ordered by mail for an extra $5 shipping through PayPal at dqrrmuseum@gmail.com or by check.

Is DeQuincy a Train Town USA?

Yes. In August 2013 Union Pacific presented DeQuincy with a resolution welcoming the town into its Train Town USA registry, which recognizes towns along the railroad that share its heritage. At the time, Natchitoches and Bunkie were the only other Louisiana towns in the registry. The depot museum is the heart of that railroad identity.

How can I support or volunteer at the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

The museum is a nonprofit, and it welcomes donations and memberships. Buying the town history book from the gift shop helps too. The museum does not post a volunteer program online, so call (337) 786-2823 or message its Facebook page to ask how you can help with the depot or the Railroad Days Festival.

What train museums are near the DeQuincy Railroad Museum?

The Orange Depot Museum in Orange, Texas is about 31 miles away, and the Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf, Louisiana is about 65 miles. Farther afield, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in Baton Rouge is about 134 miles east, and several Houston area rail museums are a little over 110 miles west.

Keep exploring

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Kelsey Cecil
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