Texas City Museum, Texas

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Texas City, Texas · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Museum with a major rail exhibitMuseum open Tuesday to Saturday; model train exhibit Saturdays only

The Texas City Museum is the city's center for history, culture and heritage, and on Saturdays its second floor belongs to the Galveston County Model Railroad Club, whose model train layouts have made the museum a favorite with train-loving families.

  • Model railroad club exhibit on Saturdays
  • Opened in March 1994
  • 30,000-square-foot former J.C. Penney building
  • Children's Discovery Room
  • 1947 Texas City Disaster exhibit
  • Adults $7, kids 6 and under free

Texas City Museum at a glance

Hours
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; model train exhibit Saturdays only
Admission
Adults $7, seniors $5, students $4, children 6 and under free
Seasonal events
Texas City Train Festival
Plan for
About 1.5 to 2 hours
Best for
Families with young train fans who can visit on a Saturday
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 Texas City 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 Texas City.

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.

A department store turned city museum, with trains upstairs

The Texas City Museum is supported by the City of Texas City and describes itself as the center of history, culture and heritage for the people of Texas City. The museum acquired its building in March 1992, when the McDaniel family of La Marque donated the 30,000-square-foot structure known locally as the old J.C. Penney building. The museum opened in March 1994, and it has since welcomed visitors from across the United States and abroad.

Its galleries tell the city's story from its founding to the present. The best known is the exhibit on the 1947 Texas City Disaster, with films, photographs, eyewitness accounts and artifacts. Other exhibits cover the First Aero Squadron, Texas City schools, and a Dahlgren cannon from the U.S.S. Westfield, a real Civil War cannon.

For train fans, the museum's rail connection lives on the second floor. There, the Galveston County Model Railroad Club runs its exhibit every Saturday, and travel listings describe the museum's model train displays as award winning. The club's volunteers bring the layouts to life for visitors each week, and their work has turned an ordinary Saturday at a history museum into a weekly train day for local families. The museum also hosts the Texas City Train Festival, listed for October 3, 2026, with model layouts, activities for children, exhibits and food.

Saturday trains on the second floor

Plan your visit for a Saturday if trains are the goal, because the Galveston County Model Railroad Club exhibit is open only then. Head upstairs to the second floor to find the club's model train layouts, and allow plenty of time to watch the trains run.

Downstairs, the rest of the museum fills out the day. The Children's Discovery Room gives younger kids a hands-on space, the City Founding exhibit traces Texas City from its beginning to today, and the 1947 Texas City Disaster gallery uses films, photographs and artifacts to tell one of the most important stories in the city's history. Rotating and temporary exhibits change through the year.

Don’t miss

  1. Galveston County Model Railroad Club exhibitModel train layouts on the second floor, open Saturdays only, and the reason train fans make the trip.
  2. Texas City Train FestivalA model railroad show at the museum with layouts, children's activities and food, listed for October 3, 2026.
  3. Children's Discovery RoomA hands-on room for young visitors, a good break between train watching sessions.
  4. 1947 Texas City Disaster exhibitFilms, photographs and artifacts about the city's defining tragedy.
  5. Dahlgren cannon from the U.S.S. WestfieldA real Civil War cannon and one of the museum's signature artifacts.

Trains and a discovery room for little ones

On Saturdays, families can split their time between the model railroad layouts upstairs and the Children's Discovery Room. Children 6 and under get in free, which makes it an affordable outing with toddlers.

The 1947 disaster exhibit deals with a serious subject, so parents of young children may want to preview it first. For the biggest helping of trains, watch for the Texas City Train Festival, which adds children's activities to a full day of model layouts.

Plan your visit: tips for Texas City Museum

  • Come on a Saturday: the model train exhibit is not open Tuesday to Friday.
  • Use the museum address, 409 6th Street N, rather than the city hall address.
  • Members get a year of entry to temporary exhibits and 10% off in the gift shop.
  • Check the Texas City Museum Facebook page for train festival dates.

The city and the club

The museum is supported by the City of Texas City and run by a small staff led by curator Shelby Rodwell, while the model railroad exhibit is the work of the Galveston County Model Railroad Club. Visitors can help by buying a membership (from $25 for seniors, students and military to $125 for a Family Plus), shopping the museum store, or asking the club how to get involved.

Full-size trains a short drive away

For full-size equipment, the Galveston Railroad Museum is about 9 miles away. The Texas Railroad History Museum is about 16 miles off, and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum is about 55 miles west. See more in our Texas train museums guide.

Every train museum in Texas

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Model railroads love a good tunnel, and I can picture small faces pressed close to a layout on a Saturday in Texas City, waiting for the train to come back out. That's the moment in our book I treasure: the dark tunnel, then a big bright light and happy cheers. My mom dreamed it up before she died in 2021. For more trains between visits, here are our favorite train books for toddlers.

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 Texas City 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.

Texas City Museum trains: 20 questions families ask

Does the Texas City Museum have model trains?

Yes. The Galveston County Model Railroad Club exhibit is on the second floor of the Texas City Museum and is open every Saturday. Travel listings describe the museum's model train displays as award winning. The rest of the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, but the trains are Saturday only.

When is the Texas City Museum train exhibit open?

As of October 2026, the model train exhibit is open on Saturdays only, during the museum's regular hours of 10 am to 4 pm. If you visit Tuesday through Friday, you can see the rest of the museum but not the layouts, so plan a Saturday trip for train-loving kids.

What are the Texas City Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the Texas City Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. The Galveston County Model Railroad Club exhibit is open on Saturdays only. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, so check the city website for any holiday changes.

How much is admission to the Texas City Museum?

As of October 2026, admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for students, and free for children 6 and under. Memberships are also available. Special events such as the train festival may have separate pricing, so confirm before you go.

Where is the Texas City Museum?

The Texas City Museum is at 409 6th Street N, Texas City, Texas 77590, in the former J.C. Penney building. Some directories list a city hall address on 9th Avenue North, so use the 6th Street address for directions. Email museum@texascitytx.gov with questions.

What is the Texas City Train Festival?

The Texas City Train Festival is a model railroad show held at the Texas City Museum, with layouts, children's activities, exhibits and food. An event listing gives the date as October 3, 2026 with $10 admission. Check the museum's Facebook page for the next festival date.

What is the Galveston County Model Railroad Club?

The Galveston County Model Railroad Club is the group whose model railroad exhibit fills the second floor of the Texas City Museum each Saturday. The club's layouts are the museum's main rail attraction. Visit on a Saturday to see the trains running and meet club members.

Is the Texas City Museum good for kids?

Yes. Kids can watch the model trains on Saturdays and play in the Children's Discovery Room, and children 6 and under are admitted free. The 1947 Texas City Disaster exhibit covers a tragic event, so parents of young children may want to look at it first.

What is the Children's Discovery Room at the Texas City Museum?

The Children's Discovery Room is a dedicated space for young visitors among the Texas City Museum's exhibits. It pairs well with the Saturday model train exhibit for families with small children. Ask museum staff about current activities in the room when you arrive.

What is the 1947 Texas City Disaster exhibit?

The museum's 1947 Texas City Disaster exhibit uses films, photographs, eyewitness accounts and artifacts to tell the story of the explosion that devastated Texas City in 1947. It is one of the museum's featured permanent exhibits and a central part of the city's history.

What else can you see at the Texas City Museum?

Besides the model trains, exhibits include the City Founding gallery on Texas City from its beginnings to today, a Dahlgren cannon from the U.S.S. Westfield, the First Aero Squadron, Texas City schools memorabilia, and the 1947 disaster exhibit. Temporary exhibits rotate through the year.

When did the Texas City Museum open?

The Texas City Museum opened in March 1994. The museum acquired its building, the former J.C. Penney building, in March 1992 as a donation from the McDaniel family of La Marque. It is supported by the City of Texas City.

How big is the Texas City Museum?

The museum occupies a 30,000-square-foot building that was once the J.C. Penney store. The model railroad club exhibit is on the second floor, and the galleries for local history, the 1947 disaster and the Children's Discovery Room fill the rest of the space.

How long should I spend at the Texas City Museum?

Plan on about an hour and a half to two hours on a Saturday, which allows time with the model trains upstairs plus the Children's Discovery Room and the history galleries. A weekday visit without the trains may take a little less time.

Does the Texas City Museum offer memberships?

Yes. As of October 2026, memberships run from $25 for one senior, college student or military member to $35 for one adult, $75 for a family of four and $125 for Family Plus. Each lasts a year and includes temporary exhibits and 10% off in the gift shop.

Does the Texas City Museum have a gift shop?

Yes. The museum has a store, and members receive a 10% discount on purchases. Memberships can be bought at the museum during regular hours of operation, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Who runs the Texas City Museum?

The Texas City Museum is supported by the City of Texas City through its Recreation and Tourism Department. Shelby Rodwell is the museum curator, and Karalyn Clark is assistant curator. The model train exhibit is run by the Galveston County Model Railroad Club.

Is the Texas City Museum wheelchair accessible?

Accessibility details are not listed on the museum's web page. Because the model trains are on the second floor, ask ahead about elevator access. Call the museum curator's office at (409) 229-1660 or email museum@texascitytx.gov before your visit.

Can I bring a group to the Texas City Museum?

Group visit details are not posted online. For school groups, Scout troops or tour groups, contact the museum at museum@texascitytx.gov or (409) 229-1660 to arrange a date. If your group wants to see the trains, ask about a Saturday visit.

What train museums are near Texas City?

The Galveston Railroad Museum is about 9 miles away for a look at full-size railroad equipment. The Texas Railroad History Museum is about 16 miles away, and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum about 55 miles. The Historic Katy Depot Museum is about 61 miles away.

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