Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely, Nevada

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Ely, Nevada · Updated October 19, 2026 · 13 min read

Heritage railroad with a museumTrain ridesOpen daily; steam excursions and themed trains on a posted schedule

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum preserves a complete railroad left almost exactly as its workers walked away from it in 1983, a National Historic Landmark in Ely where steam locomotives still pull passenger trains on the original line.

  • National Historic Landmark since 2006
  • Over 70 buildings and structures
  • Steam locomotives No. 81 and No. 93
  • 90-minute excursion train rides
  • Be the Engineer experience
  • Home of Dirt the shop cat

Nevada Northern Railway Museum at a glance

Hours
Monday to Wednesday 8 am to 5 pm, Thursday and Saturday 8 am to 7:30 pm, Sunday and federal holidays 8 am to 4 pm
Admission
Adults $10, seniors $8, ages 4 to 12 $5, under 4 free; train rides ticketed separately
Train rides
Steam and diesel excursions of about 90 minutes year round on a posted calendar, plus handcar, Doodlebug and themed trains
Seasonal events
Pumpkin Patch Caper, Haunted Ghost Train, Santa's Reindeer Flyer, Winter Steam Spectacular Photoshoot, Fourth of July, Iron Horse Symposium
Plan for
Half a day with a train ride and yard tour
Best for
Steam fans, road-trippers and families who want to ride
Best ages
Ages 3 and up
Accessibility
Excursion trains are wheelchair accessible and have an onboard restroom.

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Nevada Northern Railway 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.

The day the workers went to lunch and never came back

The Nevada Northern Railway was built in the first decade of the 1900s to serve the copper mining boom in White Pine County, and for decades it moved ore, freight and passengers between the mines, the smelter and connections with the transcontinental lines. The Steptoe Valley Flyer made its last passenger run on July 31, 1941, replaced by buses, and locomotive No. 40 went into reserve. For the railroad's 50th anniversary in September 1956, No. 40 and the coaches were brought back out, beginning a second life pulling excursions.

In 1983 the railroad ran its last train when Kennecott Copper laid off its workers. Ely residents, worried about losing both the mines and the railroad, approached Kennecott about saving it, and through a series of donations the Nevada Northern Railway Museum was formed. Kennecott handed over the East Ely yard to a local nonprofit, complete with every company record from the railroad's beginning. The museum likes to say that time stopped here, as if the crews went to lunch and never came back.

The rebuilding came steadily. The first steam excursion left the East Ely Depot behind No. 40 on Memorial Day weekend 1987. No. 93 returned to service in 1993 and No. 81 in 2021. In 2006 the East Ely yard was designated a National Historic Landmark, cited as one of the best-preserved early 20th century rail yards in the country. In 2026 the railroad marks its 120th anniversary and welcomes its 400,000th passenger. Today the State of Nevada owns the museum, and a team of more than 20 paid staff and over 130 volunteers from across the United States and Canada runs hundreds of trains a year.

Seventy buildings, a 1907 machine shop and engines under steam

The grounds cover more than 70 buildings and structures and 30 miles of track, and guided walking tours take you through the East Ely yard, the shops and the original 1907 machine shop, which still does real work. The collection includes three of the railroad's original steam locomotives, an electric locomotive, several diesel-electrics, maintenance equipment and a fleet of passenger cars, wood-side boxcars, ore cars and work trains that date from the 1910s. Steam engines No. 81 and No. 93 run in regular service, while No. 40, the official State Locomotive of Nevada, is out of service for overhaul.

Excursion trains take about 90 minutes, with a choice of coach or open-air seating, an onboard restroom and snacks for sale. The museum also runs a gasoline Doodlebug rail car, handcar trips and a long list of themed trains. The 1907 East Ely Depot, a two-story Mission Revival building with a stone ground floor and curved gables, still anchors the yard.

Don’t miss

  1. Locomotive No. 93One of the two steam engines in regular service, No. 93 went to Utah for the 2002 Winter Olympics and helped carry the Olympic flame toward Heber City.
  2. Locomotive No. 40The official State Locomotive of Nevada pulled the first museum steam excursion in 1987 and is now undergoing its federally required overhaul.
  3. The 1907 machine shopOriginal to the railroad and still in operation, it was also home to Dirt the shop cat.
  4. The steam crane and tank carThe museum has the oldest operating coal-fired steam crane and the oldest operating tank car on any American railroad.
  5. Doodlebug ExcursionA ride in a self-propelled gasoline rail car, the kind railroads once used on lightly traveled branch lines.
  6. East Ely DepotThe 1907 Mission Revival depot where passengers once boarded, later used in the film Rat Race.

Pumpkin patches, handcars and Dirt the Cat

Young kids get their own themed rides here. The Pumpkin Patch Caper is a musical trip to Keystone Gulch with Smokey McCinders and Dirt the Cat, Santa's Reindeer Flyer brings hot cocoa and Santa at the holidays, and handcar trips let families pump along the rails themselves. Children 4 to 12 pay $5 for museum admission, and kids under 4 get in free.

Ely sits over a mile high, so the weather can turn quickly: bring a hat and sunscreen for the open-air car and a jacket for evening trains. Excursion trains are wheelchair accessible and have an onboard restroom, which helps with little ones on a 90-minute ride. Older kids and teens who love machines can look at the hands-on history programs.

Plan your visit: tips for Nevada Northern Railway Museum

  • Ely is remote: Las Vegas and Salt Lake City are each about 245 miles away, so plan an overnight.
  • Book train rides and special events ahead online to save your seats.
  • Bring a hat and sunscreen for the open-air car and a jacket for evening trains.
  • Be the Engineer takes advance planning, so book well before your trip.
  • Members get train ticket discounts and a cab ride on a passenger excursion.

Fall in Ely means two very different evenings: the Pumpkin Patch Caper for little kids and the Haunted Ghost Train, with zombies, aliens and ghouls along the dark tracks, for braver riders. In winter, Santa's Reindeer Flyer serves hot cocoa on the way to see Santa. See more choices in our roundups of Halloween train rides in Nevada and Christmas train rides in Nevada.

Paid crews and volunteers from two countries

The State of Nevada owns the museum and a historic foundation operates it, using an unusual mix of more than 20 paid staff and over 130 volunteers who come from across the United States and Canada. Together they run the trains, restore locomotives, cars and buildings, and look after the archive. Visitors can help by becoming members, volunteering, donating to the museum or buying from the gift shop.

Next door in East Ely

Upstairs in the depot on the same grounds, about a mile from downtown Ely, the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum shows the railroad's offices just as clerks and dispatchers used them, and it pairs naturally with a yard tour. Ely is a long way from other rail sites, so for a statewide road trip, plan with our list of every train museum in Nevada.

Every train museum in Nevada

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The museum tells riders to pack a hat and sunscreen for the open-air car and a jacket for the evening trains, since Ely sits over a mile high. That made me laugh, because packing is Rally's favorite part of our book. He fills his little suitcase with his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball, and nothing else matters. I would add a jacket for Ely. Your kids can color Rally's suitcase 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
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 Nevada Northern Railway 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.

Nevada Northern Railway Museum: 20 questions before you ride

Where is the Nevada Northern Railway Museum?

The museum is at 1100 Avenue A in Ely, Nevada 89301, at the East Ely rail yard. Ely is remote: Las Vegas and Salt Lake City are each about 245 miles away, Reno about 300 miles, and Elko has the closest airport with scheduled flights. Call (775) 289-2085 for help planning the trip.

What are the Nevada Northern Railway Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum lists hours of 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Wednesday, 8 am to 7:30 pm Thursday and Saturday, and 8 am to 4 pm on Sunday and federal holidays. Friday hours are not shown on that schedule, so call (775) 289-2085 to confirm before a Friday visit.

How much are Nevada Northern Railway Museum tickets?

As of October 2026, museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children 4 to 12, and free for infants under 4. Train rides, handcar trips and hands-on experiences like Be the Engineer are priced separately and can be booked on nnry.com. Members get discounts on train tickets and experiences.

How long is the Nevada Northern Railway train ride?

Each excursion takes about 90 minutes. Riders can choose coach or open-air seating or move between the two, and the trains have an onboard restroom, wheelchair accessibility and snacks and drinks for sale. Steam locomotives are used year round, and the train rides calendar on the website shows which trips run when.

Can you drive a steam locomotive at the Nevada Northern Railway?

Yes. Through the Be the Engineer experience, visitors can operate a locomotive themselves, making this one of the few places in the world where that is possible. It takes advance planning, so book well ahead. For details, call (775) 289-2085 and ask for extension 2, which handles the gift shop and Be the Engineer.

What locomotives are on the Nevada Northern Railway Museum roster?

The roster includes three of the railroad's original steam locomotives, Nos. 40, 81 and 93, plus an electric locomotive and several diesel-electrics. Nos. 81 and 93 run in regular service, while No. 40 is out of service for its federally required overhaul. Steptoe Valley Mining & Smelting No. 3, a Porter engine from the McGill smelter, is in storage.

Who owns the Nevada Northern Railway Museum?

The State of Nevada owns the museum, and it is operated by a historic foundation dedicated to preserving the Nevada Northern Railway. The museum and Ely City together own the entire original route. Kennecott Copper donated the East Ely yard to a local nonprofit in 1983, along with every company record from the railroad's start.

What city is the Nevada Northern Railway Museum in?

It is in Ely, in White Pine County in eastern Nevada, at the historic East Ely yard. The depot there was named East Ely after Ely residents went to court over its location, since it sits away from the main townsite. Today trains run between Ely and Ruth on part of the original line.

Who was Dirt, the Nevada Northern Railway cat?

Dirt was the railroad's shop cat, born in 2008, who lived in the machine shop and went viral in 2019 after photographer Steve Crise posted photos of him online. He became the museum's mascot and died on January 10, 2023. The museum announced plans for two bronze statues, one at his grave and one in the machine shop.

Is the Nevada Northern Railway Museum worth the trip?

For anyone who loves steam, yes. It is a complete working railroad and National Historic Landmark rather than a display of parked engines, with over 70 buildings and 30 miles of track. Visitors often plan an overnight in Ely to fit in a 90-minute steam excursion, a yard tour and a themed or evening train.

What can you see on a Nevada Northern Railway yard tour?

Guided walking tours lead through the East Ely yard complex, the shops and the original 1907 machine shop, which still operates. You will see historic locomotives, 1910s rolling stock including wood-side boxcars and ore cars, and equipment like the oldest operating coal-fired steam crane on any American railroad. Check nnry.com for tour times.

Does the Nevada Northern Railway have Halloween trains?

Yes, two kinds. The Pumpkin Patch Caper is a musical trip to Keystone Gulch for younger kids, featuring Smokey McCinders and Dirt the Cat. The Haunted Ghost Train runs after dark, with zombies, aliens and ghouls along the tracks, for older riders. Both are booked through the train rides page, and seats go early.

Does the Nevada Northern Railway run a Christmas train?

Yes. Santa's Reindeer Flyer is the museum's holiday train, with Santa on board, hot cocoa and plenty of holiday cheer. Dates and tickets are posted on nnry.com, and booking ahead is wise. In winter the museum also schedules a Winter Steam Spectacular photoshoot for photographers who want steam in the snow.

What is the Moonlight Handcar Experience in Ely?

It is a full-moon tour aboard one of the museum's historic handcars, a quiet way to see the line at night. The museum also offers daytime Handcar Experience trips. Both are listed on the train rides page with dates and tickets, and space is limited, so book ahead.

What themed trains does the Nevada Northern Railway offer?

Besides regular excursions, the calendar includes the Star Train, Sunset, Stars and Champagne, the Fireworks Express and Fire and Ice Fireworks Train, a Rockin' and Rollin' Geology Train, a Ping Pong Train, Taste of Italy, the Steptoe Valley Flyer, the Silver State Express and a Fourth of July train. Schedules change, so check nnry.com.

Is the Nevada Northern Railway Museum good for kids?

Yes. Kids can ride behind steam, pump a handcar, ride the Doodlebug rail car and join themed trains made for them, like the Pumpkin Patch Caper. Admission is $5 for ages 4 to 12 and free for younger children as of October 2026. Bring layers, since Ely is over a mile high and weather can change.

What happened to the Nevada Northern Railway in 1983?

In 1983 Kennecott Copper laid off its employees suddenly and the railroad shut down. Ely residents approached Kennecott about saving it, and through a series of donations the museum was formed. The first museum steam excursion ran on Memorial Day weekend 1987, pulled by locomotive No. 40 from the East Ely Depot.

Has the Nevada Northern Railway been in movies or on TV?

Yes. The depot appears in the 2001 film Rat Race, and the museum was featured on Modern Marvels in 2010 and in six episodes of American Restoration. Locomotive No. 40 appeared in the 1987 TV movie Once Upon a Texas Train. The museum also hosts film shoots through its groups and charters program.

Can you charter a train or hold an event at the Nevada Northern Railway?

Yes. The museum hosts school field trips, weddings, family reunions, car and motorcycle club rallies, airplane clubs, symposiums and movie filming, and you can even rent the whole railroad. It publishes pricing for charter trains, diner trains and facility rentals. Call (775) 289-2085 or use the host an event form on nnry.com.

How can I volunteer at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum?

The museum relies on over 130 volunteers who come from all over the United States and Canada to run trains, restore equipment and buildings and care for the archives. Use the contact form on nnry.com and choose volunteering, or call (775) 289-2085. Membership and donations also support the work.

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