East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, Nevada

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Ely, Nevada · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Depot museumOpen daily; upstairs in the East Ely Depot

The East Ely Railroad Depot Museum fills the upper floor of the Nevada Northern Railway's restored depot with the offices that ran a copper railroad day and night, from dispatchers and payroll to the company president.

  • Restored railroad depot
  • Original railroad offices upstairs
  • Storeroom untouched since 1983
  • On a National Historic Landmark
  • Research library
  • Open seven days a week

East Ely Railroad Depot Museum at a glance

Hours
Monday to Saturday 8 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday 8 am to 4 pm
Admission
Free for Nevada State Museum members; call for current general admission
Seasonal events
Summer heritage tours to Hamilton, Nevada Day activities
Plan for
About 1 hour
Best for
History lovers and families pairing it with a train ride
Best ages
Ages 7 and up

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to East Ely Railroad Depot 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 Ely.

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.

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

Where the copper railroad kept its books

The East Ely Depot stands over the rail yards that moved people, freight and above all the copper ore that helped electrify America in the 20th century. The museum's own pages date the depot to 1905 and say the building was completed in 1907; it has since been restored to its original appearance. It sits on the grounds of the Nevada Northern Railway National Historic Landmark, and the state's Division of Museums and History operates the museum inside it, which some listings call the Nevada State Railroad Museum, East Ely.

Upstairs is where the railroad was actually run. The museum walks visitors through the general offices: train dispatchers, crew chiefs, finance, medical, management and the company president. The goal is to show how a railroad kept going 365 days a year in a harsh high-desert climate. One room tells that story better than any label. When Kennecott Copper laid off its employees suddenly in 1983 and the Nevada Northern shut down, the storeroom was simply left as it stood, and it remains that way today.

The work of keeping a century-old depot sound never stops. In 2023, the Nevada Legislature's capital improvement bill gave final approval to fund renovation of the depot and the Freight Building, which will add exhibit space, room for community events and storage for collections and archives. In 2024 a local volunteer group repainted and repaired the weathered Freight Building. Museum director and historian Sean Pitts also leads summer heritage tours to Hamilton, White Pine County's original county seat.

A walk through the railroad's front office

The museum is upstairs in the main depot building, entered next to the Nevada Northern gift store and admission office. The tour starts in the old payroll office, which introduces the mining booms the railroad was built to serve. From there you pass through the finance office, where the auditor's high desk, typewriter, comptometer and mimeograph machine are still in place, and the secretary's office, which tells how dangerous railroad work was: in 1911 the accident rate for track workers was 17 percent.

The traffic manager's office, with its bay window over the yard, was the hub of daily operations. The superintendent's office belonged to H.M. (Pete) Peterson, the railroad's last superintendent, who held the job for seventeen years. Original furnishings and interpretive panels throughout trace the history of the railroad and the mine it served, and a research library supports deeper study.

Don’t miss

  1. The Nevada Northern storeroomLeft exactly as it was when the railroad shut down in 1983, it is the clearest sense of a railroad that stopped overnight.
  2. Superintendent's officeThe office of H.M. (Pete) Peterson, the Nevada Northern's last superintendent, who served for seventeen years.
  3. Traffic Manager's officeThe bay window here let the traffic manager keep a watchful eye on the yard, the hub of every day's operations.
  4. Finance office machinesA typewriter, comptometer and mimeograph machine sit at the auditor's high desk, a hands-off lesson in pre-computer bookkeeping.
  5. Secretary's officeLearn why railroading was so dangerous, with a 17 percent accident rate among track workers in 1911.

Old machines, a bay window and trains next door

This is a quiet, indoor museum of offices and artifacts, so it suits school-age kids who like old machines and stories more than toddlers who want to climb. Kids can look for the typewriter and mimeograph, peer out the traffic manager's bay window at the yard, and try to imagine working in a storeroom that has not changed since 1983.

The museum is upstairs, so families with strollers should call ahead about access. For train rides and yard tours, the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation operates excursions right next door, which makes this an easy add-on to a family train day.

Plan your visit: tips for East Ely Railroad Depot Museum

  • The museum is upstairs; the entrance is next to the Nevada Northern gift store and admission office.
  • Pair your visit with a train ride or yard tour run by the Nevada Northern Railway next door.
  • Book group tours and school field trips through the request forms on the museum's website.
  • Nevada public schools can apply for bus reimbursement for state museum visits.

A small state team and local volunteers

The museum is run by Nevada's Division of Museums and History with a small staff led by director and historian Sean Pitts. Local volunteers have pitched in on the depot grounds, including repainting the Freight Building. Visitors can support it by becoming a Nevada State Museum member, booking a group or school tour, or joining one of the summer heritage tours.

The railroad right outside the window

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum shares these grounds, about a mile from central Ely, and runs the guided yard tours and steam excursions that complete a visit here. For the rest of the state, see every train museum in Nevada.

Every train museum in Nevada

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Everything good at this museum is upstairs, in the old railroad offices, and I keep thinking about small legs on those steps. In our book, Rally's corgi legs are too short for the big train stairs, so Dad scoops him up and gives him a boost. I suspect a few tired little ones get carried up here too. That is how it goes with family trips. You can read why Rally's story matters so much to us on our story page.

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.

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More for train families

Work or volunteer at East Ely Railroad Depot 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.

East Ely Railroad Depot Museum: 20 visitor questions

Where is the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

The museum is at 1100 Avenue A, Ely, Nevada 89301, on the grounds of the Nevada Northern Railway National Historic Landmark. It is upstairs in the main depot building, and the entrance is next to the Nevada Northern gift store and admission office. Call (775) 289-1663 with questions.

What are the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 4:30 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm. Holiday hours are not listed, so call (775) 289-1663 before visiting on a holiday.

How much is admission to the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

Admission is free for Nevada State Museum members. The museum's website does not clearly list a general admission price, so call (775) 289-1663 to confirm the current rate before you go. Train rides and yard tours next door are priced separately by the Nevada Northern Railway.

What can you see at the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

The museum recreates the general offices of the Nevada Northern Railway: payroll, finance, the secretary's office, the traffic manager's office with its bay window and the superintendent's office. Original furnishings and panels tell the story of the railroad and the copper mine it served, and the storeroom is unchanged since 1983.

Is the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum the same as the Nevada Northern Railway Museum?

No, they are separate but side by side. The depot museum is run by the state's Division of Museums and History and covers the railroad's offices and history. The Nevada Northern Railway Foundation, next door, runs guided tours of the yards and shops and operates the excursion trains.

Is the East Ely museum part of the Nevada State Railroad Museum?

The museum is a Nevada state museum, and its pages refer to it as the Nevada State Railroad Museum, East Ely, and as the Nevada State Museum, East Ely. It is run by the Division of Museums and History, and state museum members get in free.

When was the East Ely Depot built?

The museum's pages give 1905 as the depot's date and say the building was completed in 1907. It has been restored to its original appearance and still stands over the rail yards that carried people, goods and copper ore for the Nevada Northern Railway.

What is the Nevada Northern Railway storeroom at the East Ely museum?

It is a room left exactly as it was when Kennecott Copper employees were suddenly laid off in 1983 and the Nevada Northern Railway shut down. Seeing it is one of the most memorable parts of a visit, since nothing was cleared out or staged afterward.

Who was Pete Peterson at the East Ely Depot?

H.M. (Pete) Peterson was the last superintendent of the Nevada Northern Railway, a job he held for seventeen years. His office is preserved as one of the museum's permanent galleries, giving visitors a look at the desk where the railroad was managed.

Can you ride a train at the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

The depot museum itself does not run trains, but the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation operates excursion trains seasonally right next door, along with guided tours of the yard and shops. Check the railway's own schedule and buy those tickets separately.

Is the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum good for kids?

It works best for school-age kids who enjoy history and old machines, like the typewriter, comptometer and mimeograph in the finance office. It is a quiet indoor museum without climbable equipment, so pair it with a train ride or yard tour next door to keep younger children happy.

Is the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum wheelchair accessible?

The museum is located upstairs in the depot, and accessibility details are not posted on its main visitor pages. The website footer links to ADA assistance. Call (775) 289-1663 before your visit to ask about access to the upper floor.

How long does a visit to the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum take?

Most visitors can walk through the restored offices in about an hour, longer if you read every panel or use the research library. Many families combine it with a yard tour or train ride on the Nevada Northern Railway next door to fill a half day.

Does the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum offer group tours?

Yes. Groups can request a tour through the form on the museum's Tours and Groups page, and schools can book field trips the same way. All Nevada public schools are eligible for bus reimbursement for state museum visits, which the museum explains on its website.

What are the East Ely museum heritage tours to Hamilton?

Each summer the museum offers heritage tours to Hamilton, White Pine County's original county seat, led by museum director and historian Sean Pitts. The tours explore eastern Nevada's first mining boom. Watch the museum's news page for dates and sign-up details.

Does the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum have a research library?

Yes. The museum lists a research library among its learning resources, useful for anyone studying the Nevada Northern Railway, White Pine County mining or family history. Contact the museum at (775) 289-1663 before visiting to arrange access.

What is the Freight Building project at the East Ely Depot?

In 2023 the Nevada Legislature gave final approval to fund renovations of the historic depot and its Freight Building. When finished, the Freight Building will have more exhibit space, room for community events and storage for the collections and archives. Local volunteers also repainted and repaired it in 2024.

How dangerous was railroad work on the Nevada Northern?

Very. The museum's secretary's office exhibit explains that in 1911 the accident rate among Nevada Northern track workers was 17 percent. It is one of several displays that show what it took to keep the railroad running day and night in a harsh environment.

Where can I see photos of the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

The museum shares photos and news on its Facebook page and YouTube channel, and its website shows the restored offices in its exhibit listings. Travel Nevada and the Ely visitor site also feature the depot, a Mission Revival style landmark on the rail yard.

What is near the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum?

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum shares the same grounds, with guided tours of the historic rail yard, shops and facilities, plus seasonal excursion trains. Together they make a full railroad day in Ely. Our Nevada state page lists other rail museums across the state.

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