Lomita Railroad Museum, California

Oct 19

Lomita, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Railroad museumHours not posted online; check the museum's Facebook page

The Lomita Railroad Museum is a small museum of California railroad history, opened in 1967 in a replica of a 19th-century New England depot, with a full-size steam locomotive, tender and cabooses on the grounds.

Grand opening June 23, 1967
1901 Baldwin steam locomotive
Replica Boston & Maine depot
1910 Union Pacific caboose
Grounds double as a small park

Lomita Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours: Not posted online; check the museum's Facebook page before you go
Admission: Not posted online; check the museum's Facebook page
Plan for: About 30 minutes to 1 hour
Best for: Young train fans and a short neighborhood outing
Best ages: Toddlers to age 10

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

Contact and directions

Address2137 West 250th Street, Lomita, CA 90717(opens in a new tab)

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Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Lomita 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 Lomita.

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.

Irene Lewis and a New England depot on 250th Street

The Lomita Railroad Museum began with Irene Lewis, who founded it in the early 1960s on a single lot in the middle of a residential part of Lomita. The museum held its grand opening on June 23, 1967, and it has been devoted to California railroad history ever since.

Its station building is a replica of a 19th-century depot: Greenwood Station of the Boston & Maine, which once stood in Wakefield, Massachusetts. A full-size replica water tower stands with it, and the museum grounds now serve the neighborhood as a small public park. The depot holds scale models, photographs and paintings of trains, while full-size rolling stock sits outside. The museum does not keep a regular website, so its Facebook page is the best place to confirm hours, events and admission before a visit.

A depot, a water tower and a short train of real cars

Inside the replica depot you will find the museum's scale models, train photographs and paintings. Outside stand a 1901 Baldwin steam locomotive coupled to a Southern Pacific whaleback tender, a 1910 Union Pacific caboose and a Santa Fe caboose, along with a Union Pacific boxcar and a Union Oil tank car. The replica water tower completes the scene, and the park-like grounds give families room to walk around the equipment.

Don’t miss

1901 Baldwin steam locomotiveThe museum's centerpiece is a full-size Baldwin steam engine built in 1901, displayed with its tender.
Southern Pacific whaleback tenderThe rounded, whale-shaped tender behind the locomotive is a distinctive Southern Pacific design worth a close look.
1910 Union Pacific cabooseOne of two cabooses on the grounds, this one dates to 1910.
The replica Greenwood StationThe depot copies the Boston & Maine station that once stood in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and holds the museum's models, photos and paintings.

Big wheels on a small, walkable lot

The museum is compact, which suits young children: they can see a real steam locomotive, a tender and two cabooses up close without a long walk. The scale models and train paintings inside the depot give older kids something to study. The museum does not say online whether visitors can climb into the cab or cabooses, so ask a volunteer or message the museum on Facebook before promising little ones a look inside.

Plan your visit: tips for Lomita Railroad Museum

Confirm hours on the museum's Facebook page, since there is no separate website.
The museum sits in a residential area at 2137 West 250th Street, so watch for the depot and water tower among the houses.
Pair a visit with another Los Angeles area rail stop, since this one is small.

A neighborhood museum kept going for decades

Irene Lewis started the museum in the early 1960s, and it has been open to the public since 1967. The museum does not post who runs it today or how to volunteer, so the museum's Facebook page is the place to ask about donations, helping out or upcoming events.

More trains around the South Bay and Los Angeles

The Fullerton Train Museum is about 23 miles east, and Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles is about 24 miles north. Also about 24 miles away, the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is a good pairing for kids who want more. For the full list, see train museums across California.

Every train museum in California

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.

A 1901 steam locomotive has a very tall step up to the cab, taller than any corgi could manage. In our book, Rally's little legs can't make it up the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. I think about that every time I see an old engine like the one in Lomita. If your kids love that moment too, there are free coloring pages of 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

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)

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Every Amtrak route with kids

Work or volunteer at Lomita 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.

Lomita Railroad Museum: 20 questions before you visit

Where is the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The Lomita Railroad Museum is at 2137 West 250th Street in Lomita, California 90717, in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. It sits on a single lot in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so look for the depot and water tower between the houses rather than a large museum campus.

What are the Lomita Railroad Museum hours?

The museum does not post its hours on a website, and no current schedule is listed elsewhere. Its Facebook page, at facebook.com/LomitaRailroadMuseum, is the best place to check open days and times before you drive over. Small museums like this one can change hours for holidays and events, so confirm the same week you plan to go.

Do you need tickets for the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum does not have an online ticket system or posted admission price for the Lomita Railroad Museum. Visitors usually arrive during open hours, but the museum's Facebook page is the place to confirm whether there is an entry fee or donation and whether special events need advance tickets.

What is there to see at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum shows a full-size 1901 Baldwin steam locomotive with a Southern Pacific whaleback tender, a 1910 Union Pacific caboose, a Santa Fe caboose, a Union Pacific boxcar and a Union Oil tank car. Inside the replica depot are scale models, photographs and paintings of trains, and a full-size replica water tower stands on the grounds.

When did the Lomita Railroad Museum open?

The Lomita Railroad Museum held its grand opening on June 23, 1967. Irene Lewis founded it in the early 1960s, building it on a single lot in a residential part of Lomita. It has been devoted to California railroad history since then, and the grounds now also serve as a small public park.

Who founded the Lomita Railroad Museum?

Irene Lewis founded the Lomita Railroad Museum in the early 1960s. Her museum opened to the public in 1967 with a replica of a 19th-century New England depot as its main building. Who owns or manages the museum today is not posted online, so the museum's Facebook page is the best place to ask.

Who owns the Lomita Railroad Museum today?

Current ownership of the Lomita Railroad Museum is not posted online. It was founded by Irene Lewis, opened in 1967, and that its grounds now function as a small public park. For current ownership or management questions, message the museum through its Facebook page.

What is the depot at the Lomita Railroad Museum modeled on?

The museum building is a replica of Greenwood Station, a 19th-century Boston & Maine depot that once stood in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It gives this Southern California museum a New England look, and it now houses the collection of scale models, photographs and train paintings. A full-size replica water tower stands alongside it.

Is the Lomita Railroad Museum good for toddlers?

It can be a nice short outing for toddlers who love trains. The museum is compact, so little legs do not have far to go between the steam locomotive, the tender and the two cabooses, and the grounds work like a small park. Plan on a brief visit and check the Facebook page for open hours first.

Can you go inside the trains at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum does not say online whether visitors can enter the locomotive cab or the cabooses at the Lomita Railroad Museum. The equipment is displayed outdoors on the grounds, so you can at least see it up close. Ask a volunteer on arrival, or message the museum on Facebook beforehand, if climbing aboard matters to your kids.

Can you ride a train at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The Lomita Railroad Museum does not offer advertised train rides. It is a display museum, with a steam locomotive, tender, cabooses and freight cars on static exhibit and a depot full of models and photos. For a ride, families often pair it with another Los Angeles area rail stop such as a park railroad.

Does the Lomita Railroad Museum have Santa events?

People do search for Santa at the Lomita Railroad Museum, but the museum has not posted a current holiday event or its dates. If the museum hosts a Santa visit, it would announce it on its Facebook page, so check there in November and early December for any holiday plans.

Is there an Easter egg hunt at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

Families search for an egg hunt at the Lomita Railroad Museum, but the museum has not posted a current Easter event or its schedule. The museum's park-like grounds would suit one, so watch its Facebook page in the weeks before Easter for any announcement and details on times or sign-ups.

Does the Lomita Railroad Museum host a tea or family fun day?

Tea events and a family fun day are both things people search for, but the museum has not posted dates, prices or details for either one. Events at small museums like this are usually posted on social media, so follow the museum's Facebook page to catch the next one.

Where can I find photos and reviews of the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum's Facebook page shares photos and updates, and Tripadvisor and Yelp both carry visitor reviews and pictures. Those sites describe it as a small museum in a replica 19th-century depot with full-size rolling stock outside. Reviews are a helpful way to see how recent visitors found the hours and parking.

How long should I spend at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

Plan on about 30 minutes to an hour. The museum is a single residential lot with a depot building, a water tower and a short line of rolling stock, so it is a quick stop rather than a full day. Many families combine it with another South Bay or Los Angeles outing.

Is the Lomita Railroad Museum wheelchair or stroller accessible?

The Lomita Railroad Museum does not post accessibility details online. The grounds are a small park on one lot, but surfaces and entry steps into the depot are not detailed. If you need step-free access, message the museum on Facebook before your visit so a volunteer can tell you what to expect.

Is there parking at the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum does not advertise a parking lot. Because the museum sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood on West 250th Street, expect to look for street parking nearby and be considerate of the neighbors. The museum's Facebook page can confirm current parking advice.

How can I support the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The museum does not post a membership program or volunteer sign-up for the Lomita Railroad Museum. The simplest ways to help are visiting during open hours, following and sharing its Facebook page, and asking there about donations or volunteering. Leaving a thoughtful review also helps other families find it.

What train museums are near the Lomita Railroad Museum?

The Fullerton Train Museum is about 23 miles away. Travel Town Museum, the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad, the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum and Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn are all about 24 miles away in Los Angeles. RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona is about 37 miles from Lomita.

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Kelsey Cecil