Iowa Trolley Park in Clear Lake, Iowa

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Clear Lake, Iowa · Updated October 19, 2026 · 9 min read

Trolley and streetcar museumTrain ridesRide days and hours are not posted online; check the Facebook page

Iowa Trolley Park is an educational, interactive railroad museum in Clear Lake that keeps alive the memory of the electric interurban lines, including the Mason City & Clear Lake Traction Company, that once carried North Iowa riders.

  • Interactive railroad museum
  • Interurban history of North Iowa
  • Learn-to-run diesel experience
  • Rides on operating days

Iowa Trolley Park at a glance

Hours
Not posted online; check the park's Facebook page before you go
Admission
Not posted online; check Facebook
Train rides
Rides on operating days; schedule and prices posted on Facebook when available
Best for
Families and interurban history fans in North Iowa

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

Contact and directions

Follow Iowa Trolley Park

Directions(opens in a new tab)

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Iowa Trolley Park? 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 Clear Lake.

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.

The trolley line between Mason City and Clear Lake

Mason City and Clear Lake were once linked by electric railway. The Mason City and Clear Lake Traction Company was founded in 1896 to carry both passengers and freight, and that company lives on today as the Iowa Traction Railway, a short line still operating as a common carrier.

Iowa Trolley Park, also listed as the Iowa Trolley Park and Rail Museum, interprets that interurban story for visitors with hands-on railroad experiences and displays about the electric lines that served the area. The Mason City & Clear Lake Electric Railroad Historical Society works to preserve the same electric railroad heritage around Mason City.

The park does not keep a full website, so its Facebook page is the best place to find out when it is open, what is running and how to plan a visit.

Hands-on railroading

The park describes itself as an educational, interpretive and interactive railroad museum. Its Facebook page invites visitors to take a ride and to learn to run a diesel locomotive, and interpretive displays cover the former interurban lines of the Mason City and Clear Lake area.

Don’t miss

  1. A ride on an operating dayThe park's own invitation is simple: take a ride. Check Facebook for when equipment is running.
  2. The learn-to-run diesel experienceA rare chance to get hands-on at the controls of a diesel locomotive; ask the park about age limits and booking.
  3. Interurban displaysInterpretive exhibits on the Mason City & Clear Lake Traction Company and the electric lines that served North Iowa.

Rides and real controls

A small, interactive museum with rides is a good scale for young children, and the learn-to-run diesel experience may suit older kids and teens. Ages, prices and schedules are not posted online, so message the park on Facebook before promising anyone a ride.

Plan your visit: tips for Iowa Trolley Park

  • Message the Iowa Trolley Park Facebook page to confirm it is open before driving out.
  • Ask ahead about the learn-to-run diesel experience, including age limits and booking.
  • Combine a visit with the Rock Island Depot Museum in Iowa Falls, about 40 miles away.

Keeping interurban history running

Iowa Trolley Park is a small operation with a loyal following of about a thousand people on Facebook. The best ways to support it are to visit on an operating day, share its posts, and ask through Facebook how to volunteer or donate.

More rail history within a drive

The Rock Island Depot Museum in Iowa Falls is about 40 miles away, and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, which also runs an electric trolley, is about 83 miles south. North into Minnesota, the Minnesota Streetcar Museum is about 123 miles away. See the full guide to Iowa train museums.

Every train museum in Iowa

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

An old electric line feels like it runs on a little magic, a spark overhead and then you are moving. It makes me think of the tunnel in our book: the train goes dark, Rally holds still, and then a big bright light comes and everyone cheers. My kids cheer on that page every single time. It is my favorite moment to read aloud, and I know my mom would have loved hearing it.

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 Iowa Trolley Park?

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.

Iowa Trolley Park: 20 questions before you go

Where is Iowa Trolley Park?

Iowa Trolley Park is in Clear Lake, Iowa, next door to Mason City in North Iowa. A street address is not posted online, so message the park's Facebook page for directions before you go. The park focuses on the interurban that once linked the two towns.

What is Iowa Trolley Park?

Iowa Trolley Park describes itself as an educational, interpretive and interactive railroad museum. It offers hands-on railroad experiences and displays about the former interurban lines of the area, including the Mason City & Clear Lake Traction Company, and promotes rides on its Facebook page.

What are the Iowa Trolley Park hours?

The park does not post regular hours online. Check the Iowa Trolley Park Facebook page for current operating days, or send the page a message before you drive out. Small rail museums often run seasonally, so confirming ahead is important.

How much does Iowa Trolley Park cost?

Admission and ride prices are not posted online. Message Iowa Trolley Park on Facebook to ask about current prices for rides and for the learn-to-run diesel experience, and whether you can pay by card or should bring cash.

Can you ride a trolley at Iowa Trolley Park?

The park's Facebook page invites visitors to take a ride, so rides are offered on operating days. What equipment runs on a given day is not posted online. Message the park on Facebook to confirm what will be running before your visit.

Can I learn to run a locomotive at Iowa Trolley Park?

Yes, Iowa Trolley Park promotes a chance to learn to run a diesel locomotive. Booking details, age requirements and prices are not posted online, so message the park through Facebook to ask how to schedule it.

What was the Mason City and Clear Lake Traction Company?

The Mason City and Clear Lake Traction Company was founded in 1896 as an electric railway carrying both passengers and freight between the two towns. It later became the Iowa Traction Railroad and is now the Iowa Traction Railway, a short line still operating as a common carrier.

Is Iowa Traction Railway still running?

Yes, the Iowa Traction Railway, the successor to the 1896 Mason City and Clear Lake Traction Company, is still operating as a class III short line freight railroad. Iowa Trolley Park interprets the history of that line and other interurbans that served the area.

What is the Mason City & Clear Lake Electric Railroad Historical Society?

The Mason City & Clear Lake Electric Railroad Historical Society is a historical group in Mason City dedicated to preserving and interpreting the electric railroad heritage of the Mason City and Clear Lake area. Ask Iowa Trolley Park on Facebook how its programs connect with the society's work.

Is Iowa Trolley Park good for kids?

It is built around hands-on experiences and rides, which suit children well. Because hours and age limits are not posted online, message the park on Facebook first, especially if you are hoping a child can take part in the locomotive experience.

Is Iowa Trolley Park good for toddlers?

A short ride and a small museum can be a nice fit for toddlers, but the park does not post details on stroller access, restrooms or ride length online. Ask through Facebook before you go so you know what to expect with little ones.

How long should I plan at Iowa Trolley Park?

The park does not post a typical visit length. As a small, interactive museum, it likely works as a stop of an hour or two rather than a full day, but confirm what is running on your date through Facebook so you can plan the rest of your day around Clear Lake.

Is Iowa Trolley Park wheelchair accessible?

Accessibility details for the museum and rides are not posted online. Message the Iowa Trolley Park Facebook page before your visit to ask about access to the displays and boarding the equipment. Volunteers can tell you what is practical for each piece of equipment.

Does Iowa Trolley Park have Christmas or Halloween rides?

Holiday events are not listed in the park's online information. Watch the Iowa Trolley Park Facebook page in the fall, where any seasonal rides would be announced, or message the page to ask. Plan any holiday outing well ahead, since small rail museums run limited dates.

Can I book a group or birthday at Iowa Trolley Park?

The park does not post a group or birthday package online. Message Iowa Trolley Park on Facebook to ask whether it can host a group, a school class or a party, and which days would work.

How do I contact Iowa Trolley Park?

The best way to reach Iowa Trolley Park is through its Facebook page, which has about a thousand followers and is where it posts updates. A phone number, email and website are not posted online, so send a message there and allow time for a reply.

Where do I park at Iowa Trolley Park?

Parking details are not posted online. When you message the park on Facebook for directions, ask where visitors should park, especially if you are coming with an RV or a larger group. Arriving a little early on an operating day also helps.

How can I volunteer at Iowa Trolley Park?

The park does not post a volunteer page online. Small rail museums depend on helpers, so message Iowa Trolley Park on Facebook to ask about volunteering, membership or donations to help keep its equipment running.

Is Iowa Trolley Park the same as the Mason City trolley exhibits?

Iowa Trolley Park in Clear Lake is the main place in the Mason City area that interprets the old interurban with rides and displays. The Mason City & Clear Lake Electric Railroad Historical Society also preserves that history. Ask the park on Facebook which exhibits are open where.

What train museums are near Iowa Trolley Park?

The Rock Island Depot Museum in Iowa Falls is about 40 miles away, and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, with its own electric trolley, is about 83 miles south. In Minnesota, the Gopher State Railway Museum is about 100 miles and the Minnesota Streetcar Museum about 123 miles.

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Kelsey Cecil
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