Prairie Village Railroad in Madison, South Dakota

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Madison, South Dakota · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Heritage railroad with a museumTrain ridesOpen early May to early September; train rides Saturdays at 2 pm

The Prairie Village, Herman and Milwaukee Railroad carries visitors on a 2-mile loop around Historic Prairie Village, a 120-acre pioneer town on the shore of Lake Herman, using steam and diesel locomotives that volunteers have restored and kept running since 1969.

  • 2-mile loop around a pioneer village
  • First locomotive arrived in 1969
  • 1887 Madison rail relaid in 1987
  • Lima steam engine No. 29 from 1944
  • Saturday train rides at 2 pm
  • Run entirely by volunteers

Prairie Village Railroad at a glance

Hours
Open daily early May to early September; trains Saturdays at 2 pm
Admission
Village admission covers the grounds; check prairievillage.org for current prices
Train rides
Train rides around the 2-mile loop Saturdays at 2 pm in season, plus daily steam carousel rides
Seasonal events
Season Opening Day, Railroad Days, Annual Steam Threshing Jamboree, Pumpkin Train
Plan for
Half a day
Best for
Families and steam fans
Best ages
Toddlers to age 12

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Prairie Village Railroad? 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 Madison.

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.

From one little narrow gauge engine to a railroad around the village

The railroad at Prairie Village began in 1969, when the village bought a small 0-4-0T narrow gauge locomotive from Earl Grice of Mankato, Minnesota. Named Whilimine Victoria, No. 7 was built by Orenstein & Koppel in Berlin in 1927 and runs on 24-inch track. For years she gave rides to school children and their chaperones touring the village each spring, until restoration work sent her into the roundhouse.

In 1976 a group of local men organized the Historic Dakota Central Railroad and acquired No. 29, a 0-6-0 that ran a single season between Madison and Junius, several miles west. She then sat on display until 1987, when she was steamed up for the annual Jamboree. That same year volunteers laid track using original rail from the Madison switch yard, and the first rail laid was stamped 1887, exactly a century after it first went down in Madison. The village bought No. 29 in 1988.

That new track sparked a bigger dream held by the village's founders: a line around the entire grounds, about 2 miles, passing through the original town site of Herman Township along Lake Herman. A donated 15-ton Burro crane, restored by a local railroad group, did much of the heavy lifting. In 1992 the village added No. 11, a 1924 Alco tank engine that arrived from Deadwood on a flatbed semi-trailer.

The work has never stopped. After 12 years of repairs to her firebox and grates, No. 29 ran under her own power at the 2013 and 2014 Jamborees. In 2023 volunteers installed working warning lights at the gift shop crossing, a set donated by visitor Mark Fassler of Sioux Rapids, Iowa, then hauled home, cleaned and rewired by a crew of village volunteers.

Five locomotives, a church car and a whole prairie town

The railroad is part of Historic Prairie Village, which sits on 120 acres two miles west of Madison on Highway 34 and holds more than 40 antique-filled buildings arranged like a turn-of-the-century main street, plus agricultural displays and a steam carousel. The 2-mile line circles the grounds on former Milwaukee Road trackage, and heritage trains, a doodlebug and motorcars give rides around the village.

The roster lists five locomotives: No. 7 Whilimine Victoria, Lima No. 29, Alco No. 11, GE 80-ton No. 1687 built in Schenectady in March 1953, and No. 4002, a Whitcomb design built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton for service overseas with convertible gauge axles and wheels. The railroad also operates the Emmanuel, one of the few church railroad cars left anywhere.

Don’t miss

  1. Lima No. 29Built in 1944 for the U.S. Army as No. 4047, this coal-fired, 77-ton 0-6-0 later worked in Cleveland and for the Duluth and Northeastern before coming to Madison. Her sister engine runs at Heritage Park in Calgary.
  2. Whilimine Victoria No. 7The 1927 Orenstein & Koppel tank engine from Berlin is where the whole railroad started in 1969.
  3. Alco No. 11A 35-ton 1924 tank engine that carries its own water and coal, valued by the crew as easy to fire and keep in steam.
  4. The Emmanuel church carA rare surviving church railroad car, one of only a few left.
  5. The 1887 railTrack relaid in 1987 came from the Madison switch yard, with the first rail stamped 1887.
  6. The Burro craneThe donated 15-ton crane, restored by local rail fans, helped build the 2 miles of track around the village.

Saturday trains, a steam carousel and a town to explore

Kids get a full day here: a ride around the village behind a real locomotive, daily rides on the steam carousel, and more than 40 old buildings to poke into along the main street. The Saturday train ride at 2 pm is the anchor of a summer visit, so plan the rest of the grounds around it.

Fall brings the Pumpkin Train, and the late August Steam Threshing Jamboree fills the grounds with steam engines, tractors and running trains, a big day for kids who love machines of every kind.

Plan your visit: tips for Prairie Village Railroad

  • Time your visit for Saturday so you can catch the 2 pm train.
  • The 2026 season opened May 3, with an 11 am opening and a 2 pm train ride.
  • The 63rd Annual Steam Threshing Jamboree runs August 27 to 30, 2026.
  • Leave time for the steam carousel and the main street buildings.

Prairie Village runs a Pumpkin Train each fall, and the late summer Steam Threshing Jamboree is the railroad's biggest weekend, when No. 29 has run under steam and visitors have even ridden in her cab. In 2026 the 63rd Jamboree runs August 27 to 30 alongside the Ford/Fordson Collectors Association National Annual Show. For more fall rides, see our guide to Halloween and pumpkin train rides in South Dakota.

The volunteer crew behind the crossing lights

The railroad is staffed entirely by volunteers, the people who rewired donated crossing lights, rebuilt No. 29's firebox and laid 2 miles of track by hand and crane. Historic Prairie Village keeps a volunteers page for anyone who wants to help, and visitors support the work through admission, the gift shop and the Jamboree. Railroad questions go to railroad@prairievillage.org.

Rail stops around eastern South Dakota

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings is about 28 miles away, and the railroad history sites of Sioux Falls are about 39 miles south. Across the Minnesota line, End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum in Currie is about 75 miles off. See every train museum in South Dakota.

Every train museum in South Dakota

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.

Prairie Village has video of visitors riding in the cab of No. 29, and I can just imagine my kids staring up at the steps into that big engine. In our book, Rally's short corgi legs can't manage the tall train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. Little riders need a lift sometimes, and so do old locomotives, which is exactly what those volunteers keep giving No. 29.

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 Prairie Village Railroad?

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.

Prairie Village Railroad: 20 questions from riders

What is the Prairie Village Railroad?

The Prairie Village Railroad is the heritage railroad at Historic Prairie Village near Madison, South Dakota. It runs a 2-mile line around the village grounds on the shore of Lake Herman, using steam and diesel locomotives restored by volunteers. It began with a single narrow gauge locomotive in 1969.

Is the Prairie Village, Herman and Milwaukee Railroad the same as the Prairie Village train?

Yes. The Prairie Village, Herman and Milwaukee Railroad is the name of the railroad that runs the train rides at Historic Prairie Village. It operates from May to September on a 2-mile line built on former Milwaukee Road trackage, and it is staffed entirely by volunteers.

When does the Prairie Village train run?

As of October 2026, train rides at Prairie Village run every Saturday at 2 pm during the season, which runs from early May to early September. The 2026 season began May 3 with an 11 am opening and a 2 pm train. Extra trains run at events such as the Jamboree, so check prairievillage.org.

What are Prairie Village hours?

Historic Prairie Village is open daily from early May to early September, opening at 10 am on regular days. Closing times and holiday hours are posted on the Hours and Admission page at prairievillage.org. Check it before you go, especially around opening day and the late August Jamboree.

How much does it cost to ride the Prairie Village train?

Prairie Village posts its current admission and ride prices on the Hours and Admission page of its website. One rail travel listing gives the railroad's fare as $5 for adults and children, with kids under 3 free, but confirm current prices with the village before your visit, as of October 2026.

Where is Prairie Village in South Dakota?

Historic Prairie Village is about 2 miles west of Madison, South Dakota, at 45205 SD Highway 34, on the shore of Lake Herman. The grounds cover 120 acres. Use the Highway 34 address in your GPS rather than older map listings, which can show a different road.

What locomotives does the Prairie Village Railroad have?

The roster includes No. 7 Whilimine Victoria, a 1927 Orenstein & Koppel narrow gauge tank engine; No. 29, a 1944 Lima 0-6-0; No. 11, a 1924 Alco tank engine; No. 1687, a GE 80-ton diesel from 1953; and No. 4002, a Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Whitcomb design with convertible gauge wheels.

What is the history of Prairie Village No. 29?

No. 29 was built by Lima in 1944 for the U.S. Army as No. 4047, then worked at Bay City Terminal in Cleveland, for Iron & Steel Processing in Chicago and for the Duluth and Northeastern before retiring in 1963. A Madison group ran her for one season in the 1970s, and the village bought her in 1988.

Does Prairie Village run a steam train?

Yes, at times. Lima No. 29 is coal fired, and after 12 years of firebox and grate repairs she ran under her own power at the 2013 and 2014 Jamborees, with cab rides at the 2019 Jamboree. Regular Saturday rides may use other equipment, including diesels, a doodlebug or motorcars, so ask which engine is running.

What is the Prairie Village Steam Threshing Jamboree?

The Steam Threshing Jamboree is Prairie Village's biggest yearly event, held in late August. The 63rd Jamboree runs August 27 to 30, 2026, and features the Ford/Fordson Collectors Association National Annual Show. Past Jamborees have included steam runs of locomotive No. 29 around the village.

Does Prairie Village have a Pumpkin Train?

Yes. Prairie Village lists a Pumpkin Train event on its railroad page, a fall ride around the village grounds. Dates change each year, so check the railroading calendar of events at prairievillage.org or the Historic Prairie Village Facebook page before you plan a trip.

What is the Emmanuel church car at Prairie Village?

The Emmanuel is a church railroad car, a rolling chapel of the kind once used to bring services to rail towns. The Prairie Village, Herman and Milwaukee Railroad operates it, and it is one of only a few church railroad cars that remain anywhere.

Where did the track at Prairie Village come from?

In 1987 volunteers laid track using original rail from the Madison, South Dakota switch yard. The first rail laid was stamped 1887, a hundred years after it first went down in Madison. The line was later extended to about 2 miles around the village, through the old Herman Township town site.

Is Prairie Village good for toddlers?

Yes. Small children can ride the train on Saturdays, take a turn on the steam carousel, which runs daily, and wander a main street of more than 40 old buildings. The village is spread over 120 acres, so bring a stroller or wagon if you have little walkers.

What else is at Historic Prairie Village besides the railroad?

Historic Prairie Village has more than 40 restored, antique-filled buildings set up like a turn-of-the-century main street, agricultural displays and a steam carousel with daily rides. The grounds cover 120 acres along Lake Herman, including the original town site of Herman Township.

How long should I spend at Prairie Village?

Plan on about half a day. The 2-mile train ride, the steam carousel and a walk along the main street and farm displays add up quickly, especially with kids. On Jamboree weekend in late August you could easily fill a full day.

Who runs the Prairie Village Railroad?

The railroad is staffed entirely by volunteers working with Historic Prairie Village. Volunteers restored the locomotives, laid the track and in 2023 installed working crossing lights at the gift shop gate. The village keeps a volunteers page on its website for anyone who wants to join.

How can I contact the Prairie Village Railroad?

For general questions, email info@prairievillage.org. Railroad-specific questions, such as which locomotive is running or event train details, can go to railroad@prairievillage.org. The village does not post a phone number online, so email is the best route. The Historic Prairie Village Facebook page also posts season news and event updates.

Is there a gift shop at Prairie Village?

Yes. Prairie Village has a gift shop, and the railroad crossing at the gift shop gate now has working warning lights installed in 2023 by volunteers. Shopping there and paying admission both help support the village and its volunteer-run railroad.

What train museums are near Prairie Village?

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings is about 28 miles away, and the railroad history sites in Sioux Falls are about 39 miles. End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum in Currie, Minnesota is about 75 miles east, and Sioux City, Iowa has two rail sites about 108 miles away.

Keep exploring

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