La Grange Railroad Museum, Kentucky
Railroad museumFreeFree admission, Tuesday to Sunday
The La Grange Railroad Museum and Learning Center is an all-volunteer, free museum on East Main Street that brings railroad history to life for Oldham County, from an L&N dining car and caboose to a playgroup for the very youngest train fans.
- Free admission
- All-volunteer museum
- 1929 L&N dining car
- 1953 L&N caboose
- Playgroup for babies to pre-K
La Grange Railroad Museum at a glance
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday; hours posted as 1 pm to 5 pm, check before you go
- Admission
- Free; donations welcome
- Seasonal events
- Spooky Caboose & Trunk or Treat, Ernie's Lil Engines Playgroup
- Plan for
- About 1 hour
- Best for
- Families with toddlers and young kids
- Best ages
- Babies to age 8
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address412 East Main St., La Grange, KY 40031(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(502) 501-5100
- Websitelagrangerailroadmuseum.org(opens in a new tab)
Follow La Grange Railroad Museum
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to La Grange 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 La Grange.
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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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
A Main Street museum built by volunteers
The La Grange Railroad Museum is run entirely by volunteers whose mission is bringing railroad history to life in La Grange. They keep admission free and rely on donations to fund operations and new projects. Oldham County's tourism office lists a 1952 steam engine, a 1929 Louisville & Nashville dining car and a 1953 L&N caboose among the collection, and visitors describe a museum that is still growing, with model trains, artifacts and a library of railroad books and facts.
The museum has added a Learning Center aimed at children from kindergarten to second grade and their families, and it is raising money to buy a boxcar for safe storage of its growing artifact collection. Hours and details change, so check the website or Facebook page before you visit.
Inside the museum and out by the cars
Indoors you will find model trains, railroad artifacts and a library. Rail history QR codes around the museum lead to short pieces on the L&N, the history of steam, Louisville's trolley system, dining and sleeping cars, railroad pocket watches and cabooses. Outside, visitors can see the engine and cars on display. The museum also runs a live virtual railfan camera with train footage.
Don’t miss
- The 1929 L&N dining carA Louisville & Nashville diner that also hosts museum events.
- The 1953 L&N cabooseThe star of the Spooky Caboose event in October.
- Rail history QR codesScan your way through stories of the L&N, steam, trolleys and railroad pocket watches.
Ernie's Lil Engines and a Learning Center
Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11 am belong to Ernie's Lil Engines Playgroup, a free hour of train play and songs for babies through pre-K in the main museum building; other visitors are still welcome. The Learning Center adds activities for kids in kindergarten through second grade, and the cars outside give older kids something real to look at.
Plan your visit: tips for La Grange Railroad Museum
- Tuesday mornings are playgroup time, which can be lively; everyone is still welcome.
- Contact the museum to arrange a private tour.
- Check the Facebook page for current hours and events.
In October the museum joins Main Street's Halloween Mania with Spooky Caboose and Trunk or Treat, held on October 24, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm in the museum and dining car. For more fall fun on the rails, see our roundup of Halloween train rides in Kentucky.
All volunteers, all free
The museum is all-volunteer, with a Monday Modelers group, volunteer positions and an online application. Admission stays free, so donations pay for operations and projects such as the boxcar fundraiser. The museum also rents its event space for weddings, parties and meetings, and has a gift shop.
More Kentucky trains nearby
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown is about 41 miles away, and the Bluegrass Railroad Museum in Versailles is about 42 miles. For a longer ride, the Kentucky Railway Museum is about 53 miles. Browse Kentucky's train museums for more.
- My Old Kentucky Dinner TrainBardstown, KY · about 41 mi
- Bluegrass Railroad MuseumVersailles, KY · about 42 mi
- Kentucky Railway MuseumNew Haven, KY · about 53 mi
- Railway Museum of Greater CincinnatiCovington area, KY · about 64 mi
- Cincinnati Museum Center railroad exhibitsCincinnati, OH · about 66 mi
- Indiana Railway MuseumFrench Lick, IN · about 68 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
A playgroup for babies and preschoolers at a train museum is the sweetest idea. Little ones that age love to pack a bag for an outing, and so does Rally. In our book he tucks in his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball before the trip to see his grand-paw-rents. My mom loved that kind of small detail. There are more train pictures to color on our coloring pages.
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 Kentucky: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Kentucky
- Halloween train rides in Kentucky
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at La Grange 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
- La Grange Railroad Museum official website(opens in a new tab)
- La Grange Railroad Museum on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- La Grange Railroad Museum on Instagram(opens in a new tab)
- La Grange Railroad Museum on Tripadvisor(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.
La Grange Railroad Museum: 20 questions families ask
Where is the La Grange Railroad Museum?
The La Grange Railroad Museum is at 412 East Main Street, La Grange, Kentucky 40031, in Oldham County. The museum and its outdoor railcars are on Main Street in town. Call 502-501-5100 if you need directions or want to confirm the museum is open.
What are the La Grange train museum hours?
As of October 2026, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, and its website shows hours of 1 pm to 5 pm. Tuesday mornings are set aside for a playgroup, though other visitors are welcome. Hours can change, so check the website or Facebook page before you go.
How much are tickets at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Admission is free. The museum is all volunteer and focuses on sharing railroad history at no cost to visitors. Donations are welcome and help fund daily operations and future projects, including a current effort to buy a boxcar for artifact storage. You can donate online or at the museum.
What is the La Grange Railroad Museum and Learning Center?
It is the full name of the museum, which added a Learning Center to expand its programs for the community. The Learning Center is the museum's first experience designed for children in kindergarten through second grade along with their parents and guardians. Ask the volunteers about current Learning Center activities.
What can you see at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Inside are model trains, railroad artifacts and a library of railroad books and facts. Outside, visitors can see engines and cars. Oldham County tourism lists a 1952 steam engine, a 1929 L&N dining car and a 1953 L&N caboose. QR codes add stories about steam, trolleys and the L&N.
Is the La Grange Railroad Museum good for toddlers?
Yes. Ernie's Lil Engines Playgroup meets on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11 am in the main museum building, with train play and songs geared for babies through pre-K. It is free. Free admission also makes short visits easy when toddlers are ready to go home after half an hour.
Does the La Grange Railroad Museum have a Halloween event?
Yes. Spooky Caboose and Trunk or Treat is part of Main Street's Halloween Mania in La Grange. In 2026 it is on Saturday, October 24, from 10 am to 2 pm at the museum and dining car. Check the special events calendar on the museum's website for details.
Can you ride a train at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
The museum does not offer train rides. Visitors can see the dining car, caboose and engine on display. For a ride, the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, about 53 miles away, runs excursion trains, and My Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown is about 41 miles away.
Can you go inside the railcars at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Visitors describe engines and cars outside that you can visit, and the 1929 L&N dining car is used for museum events such as the Spooky Caboose. Ask a volunteer on arrival which cars are open that day, since access can depend on staffing and weather.
Can you book a private tour of the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Yes. The museum invites visitors to contact it to arrange a private tour, which works well for school classes, scouts or family groups. Call 502-501-5100 or message the museum's Facebook page to set a time with the volunteers.
Can you rent the La Grange Railroad Museum for events?
Yes. The museum offers venue space for weddings, parties, meetings and other events and describes its rates as very reasonable. Visit the Plan Your Event page on the museum's website or call 502-501-5100 for availability and pricing.
What do reviews say about the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Visitors on Tripadvisor describe the museum as a work in progress with model trains, railroad artifacts and a library full of train facts, plus engines and cars outside to visit. Many appreciate that admission is free. Check Tripadvisor and Facebook for recent reviews.
Where can I see photos of the La Grange Railroad Museum?
The museum's website has a photos page, and its Facebook and Instagram accounts post pictures of exhibits, events and playgroup mornings. Tripadvisor also has visitor photos of the outdoor engine and cars, which give a good preview before your trip.
Is there a live train cam at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Yes. The museum shares a Live Virtual Railfan Cam with live train footage on its website. It is a fun way for kids to watch trains from home and a good preview before visiting in person. Find the link on lagrangerailroadmuseum.org.
Who runs the La Grange Railroad Museum?
The La Grange Railroad Museum is an all-volunteer organization with a board of directors. Volunteers staff the museum, run the playgroup and Learning Center, and care for the collection. A Monday Modelers group works on model railroading, and the website lists open volunteer positions.
How can I volunteer at the La Grange Railroad Museum?
The museum lists volunteer positions and an online volunteer application on its website. You can help with visitors, events, the Learning Center or the Monday Modelers group. Call 502-501-5100 if you have questions about which role fits you best.
How can I support the La Grange Railroad Museum?
Because admission is free, donations keep the museum running. The current fundraiser aims to buy a boxcar for secure storage of its growing artifact collection. You can donate through the website, shop in the gift shop, or rent the event space for a party or meeting.
Is there a La Grange railroad museum in Texas?
This page covers the La Grange Railroad Museum in La Grange, Kentucky, at 412 East Main Street in Oldham County. If you are searching for rail history in La Grange, Texas, that would be a separate place, so double-check the state before you set your GPS.
Does the La Grange Railroad Museum have a gift shop?
Yes. The museum has a gift shop, and purchases help support the free museum. It is open during regular museum hours, Tuesday through Sunday. Call 502-501-5100 to confirm what is in stock if you are shopping for a train fan's gift.
What train museums are near La Grange, Kentucky?
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown is about 41 miles away, the Bluegrass Railroad Museum in Versailles about 42 miles, and the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven about 53 miles. The Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati in Covington is about 64 miles north.
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