RailsWest History Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Depot museumOpen Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
Council Bluffs is where the East ended and the West began, and the RailsWest History Museum tells that story from the city's 1899 Rock Island passenger depot, with real locomotives and rail cars waiting outside.
- 1899 Rock Island passenger depot
- Listed on the National Register
- Extensive HO scale model railroad
- Railway Post Office car 5908
- Fenced railfan area by live tracks
- Kids 5 and under free
RailsWest History Museum at a glance
- Hours
- Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
- Admission
- Adults $10, seniors 60+ and students $8, ages 6 to 18 $5, 5 and under free, society members free
- Plan for
- About 1 to 1.5 hours
- Best for
- Families with young train fans and railfans who want to watch live trains
- Best ages
- Ages 3 and up
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address1512 S. Main St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(712) 323-2509
- Websitethehistoricalsociety.org/museums/railswest.html(opens in a new tab)
Follow RailsWest History Museum
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to RailsWest History 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 Council Bluffs.
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.
The Rock Island depot where Council Bluffs met the West
The country revolved around railroads, as the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County likes to put it, and Council Bluffs had them. The society's RailsWest History Museum, known for years as the RailsWest Railroad Museum, makes the case that the city's rail story is really the story of how the West was created, since Council Bluffs is where the East ended.
Its home is the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad passenger depot, which opened in 1899 and was also used by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific. In its passenger years it was a daily stop for named trains such as the Rocky Mountain Rocket, the Midwest Hiawatha, the Arrow and the Corn Belt Rocket, until passenger service ended in 1971. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot, and locals often simply call it the Rock Island Depot. The Rock Island built similar depots in Iowa City and in Ottawa, Illinois.
Today the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County runs the depot as one of several museums it cares for in the county, alongside the Squirrel Cage Jail and others. Members of the society get in free, and its staff and volunteers keep both the depot and the outdoor fleet of rolling stock open to the public three days a week.
Eight railroads inside, a yard of rolling stock outside
Inside the depot, exhibits cover the eight railroads that served Council Bluffs, the history of the depot itself, passenger train travel and the Railway Mail Service. An extensive HO scale model railroad is one of the museum's main attractions.
Outside, the society invites you to reach out and touch the real thing. The display includes Union Pacific locomotive 814 and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive 915, Rock Island and Burlington cabooses, a 1953 switch engine built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works, the Burlington's Omaha lounge car, a Union Pacific boxcar and Union Pacific Railway Post Office car 5908. The museum sits right beside active Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate tracks, with a fenced area set aside for watching trains go by.
Don’t miss
- Union Pacific Railway Post Office car 5908A real mail car, paired with the depot's displays on how the Railway Mail Service sorted letters on the move.
- Union Pacific locomotive 814One of two locomotives outside the depot, a Union Pacific engine in the city where the UP's route west began.
- CB&Q locomotive 915 and the Omaha lounge carBurlington equipment that rounds out the yard, including a club car you can see up close.
- The HO scale model railroadAn extensive layout inside the depot that holds the attention of younger visitors.
- The fenced railfan areaWatch live Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate trains pass beside the museum.
- The 1899 depot itselfA National Register building that once saw the Rocky Mountain Rocket and the Midwest Hiawatha stop every day.
Touch the trains, then watch the real ones
The society encourages visitors to get close to the rolling stock outside, including the cabooses, engines and mail car, and the fenced railfan area lets kids watch modern freight trains rumble past on the Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate lines. Inside, the HO scale layout is a natural stop for little ones.
Children 5 and under get in free, and ages 6 to 18 are $5 as of October 2026, which makes this an easy add-on to a day in Council Bluffs. Much of the rolling stock is outdoors, so dress for the weather.
Plan your visit: tips for RailsWest History Museum
- Bring a camera for the fenced railfan area beside the Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate tracks.
- Historical Society of Pottawattamie County members get in free, so a membership can pay for itself if you also visit the society's other museums.
- The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is about a mile away and keeps the same Thursday to Saturday days.
- Much of the rail car display is outdoors; plan for heat or cold.
Kept open by the county historical society
The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County owns and runs RailsWest along with its other museums. Visitors can help by joining or renewing a membership, which includes free admission, by donating, or by volunteering through the society's website. Its RailsWest Facebook page shares photos and stories from the archives and is a good place to share your own rail memories.
A Council Bluffs and Omaha rail day
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is about a mile away, and together the two make a full day. The Durham Museum is about 4 miles across the river in Omaha, and the Burlington Northern Depot Museum in Red Oak is about 37 miles away. For more, see every train museum in Iowa.
- Union Pacific Railroad MuseumCouncil Bluffs, IA · about 1 mi
- Durham MuseumOmaha, NE · about 4 mi
- Burlington Northern Depot MuseumRed Oak, IA · about 37 mi
- Fremont & Elkhorn Valley RailroadFremont, NE · about 37 mi
- Nebraska Railroad MuseumFremont, NE · about 37 mi
- Railside Green Arboretum / historic railroad exhibitsGrand Island, NE · about 64 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
Named trains like the Rocky Mountain Rocket once stopped at this depot every day, and I picture a conductor stepping down onto that platform to help people aboard. In our book, Mr. Conductor in his blue uniform holds out a hand to Rally, and that small kindness is the heart of the page. My kids always point at his hat. If yours like to color, Mr. Conductor is waiting 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 Iowa: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Iowa
- Halloween train rides in Iowa
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at RailsWest History 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
- RailsWest History Museum official website(opens in a new tab)
- RailsWest History Museum on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- RailsWest Railroad Museum on Wikipedia(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.
RailsWest Railroad Museum: 20 questions answered
What is the RailsWest Railroad Museum?
The RailsWest Railroad Museum, now called the RailsWest History Museum, is a railroad museum run by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It occupies the 1899 Rock Island passenger depot and covers the eight railroads that served the city, with an outdoor display of locomotives and rail cars.
Where is the RailsWest Railroad Museum?
RailsWest is at 1512 S. Main St. in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at 16th Avenue and South Main Street. The museum sits beside active Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate tracks. It is about a mile from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum downtown.
What are the RailsWest Railroad Museum hours?
As of October 2026, RailsWest is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. It is closed the rest of the week. Call the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County at (712) 323-2509 before visiting around holidays.
How much does it cost to visit RailsWest?
As of October 2026, admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 60 and over and for students, $5 for ages 6 to 18, and free for children 5 and under. Members of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County get in free. Check the society's website for any changes.
What do reviews say about the RailsWest Railroad Museum?
Tourism guides such as Visit Omaha describe RailsWest as a good stop for history buffs, train enthusiasts and local history lovers, pointing to the depot's story, passenger travel exhibits and the locomotives and rail cars outside. For recent visitor comments, check the museum's Facebook page and travel review sites.
Are there photos of the RailsWest Railroad Museum?
Yes. The Historical Society shares photos and tales from its archives on the RailsWest Facebook page, and travel sites show the depot and rail cars. For your own photos, the outdoor locomotives and the fenced railfan area beside three active railroads are the favorite spots.
What locomotives are at RailsWest?
Outside the depot you will find Union Pacific locomotive 814, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy locomotive 915, and a 1953 switch engine built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works. Rock Island and Burlington cabooses, a Union Pacific boxcar, the Burlington's Omaha lounge car and Railway Post Office car 5908 complete the display.
Can you touch the trains at RailsWest?
Yes, the society invites visitors to experience its rolling stock up close, including the club car, engines, Railway Post Office car and cabooses. It is a rare chance for kids to get right next to full-size equipment. Follow any posted signs about which cars can be entered.
Does RailsWest have a model railroad?
Yes, RailsWest has an extensive HO scale model railroad inside the depot. It is a favorite with younger visitors and a nice indoor break from the outdoor rail car display, especially in hot or cold weather.
When was the Council Bluffs Rock Island depot built?
The depot opened in 1899, built for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and also used by the Milwaukee Road. It served passengers until 1971 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot.
Which passenger trains stopped at the RailsWest depot?
In its passenger years the depot was a daily stop for the Rocky Mountain Rocket, the Midwest Hiawatha, the Arrow and the Corn Belt Rocket. Passenger service ended in 1971. The museum's exhibits on passenger travel and the Railway Mail Service tell that story.
Can you watch trains at RailsWest?
Yes. RailsWest is next to active Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate Railroad tracks and has a fenced-in area for railfanning, so you can watch freight trains go by safely. It is one of the best parts of a visit for young train fans.
Is RailsWest good for young kids?
Yes. Children 5 and under get in free, and kids enjoy the HO layout, the cabooses and engines outside, and watching live trains from the fenced viewing area. A visit of about an hour suits small children. Dress for the weather, since much of the display is outdoors.
How long does a visit to RailsWest take?
Most families spend about an hour to an hour and a half seeing the depot exhibits, the model railroad and the outdoor rail cars. Railfans who stay to watch trains on the neighboring tracks may stay longer. Pair it with the Union Pacific Railroad Museum a mile away for a full day.
Is RailsWest wheelchair accessible?
The historical society does not post accessibility details for the depot or the outdoor rail car display online. Call (712) 323-2509 before your visit to ask about entrances and paths, so you can plan around any steps or uneven ground.
Where do I park at RailsWest?
The society does not list parking details for RailsWest online. The museum is at 1512 S. Main St., at 16th Avenue and South Main Street, and you can call (712) 323-2509 for current parking directions before you go. If you are visiting with a school bus or a large group, mention that when you call.
Is the RailsWest depot haunted?
The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County runs paranormal programs, and its website includes a page on paranormal activity at the Rock Island Depot. Its overnight paranormal visits are mainly described at the Squirrel Cage Jail. Contact the society's haunted history team through its website to ask what is offered at the depot.
Who runs the RailsWest Railroad Museum?
The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County runs RailsWest along with its other county museums, including the Squirrel Cage Jail. You can support it by becoming a member, which includes free admission, by donating, or by volunteering through the society's website.
Can schools or groups visit RailsWest?
The historical society has resources for teachers and offers museum tours, which you can ask about through the contact form on its website or by calling (712) 323-2509. Booking ahead helps staff plan for a class or larger group on the museum's Thursday to Saturday schedule.
What train museums are near RailsWest?
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is about a mile away, and the Durham Museum in Omaha is about 4 miles. The Burlington Northern Depot Museum in Red Oak, the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad and the Nebraska Railroad Museum in Fremont are all about 37 miles away.
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