End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum in Currie, Minnesota

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Currie, Minnesota · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Outdoor rail parkSummer Wednesday to Sunday, fall Fridays; appointments by request

End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum is a 12-acre Murray County park built around the hand-operated turntable at the end of Currie's branch line, saved by two 4-H teenagers in 1972 and now home to more than a dozen historic buildings and railroad exhibits.

  • Restored hand-operated turntable
  • 1875 Baldwin steam engine
  • Saved by a 4-H club in 1972
  • Over a dozen historic buildings
  • Free for veterans and military
  • Guided tours 45 to 60 minutes

End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum at a glance

Hours
Summer (May 23 to Sept 7, 2026): Wed to Sun 10 am to 5 pm; fall (Sept 18 to Oct 16): Fridays 10 am to 4:30 pm; appointments by request
Admission
Guided: adults $7, ages 6 to 17 $5; self-guided: $5 and $3; 5 and under, veterans and military families free
Seasonal events
MEA Weekend opening, Seasonal church services
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Families, school groups and small-town history fans
Best ages
Ages 3 to 12

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to End-O-Line Railroad Park & 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 Currie.

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.

How Currie's last stop became a park, little by little

Currie was the first village platted in Murray County, in 1872, yet it waited about 30 years for a railroad. Around 1900 the Des Moines Valley Railway Company of Minnesota built a 38-mile branch line from Bingham Lake to Currie. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, the Omaha Road, soon bought it, and the Chicago and North Western later took it over. Talk of extending the tracks west never came to anything, so Currie stayed the last stop on the line, and the town picked up the nickname "End of the Line."

Because trains could go no farther, the railroad installed a hand-operated turntable in 1901 to turn locomotives around. When that 56-foot wood and steel table was damaged, a 70-foot steel bridge turntable from Pipestone replaced it in 1922. The yard grew to include a water tower, sand tower, coal shed and engine house, with tracks to the grain elevators and passenger depot. Passenger traffic peaked in the 1920s and ended in 1928, freight dwindled by the 1950s, and the line was abandoned in January 1980.

The rescue started before the last train left. In 1972 a statewide 4-H challenge called Community Pride asked clubs to improve their hometowns, and two Currie teenagers in the Poco-a-Poco 4-H Club, Colleen Illg and Roxanne Probst, chose to clear the overgrown turntable site with leaders Louise Gervais and Dorothy Ruppert. Their project won recognition and grew, building by building, into the park. In 1975 so many people came to see Lieutenant Governor Rudy Perpich present Currie's Bicentennial flag here that he said the crowd outdid four similar Twin Cities events, and he took a spin on the turntable before he left.

A railyard and a village on 12 acres

Start at the Visitors' Center, where self-guided visitors get a free guidebook and map. The rail side of the park centers on the restored turntable, the water tower and a coal bunker that now serves as a picnic shelter. The Enginehouse holds an 1875 Baldwin steam engine and more than 300 railroad artifacts, and the 1900 Currie Depot has an HO model train display. Two cabooses, a 1940s Grand Trunk Western and a 1940s Minneapolis and St. Louis, sit on the grounds along with Fairmont motor cars used for track inspection and repair.

Beyond the tracks is a small village: the 1899 Section Foreman's House moved from Comfrey, an 1890 country schoolhouse, an 1873 Presbyterian Church that still holds seasonal services, a replica of Murray County's first courthouse and a miniature depot built in the 1970s. The 1872 General Store and a replica grist mill are temporarily closed. Guided tours take 45 to 60 minutes and include a turntable demonstration and model train operation.

Don’t miss

  1. The hand-operated turntableThe 70-foot steel turntable from 1922 is the reason the park exists, and guided tours include a demonstration of turning it by hand.
  2. 1875 Baldwin steam engineThe oldest piece of motive power in the park, displayed in the Enginehouse among more than 300 railroad artifacts.
  3. 1900 Currie DepotThe town's depot, now home to an HO scale model train display that runs during guided tours.
  4. Section Foreman's HouseBuilt in Comfrey in 1899, it shows how the railroad worker in charge of a stretch of track lived with his family.
  5. Two 1940s caboosesA Grand Trunk Western and a Minneapolis and St. Louis caboose, the historic caboose on the guided tour route.
  6. 1890 country schoolhouseA one-room rural school, a good stop for kids to compare with their own classroom.

Turn a turntable, climb into history, then hit the playground

Kids get to watch a full-size turntable spin by human power, see a model train run in the old depot, and peek inside a caboose, a schoolhouse and a section foreman's home. The 12 acres leave room to roam, and there is a playground and picnic areas when attention spans run out. Children 5 and under get in free.

School and daycare groups pay $3 per person for a guided tour, the picnic shelter is free for school groups, and the park can open the gift shop for your group if you ask. Restrooms are seasonal, so plan accordingly in spring or fall.

Plan your visit: tips for End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum

  • Type "440 North Mill Street" into your GPS; leaving out "North" can send you to the wrong place.
  • Guided tours start on the half hour from 10:30 to 3:30 and depend on staff, so call ahead.
  • Last admission in summer is 4:30 pm.
  • Bring a picnic: the coal bunker shelter and picnic areas are on site.
  • In winter, calls go to the Murray County Historical Museum in Slayton.

Murray County and the community that built it

End-O-Line is a Murray County park, cared for by a park supervisor and the county's museums staff alongside the Murray County Historical Society's collection. It began as a teen-led 4-H project and grew through community effort. You can support it by visiting, booking a group tour, renting the picnic shelter, church or whole park for an event, and shopping in the gift shop.

Rail history across the southwest corner

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum railroad exhibits in Brookings are about 58 miles west, and the Prairie Village Railroad in Madison, South Dakota is about 75 miles away. In Minnesota, the Kandiyohi County Historical Society railroad exhibits in Willmar are about 85 miles north. Find more on our page of Minnesota train museums.

Every train museum in Minnesota

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.

Two old cabooses sit at End-O-Line, and caboose steps are steep for small legs. In our book, the train stairs are much too big for Rally, so Dad bends down and gives our corgi a boost while Mom cheers him on. My kids, who are learning to read, love sounding out that page. I picture plenty of parents in Currie giving the same kind of boost. Our train books for toddlers list has more stories for little riders.

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 End-O-Line Railroad Park & 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.

End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum: 20 visitor questions

What are the End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum hours?

As of October 2026, summer hours ran May 23 to September 7, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm. Fall hours ran Fridays only, September 18 to October 16, 10 am to 4:30 pm. Appointments are available by request outside those times; call (507) 763-3708.

How much does End-O-Line Railroad Park cost?

As of October 2026, guided tours are $7 for adults 18 and up and $5 for ages 6 to 17. Self-guided visits are $5 for adults and $3 for ages 6 to 17. Children 5 and under, military veterans, active military and Blue Star Families get in free.

Where is End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum?

The park is at 440 North Mill Street, Currie, Minnesota 56123, just north of town across the Des Moines River on County Highway 38, off State Highway 30. Be sure to include "North" when you enter the address in GPS, because "440 Mill St." can send you to the wrong spot.

Why is it called End-O-Line?

Currie was the last stop on a 38-mile branch line that ran from Bingham Lake starting around 1900. There were rumors the tracks would continue west, but they never did, so the town became known as the end of the line. The park's name and its turntable both come from that history.

What is the turntable at End-O-Line Railroad Park?

Because trains could not continue past Currie, a hand-operated turntable was installed in 1901 to turn locomotives around. The original 56-foot table was replaced in 1922 by a 70-foot steel turntable from Pipestone. Fully restored, it is the park's centerpiece, and guided tours include a demonstration.

What can you see at End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum?

The park has more than a dozen historic buildings and exhibits, including an Enginehouse with an 1875 Baldwin steam engine and 300-plus artifacts, the 1900 Currie Depot with an HO model train, two 1940s cabooses, an 1899 section foreman's house, an 1890 schoolhouse, an 1873 church, a water tower and the turntable.

How long are guided tours at End-O-Line?

Standard guided tours last 45 to 60 minutes and start on the half hour from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Groups can choose a 90-minute full park tour or a 30 to 40 minute train-themed tour. Guided tours depend on staff availability, so call (507) 763-3708 to confirm.

Can you take a self-guided tour at End-O-Line Railroad Park?

Yes. Self-guided visitors can explore all open buildings and exhibits at their own pace. Pick up a free guidebook with a map and history at the Visitors' Center. As of October 2026, self-guided admission is $5 for adults and $3 for ages 6 to 17.

Is End-O-Line Railroad Park good for kids?

Yes. Children can watch the turntable turn by hand, see a model train run in the old depot, look into a caboose and an 1890 schoolhouse, and play on the playground. Kids 5 and under are free, and the park has picnic areas for a lunch break.

Can school groups visit End-O-Line Railroad Park?

Yes. School and daycare groups pay $3 per student or adult for a guided tour as of October 2026, and the picnic shelter is free for school groups. Book through the tour request form on endoline.com, and say whether you want the gift shop open. Reservations are first come, first served.

What are End-O-Line group rates?

As of October 2026, adult and bus groups of 15 or more pay $5 per person for a guided tour. School and daycare groups pay $3 per person. The park will customize a tour to fit your group's interests and schedule; request it online or call (507) 763-3708.

Can you rent space at End-O-Line Railroad Park?

Yes. As of October 2026, the picnic shelter is $50, the church is $200 for a wedding or $75 for a funeral or other event, and the entire park facility is $200, with a $500 facility deposit. A guided tour can be added to a rental for $25.

Is End-O-Line Railroad Park open in winter?

No regular winter hours are posted. The park's season runs from late May into mid-October, with appointments available by request. In the off-season, calls to (507) 763-3708 are forwarded to the Murray County Historical Museum in Slayton.

Is End-O-Line free for veterans?

Yes. Military veterans get in free, and so do active military and Blue Star Families, which include active duty, reserves, National Guard, Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Corps members with up to five family members. The park also has a Veterans Memorial built with Lionel Boudreau Post 322.

Who started End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum?

The park began in 1972, when Poco-a-Poco 4-H Club members Colleen Illg and Roxanne Probst took on the state's Community Pride challenge by cleaning up the overgrown turntable site, guided by leaders Louise Gervais and Dorothy Ruppert. Their project grew into today's 12-acre park.

Who runs End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum?

End-O-Line is a Murray County park. The county's park supervisor and Murray County Museums director oversee it, and the Murray County Historical Society's collections help tell Currie's story. Questions go to (507) 763-3708 or endoline@co.murray.mn.us.

When did trains stop running to Currie?

Passenger service to Currie peaked in the 1920s and ended in 1928. Only light train activity remained by the 1950s, and the branch line was officially abandoned in January 1980. Local volunteers had already started restoring the old railyard by then.

Is there a gift shop at End-O-Line Railroad Park?

Yes. The gift shop stays open until 5 pm on summer days, even after last park admission at 4:30 pm. Groups booking a tour can ask to have the gift shop opened for them. Fall hours end at 4:30 pm on Fridays.

Are there restrooms and picnic areas at End-O-Line?

Yes. The park has a playground, picnic areas and seasonal public restrooms. The old coal bunker serves as a picnic shelter that can be rented for $50 as of October 2026, and school groups can use it free.

What train museums are near End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum?

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum railroad exhibits in Brookings are about 58 miles away, the Sioux Falls railroad history exhibits about 64 miles, and the Prairie Village Railroad in Madison, South Dakota about 75 miles. In Minnesota, the Kandiyohi County Historical Society in Willmar is about 85 miles.

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