Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Heritage railroad with a museumTrain ridesFreeWalk-in hours Thursday to Saturday; train rides on select Saturdays May to August
The Oklahoma Railway Museum is a volunteer-run, self-funded nonprofit in northeast Oklahoma City where families can walk a yard full of locomotives, cabooses and track equipment for free, then ride historic passenger coaches behind vintage diesels.
- Free museum admission
- Rides from the Oakwood Depot
- Vintage diesels and historic coaches
- Polar Express from November
- Volunteer-run nonprofit
- Route 66 Passport stop
Oklahoma Railway Museum at a glance
- Hours
- Thursday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm (walk-in season January to October)
- Admission
- Museum admission free (donations welcome); train ride tickets sold separately
- Train rides
- First and third Saturdays, May to August in 2026, at 11:15 am, 1:15 pm and 3:15 pm; $12 adults, $5 ages 3 to 12, under 3 free on a lap
- Seasonal events
- Easter Bunny Express, Halloween Train, The Polar Express Train Ride, OKC Train Show, Motorcar Excursions, At the Throttle, Rail Bike Tours
- Plan for
- About 2 hours with a train ride
- Best for
- Families with young kids and anyone who wants to ride, not just look
- Best ages
- Toddlers to age 12
- Accessibility
- ADA seating for The Polar Express is available by phone; the museum grounds are mainly outdoors.
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address3400 NE Grand Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73111(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(405) 424-8222
- Emailinfo@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org
- Websiteoklahomarailwaymuseum.org(opens in a new tab)
Follow Oklahoma Railway Museum
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma City.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
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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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
A yard of donated cars, kept rolling by Oklahoma volunteers
The Oklahoma Railway Museum describes its purpose simply: to give people an educational experience of railroads and how they shaped Oklahoma and the nation. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pays its own way through memberships, train fares, special events, donations and grants for restoration projects, and the people who guide tours, run trains and repair equipment are volunteers.
Much of the collection arrived one donation at a time, and the stories behind the pieces read like a map of the railroads that once crossed the state. A hand car that had been given to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds sometime before the 1970s came to the museum in June 2015, and museum volunteers restored it. A Fairmont motor car that worked for the Southern Pacific's Maintenance of Way Department was donated by Bob Flaherty in 2016. Union Pacific gave the museum a Missouri Pacific idler car once used to escort a crane in transit.
Other pieces trace Oklahoma lines directly. A derrick car started life on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, passed to the North Central Oklahoma Railway, and finally landed here. A green M-K-T inspection car rode the Katy's tracks checking rail from 1973 to 1988. A hand and foot powered Frisco velocipede, light enough at 140 pounds for a worker to lift off the rails, shows how track inspectors got around on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway.
Today the museum mixes that preservation work with a busy event calendar, and for the Route 66 Centennial in 2026 it is a featured stop on the TravelOK Route 66 Passport.
Walking the yard and riding out from the Oakwood Depot
The museum is mainly outdoors, so a visit is a walk among the equipment: locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses and a long list of small track machines. The museum sorts its exhibits into those groups, and the miscellaneous corner is where many kids linger, with the hand car, two Fairmont motor cars, the Frisco velocipede, railcar movers and a hyrail truck that can drive on a highway or roll on rails. Visit OKC notes that a real steam engine is on display alongside the freight and passenger cars.
On ride days, trains leave the Oakwood Depot behind the museum's vintage diesel locomotives, pulling historic passenger coaches. The museum's point is that history should be experienced rather than only looked at, and its At the Throttle program goes a step further by letting guests drive a diesel locomotive. A virtual tour on the museum's website gives a preview before you go.
Don’t miss
- The restored hand carDonated by the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in 2015 and brought back by museum volunteers, it shows the muscle-powered way crews once moved along the line.
- Frisco velocipedeA 140-pound hand and foot powered track cart used by Frisco maintenance workers, light enough to swing off the rails when a train came.
- Rock Island W-64A derrick carA work car from the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific with a winch typical of the Rock Island's own modifications.
- MKT 1045 inspection carPainted green and used by the Katy's operating department for track inspections from 1973 to 1988.
- Hyrail truckA road vehicle with small retractable rail wheels, the kind modern railroads still use for maintenance and inspection.
- The Oakwood DepotEvery regular train ride boards here, so it is the place to be at departure time on ride Saturdays.
Track carts, coaches and a train ride for small conductors
Kids get the most out of a ride Saturday: a trip in a historic passenger coach behind a diesel, with tickets for ages 3 to 12 priced well below the adult fare and children under 3 riding free in a parent's lap. On walk-in days, the small track machines are easy to see up close and give little ones something sized for them.
Because the museum is mostly outdoors, dress for Oklahoma weather and bring water in summer. The museum may close in bad weather or when it is colder than 40 degrees or hotter than 100. Seasonal trains such as the Easter Bunny Express, the Halloween Train and The Polar Express are built around families with young children.
Plan your visit: tips for Oklahoma Railway Museum
- Buy ride tickets ahead; walk-in museum visits are free but trains need a ticket.
- The museum may close below 40 degrees or above 100 degrees, or in bad weather.
- Changes and cancellations must be made by phone or email, not online.
- Guided group tours need at least two weeks' notice and are not offered in November or December.
- For Polar Express trips, arrive about 40 minutes before your showtime.
Late October brings the Halloween Train, and from November 20 through December 31, 2026, The Polar Express Train Ride takes over the museum, with Santa boarding to hand out the First Gift of Christmas. Both sell out quickly, so book early. For more ideas around the state, see our guides to Christmas train rides in Oklahoma and Halloween train rides in Oklahoma.
Volunteers in the cab, the shop and the depot
The Oklahoma Railway Museum is a self-funded nonprofit, and its guides and operating crews are volunteers who love railroad history. You can help by becoming a member, donating (even a few dollars on a free walk-in visit), buying ride and event tickets, or joining the volunteer program, which holds information sessions for newcomers.
More rail history around Oklahoma City
The Heartland Flyer page covers Oklahoma's only passenger train, which starts its run about 4 miles away. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie is about 26 miles north, and the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma in Enid is about 66 miles away. See all the train museums in Oklahoma for a longer road trip.
- Heartland Flyer historic railroad exhibitsOklahoma City area, OK · about 4 mi
- Oklahoma Territorial Museum railroad exhibitsGuthrie, OK · about 26 mi
- Railroad Museum of OklahomaEnid, OK · about 66 mi
- Oklahoma Steam Threshers & Gas Engine Association railroad collectionPawnee, OK · about 69 mi
- Tulsa Route 66 Historical Village railroad collectionTulsa, OK · about 94 mi
- Wichita Falls Railroad MuseumWichita Falls, TX · about 124 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
At this museum the volunteers do more than talk about trains; they run them, and they even let guests take the throttle. That makes me think of Mr. Conductor in our book, standing in his blue uniform with his hand held out to help Rally aboard. A friendly hand at the door is half of what makes a first train ride feel safe. If your little one wants to color a conductor before ride day, try 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 Oklahoma: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Oklahoma
- Halloween train rides in Oklahoma
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Oklahoma 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
- Oklahoma Railway Museum official website(opens in a new tab)
- Oklahoma Railway Museum on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- Oklahoma Railway Museum on Instagram(opens in a new tab)
- Oklahoma Railway Museum on YouTube(opens in a new tab)
- Oklahoma Railway Museum on X(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.
Oklahoma Railway Museum: 20 questions families ask
Where is the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
The Oklahoma Railway Museum is at 3400 NE Grand Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73111, in the northeast part of the city. Regular train rides board at the Oakwood Depot on the museum grounds. The museum's rail bike tours run north and east through nearby neighborhoods and past the Lincoln Park Golf Course, which gives a sense of the setting.
What are the Oklahoma Railway Museum hours?
As of October 2026, the museum is open for walk-in visits Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, and its home page lists that schedule for January through October. It may close for bad weather or when temperatures fall below 40 or rise above 100 degrees, to protect volunteers. Call (405) 424-8222 if the forecast looks doubtful.
How much are Oklahoma Railway Museum tickets?
Walking through the museum is free, and donations are welcome but not required. As of October 2026, regular train ride tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 3 to 12, and children under 3 ride free on a parent's lap. Special events such as The Polar Express and the Halloween Train are priced separately on their own ticket pages.
When does the Oklahoma Railway Museum train ride run?
Regular train rides run on the first and third Saturdays of the month, and for the 2026 season the museum moved summer rides to May through August, with April set aside for special event trains. Trains leave the Oakwood Depot at 11:15 am, 1:15 pm and 3:15 pm behind vintage diesel locomotives pulling historic passenger coaches.
Is there a steam train ride at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
The museum's regular rides use vintage diesel locomotives, not steam. Its menu does list a Steam Train event page, and Visit OKC notes a real steam engine on display at the museum. Steam operations are not posted as a regular schedule, so check the event calendar on the museum's website or its Facebook page for any steam dates.
How do I get Polar Express tickets at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
The Polar Express Train Ride runs November 20 through December 31, 2026, and tickets are sold online through the museum's Polar Express page, which links to a pricing calendar and FAQs. ADA seating and groups of 20 or more are booked by phone at 715-721-2093. Plan to arrive about 40 minutes before your showtime to park and check in.
Are there discounts for The Polar Express at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
Active duty military members and first responders with the proper ID card can take $5 off each ticket, for up to 10 tickets, using the promo code HERO5 and the matching discount ticket. The museum notes that group discounts are not offered, and every name in a group order is needed to finish checkout. Discounts are as of October 2026.
When is the Oklahoma Railway Museum Halloween Train?
For 2026, the Halloween Train runs October 30 and 31, and tickets went on sale ahead of time through the museum's website. Special event tickets are non-refundable, so pick your date carefully. Watch the museum's Facebook page or newsletter for next year's dates, since the Halloween Train returns as one of its yearly special events.
What events does the Oklahoma Railway Museum hold?
The museum's event calendar lists the Easter Bunny Express, the OKC Train Show, Motorcar Excursions, At the Throttle, Rail Bike Tours, the Halloween Train and The Polar Express. April is reserved for special event trains in 2026. Dates change each year, so the event calendar on the museum's website is the place to check before you plan a trip.
What is on the Oklahoma Railway Museum roster?
The museum groups its collection into locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses and miscellaneous equipment, and each piece has its own page on its website. Smaller pieces include a restored hand car, Fairmont motor cars, a Frisco velocipede, Rock Island derrick car W-64A, Missouri Pacific idler car 17042, Katy inspection car 1045 and a hyrail truck.
Can I take photos at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
Yes, casual photos on a visit are part of the fun, and the museum has a Photography and Filming page for anyone planning a shoot on the grounds. If you are planning professional photos or video, read that page or call (405) 424-8222 first. The website also offers a virtual tour if you want a look at the yard before you visit.
Is the Oklahoma Railway Museum worth visiting?
For families it is an easy yes on a ride Saturday: you can walk the yard free, then ride historic coaches behind a vintage diesel for a modest fare. Rail fans will like the detailed equipment pages and the chance to drive a locomotive through At the Throttle. On non-ride days, expect a free outdoor walk among the equipment.
Can you drive a train at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
Yes. The museum runs a program called At the Throttle, and its admission page invites guests to actually drive a diesel locomotive. Dates, age rules and pricing for At the Throttle are posted on the event calendar rather than with regular rides, so check the museum's website or call (405) 424-8222 for the next session.
What are the rail bike tours at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
Joy Rails runs rail bike tours at the museum on custom-built bikes that pedal along the tracks north and east through neighborhoods and past the Lincoln Park Golf Course. Joy Rails is an independent vendor, so the museum does not handle those tickets. Book online through Joy Rails or call 1-541-786-8205 with questions.
Is the Oklahoma Railway Museum good for toddlers?
Yes, especially on a ride day. Children under 3 ride free on a parent's lap, the trip in a historic coach is a gentle first train ride, and the small track carts are easy for little ones to see. The museum is mostly outdoors, so bring sun protection or layers, and know that it may close in very hot or cold weather.
Can I have a birthday party at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
Yes. The museum offers birthday parties and facility rental and says it can build a custom event for groups, from field trips to parties. Details and pricing are on the Birthday and Facility Rental pages of its website. To ask about dates, call (405) 424-8222 or email info@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org.
Does the Oklahoma Railway Museum offer school and group tours?
Yes, with at least two weeks' notice and a reservation. Volunteer guides lead the tours, and the museum asks for a donation of at least one dollar per person, with bus drivers free. Children under 12 need one adult for every six kids. No group tours are scheduled in November or December because of The Polar Express.
Can I cancel or change Oklahoma Railway Museum train tickets?
Changes and cancellations must be made by calling (405) 424-8222 or emailing info@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org; the online system cannot process them. Regular train tickets are non-refundable if cancelled less than two days before departure, and special or licensed events are non-refundable. Trains run in most weather unless conditions become unsafe.
How long should I spend at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
The museum does not post a suggested visit length. On a ride Saturday, plan for the train ride plus time to walk the yard before or after, so a couple of hours is a reasonable guess. Rides depart at 11:15 am, 1:15 pm and 3:15 pm, which makes it easy to build a morning or afternoon around one departure.
How can I volunteer or donate at the Oklahoma Railway Museum?
The museum is a self-funded nonprofit, so memberships, donations and volunteers keep it running. It holds volunteer program information sessions, including one on September 12, 2026, and has Donate Now and Volunteer links at the top of its website. Grants also help pay for restoration projects on the equipment.
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