Train Museums in Idaho: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 7 museums
- 7 towns
- 2 with train rides
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In 1986, as Interstate 90 was pushed through Wallace, the town moved its 1901 Northern Pacific depot about 200 feet across the Coeur d'Alene River rather than lose it, and the building, laid with bricks the museum says came from Tacoma's Olympian Hotel, still marks that move every May with Depot Day. It leads off this page, part of our state by state train museum directory, which covers 7 Idaho museums, depots and rail lines in 6 towns and the Boise area. Type your town into the finder below to see which ones are closest.
Most of what is open sits in north Idaho. The Northern Pacific Depot Museum lets kids talk on a 1908 telephone and ring a locomotive bell, Avery keeps a 1909 Milwaukee Road depot, Silverwood's 1915 steam engine pulls riders on a 3.2-mile loop, and Sandpoint's Gothic Revival depot is still an Amtrak stop on the Empire Builder.
Southwest Idaho is in a quiet spell: the Boise Depot is closed for restoration until about late August 2027, and the Thunder Mountain Line was reported permanently closed in 2026. Check each card before you plan a trip.
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Big engines, little legs. Bring Rally along.
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Map of every train museum in Idaho
Every train museum in Idaho, town by town
7 museums in 7 towns, A to Z by town. Tap any museum for its own page: the full story, what to see, what kids can do, hours, tickets, contact details and 20 answers to the questions families ask.
Athol
Outdoor rail park
Silverwood Steam Engine Train
A real 1915 Porter steam locomotive, No. 7, pulls riders on a 3.2-mile loop around Silverwood Theme Park and into the woods, with a staged train robbery along the way. The ride suits all ages and is included with park admission.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsAvery
Depot museum
Avery Depot and Avery Museum
A 1909 Milwaukee Road depot in the small mountain town of Avery, listed on the National Register and home to a local museum of the town's railroad years. Hours are not posted online, so check locally before you make the drive.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsBoise
Historic rail siteClosed
Boise Depot
Boise's Spanish-style 1925 Union Pacific station, with a 96-foot bell tower, a Great Hall lined with original benches, and the Platt Gardens. Now a city-run historic site and event venue, it is closed for restoration until about late August 2027.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsHorseshoe Bend
Heritage railroad with a museumClosed
Thunder Mountain Line
Horseshoe Bend's Payette River excursion train, once billed as Idaho's only scenic train ride, with runs to Banks and seasonal Pumpkin Liner and Santa trains to Montour. Rail guides reported its permanent closure in 2026, so check before planning a trip.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSandpoint
Historic rail site
Historic Sandpoint Train Depot
A red brick Gothic Revival depot from about 1916, the only Gothic-style railroad depot in Idaho and the state's only operating Amtrak station. It is a working station, not a museum, so come to admire the building or catch the Empire Builder.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSouthwestern Idaho
Rail preservation group
Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad
A working freight short line on former Union Pacific branches in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon, best known to families for running the Thunder Mountain Line excursions. There is no public museum, so explore its history through nearby depots and archives.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsWallace
Depot museum
Northern Pacific Depot Museum
A chateau-style 1901 Northern Pacific depot in downtown Wallace with a re-created station agent's room, a 1908 telephone you can talk on, and exhibits on Silver Valley railroading. Open April 15 to October 15; adult day pass $5.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Idaho train museum side by side
Type, train rides, admission, hours and who each one suits, in one table. Tap a column to sort it, or a museum to open its page.
| Hours | Best for | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverwood Steam Engine TrainAthol | Rail park | Yes | Train included with park admission; ages 2 and under free; prices vary by season and day | Seasonal on the park's operating calendar; check daily hours on the Silverwood website | Families with young kids and steam fans visiting north Idaho |
| Avery Depot and Avery MuseumAvery | Depot museum | No | Not posted online | Not posted online; check locally before you go | Road-trippers and Milwaukee Road history fans |
| Historic Sandpoint Train DepotSandpoint | Historic site | Yes | No admission; it is a working station | Active train station; no museum hours posted. Check Amtrak for Empire Builder times | Architecture fans and families riding or watching Amtrak |
| Idaho Northern and Pacific RailroadSouthwestern Idaho | Preservation group | No | Not applicable; no public museum | No public visiting hours | Rail historians and fans of Idaho short lines |
| Northern Pacific Depot MuseumWallace | Depot museum | No | Adult day pass $5, family day pass $10; school group $10 (up to 10 people), tour bus group $45 | April 15 to October 15: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm; off season by request | Families exploring Wallace, rail history fans and trail riders |
| Boise DepotBoise | Historic site | No | No admission fee posted for open house hours | Closed for restoration until about late August 2027; open house hours have been Sunday and Monday, 11 am to 5 pm | Architecture and rail history fans, photographers, wedding planners |
| Thunder Mountain LineHorseshoe Bend | Heritage railroad | No | No current fares; the railroad is reported closed | Reported permanently closed as of 2026 | Rail history readers and anyone researching Idaho excursion trains |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Quick picks: where to start in Idaho
Best first ride with a toddler
Athol
The steam train has no height requirement, moves at about 10 miles per hour and is included with park admission.
Most hands-on museum
Wallace
Kids can pick up a working 1908 telephone in the station agent's room and ring the bell from Northern Pacific No. 4025.
See a working long-distance train
Historic Sandpoint Train Depot
Sandpoint
Idaho's only operating Amtrak station is a Gothic Revival depot where the Empire Builder still stops.
Small-town road trip stop
Avery
A 1909 Milwaukee Road depot on the National Register holds memorabilia from Avery's years as a railroad hub.
How the railroad shaped Idaho
Mining pulled the railroads into Idaho's mountains. Trains reached the Silver Valley in 1886 and for more than a century hauled ore, timber, miners and travelers in and out of the Coeur d'Alene Mining District. The Milwaukee Road made Avery a railroad hub, and in the southwest, the Idaho Northern was incorporated in 1897 to reach the gold country of the Thunder Mountain Mining District, with track reaching Emmett in 1902.
Towns built depots to match their ambitions. Sandpoint put up a red brick Gothic Revival station around 1916 to impress arriving travelers, and Boise opened its Spanish-style Union Pacific depot in 1925, hailed as the most beautiful structure of its kind in the West. Service faded later in the century: Northern Pacific trains to Wallace ended in 1978, and the last Union Pacific train left the Silver Valley on July 15, 1994.
The Northern Pacific Depot Museum tells the Silver Valley story, and the Avery Depot keeps the Milwaukee Road years. The Thunder Mountain Line and the Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad trace the old gold rush route, while the Boise Depot and the Historic Sandpoint Train Depot show what a proud station looked like.
Good to know before you go
- The Thunder Mountain Line was reported permanently closed in 2026, so do not book travel around it unless the railroad announces otherwise.
- The Boise Depot is closed for restoration until about late August 2027, and its Great Hall and bell tower are off limits until then.
- The Idaho Northern and Pacific is a working freight railroad with no public museum; stay off its tracks and property.
- The Wallace depot is open April 15 to October 15, a family day pass is $10 as of October 2026, and the first floor is ADA accessible.
- At Silverwood, the steam train comes with general admission, and children 2 and under get in free.
- Sandpoint's depot is on an active BNSF line, so keep children well back from the platform edge.
- Avery's museum does not post hours, so confirm locally before the drive into the mountains.
Drive times from Idaho's big cities
Times are approximate, without traffic, and based on straight-line distance, so expect mountain routes to take longer.
| Museum | From Coeur d'Alene | From Boise |
|---|---|---|
| Silverwood Steam Engine TrainAthol | 25 min | 6 hr 50 min |
| Northern Pacific Depot MuseumWallace | 1 hr | 6 hr 5 min |
| Historic Sandpoint Train DepotSandpoint | 1 hr | |
| Avery Depot and Avery MuseumAvery | 1 hr 15 min |
Idaho train day trips
Trip 1
Silver Valley depots
Wallace and Avery are about 16 miles apart as the crow flies, both tied to the railroads that served the mining country. Start at the Wallace depot between April 15 and October 15, then make the mountain drive to Avery's 1909 Milwaukee Road depot after confirming it is open, since its hours are not posted online.
Trip 2
Steam at Silverwood, then the Sandpoint depot
Silverwood and Sandpoint sit about 24 miles apart. Ride the steam train early on a park operating day, then head north to see Idaho's only Gothic-style depot. It is a working station, so plan a short look at the building and keep kids well back from the tracks.
Trip 3
A depot museum and a steam train loop
Wallace and Silverwood are about 49 miles apart. Spend an hour at the Wallace depot with the 1908 telephone and the depot bell, have a picnic on the lawn, then drive to Silverwood for an afternoon ride behind 1915 Porter engine No. 7.
A note from Rally's family
Before Rally boards the Pacific Surfliner in our book, Mom and Dad help pack a suitcase with the things a corgi cannot travel without: a turtle toy, a green bone and a yellow ball. Rally is our real dog, and my kids, who are learning to read, love naming each toy on that page. My mom dreamed up this story and died in 2021 before she could write it, and our story page shares how it came to be. If your family is packing for an Idaho train day, tuck a Rally coloring page in the bag too.
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Idaho museums
Idaho's seasonal rail calendar is thinner than it used to be. The Thunder Mountain Line once ran a Pumpkin Liner Train in October and a Santa Express in December out of Horseshoe Bend, but it was reported permanently closed in 2026. Silverwood now carries most of the family calendar, with Kids' Weekend, Grandparents Weekend and Scarywood in October, and in Wallace, the Depot Day Classic Car Show falls on the Saturday before Mother's Day. For current fall rides, see our Idaho Halloween train guide, and for December trips, our Idaho Christmas train rides page.
Train museums over the Idaho line
From Coeur d'Alene, the Washington train museums start about 1 hr 10 min west at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum in Reardan, where admission includes a ride on the Reardan Rocket. From Boise, the Oregon train museum guide leads to the Sumpter Valley Railroad, about 2 hr 50 min away, Oregon's only narrow-gauge steam railroad. From Idaho Falls, the Utah train museums include the Utah State Railroad Museum at Ogden Union Station, about 3 hr 35 min south, with a model railroad and a play locomotive cab.
A train book for the drive
Sandpoint is Idaho's only Amtrak stop, and our Empire Builder with kids guide covers what a family trip on that route is like.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. They fit in a folder with a few crayons for the drive to the museum or the wait for the next train ride.
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 every state: search all 50 by town
- Christmas train rides in Idaho: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Idaho: pumpkin trains for next October
- The Empire Builder with kids: ride a real Amtrak train
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find a train by city or station
- Train books for toddlers for the drive home
Idaho train museum questions
What is the best train museum in Idaho?
The Northern Pacific Depot Museum in Wallace is the best railroad museum in Idaho for families. It fills a chateau-style 1901 depot with a re-created station agent's room, a working 1908 telephone and exhibits on Silver Valley railroading. It is open April 15 to October 15, and an adult day pass costs $5 as of October 2026.
Where can you ride a train in Idaho?
The Silverwood Steam Engine Train in Athol is the main train ride in Idaho on this list. A 1915 Porter steam locomotive pulls riders on a 3.2-mile loop around Silverwood Theme Park, included with admission. The Thunder Mountain Line in Horseshoe Bend was reported permanently closed in 2026, and Amtrak's Empire Builder still stops in Sandpoint.
Is the Thunder Mountain Line still running?
No, rail travel guides reported in August 2026 that the Thunder Mountain Line had permanently closed. The excursion train once followed the Payette River from Horseshoe Bend to Banks and ran pumpkin and Santa trains to Montour. As of October 2026, treat the line as closed unless the railroad announces otherwise, and do not book travel around it.
What is the best Idaho train ride for toddlers?
The Silverwood Steam Engine Train is the best fit for toddlers in Idaho. The park rates it low intensity with no height requirement, it moves at about 10 miles per hour, and a staged train robbery in the woods is played for laughs. Children 2 and under get into the park free. Critter Camp nearby has more little-kid rides.
Are there free train attractions in Idaho?
Yes, the Historic Sandpoint Train Depot is free to see, since it is a working Amtrak station rather than a museum. The Boise Depot has had no admission fee for open house hours, but it is closed for restoration until about late August 2027. The Wallace depot museum charges $5 for adults and $10 for a family as of October 2026.
Is there a train museum in Boise?
Boise's rail landmark is the Boise Depot, a 1925 Union Pacific station with a 96-foot bell tower and a Great Hall lined with original benches. It is a city-run historic site rather than a full museum, and it is closed for restoration until about late August 2027. The Platt Gardens and the floodlit tower can still be admired from outside.
When will the Boise Depot reopen?
The Boise Depot is closed for restoration until about late August 2027, as of October 2026. Crews are repairing stucco, roof tiles, windows and doors to preservation standards, and the city has stored the depot's historic artifacts and displays. Check the City of Boise Depot page for reopening news. Event reservations for 2027 open on September 3, 2027.
Train museums near Coeur d'Alene?
Coeur d'Alene sits close to most of Idaho's open rail stops. The Silverwood steam train in Athol is about 25 minutes away, and the Wallace depot museum and the Sandpoint depot are each about an hour away, without traffic. The Avery depot is about 1 hour 15 minutes away, but confirm its hours before you go.
Is there a train museum in Wallace, Idaho?
Yes, the Northern Pacific Depot Museum is in downtown Wallace, inside a 1901 depot with a corner turret. It is open April 15 to October 15, Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm, and off season by request. The depot also serves as a trailhead for the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.
What can kids do at the Wallace Depot Museum?
Kids at the Wallace depot can talk on a working 1908 telephone in the station agent's room and ring the bell from Northern Pacific steam locomotive No. 4025. The 1903 avalanche exhibit tends to grab older children, and the grass lawn is open for picnics. The museum has also run a hobo symbol hunt around town, so ask at the desk.
Is there a train depot museum in Avery, Idaho?
Yes, the Avery Depot is a 1909 Milwaukee Road station listed on the National Register, and it houses a local museum of the town's railroad years. It has also served the community as a post office. Hours are not posted online, so confirm locally before making the mountain drive. Donations help pay for its roof and foundation repairs.
Does Amtrak stop in Idaho?
Yes, Sandpoint is the only operating Amtrak station in Idaho, served by the Empire Builder since 1997. The red brick depot dates from about 1916 and is the oldest remaining active passenger depot of the former Northern Pacific Railway. It is a working station rather than a museum, so check Amtrak for current train times and stay back from the tracks.
What steam engine pulls the Silverwood train?
The Silverwood train is pulled by Engine No. 7, a steam locomotive built by Porter in 1915. Rail fans describe it as a 2-6-2, and it runs on narrow gauge track, pulling open cars on a 3.2-mile route through the park and nearby forest. It has carried passengers since Silverwood opened on June 20, 1988.
Does the Silverwood steam train cost extra?
No, the Silverwood Steam Engine Train is included with general admission, and there is no separate train ticket. Ticket prices vary by season and day, and online tickets have been priced lower than gate tickets. Children 2 and under get in free, and the park has offered free admission for ages 3 to 7 on Kids' Weekend.
Are there Halloween train rides in Idaho?
Idaho's best-known fall train, the Thunder Mountain Line's Pumpkin Liner to a pumpkin patch near Montour, is gone, since the line was reported permanently closed in 2026. Silverwood Theme Park in Athol lists Scarywood in October, so check the park's calendar to see which rides run that month. Our Idaho Halloween train page tracks current options.
Is there a Santa train in Idaho?
Idaho's main Santa train, the Thunder Mountain Line's Santa Express to Santa's Village near Montour, ended when the line was reported permanently closed in 2026. None of the other museums on this list post a December train. Families looking for a holiday ride should check our Idaho Christmas train page, which follows current trips in and near the state.
Why was the Wallace train depot moved?
The Wallace depot was moved because Interstate 90 was routed through town and the building faced demolition. In 1986 it was moved roughly 200 feet across the Coeur d'Alene River to where it stands today. Wallace still marks the move every May with Depot Day, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
When did trains stop running to Wallace, Idaho?
Northern Pacific service to Wallace, by then under Burlington Northern, ended in 1978, and the last Union Pacific train ran through the Silver Valley on July 15, 1994. Trains had reached the valley in 1886. Today the old railroad bed is the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a bike path between Mullan and Plummer that starts at the Wallace depot.
What is the Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad?
The Idaho Northern and Pacific is a small freight railroad owning about 120 miles of former Union Pacific branch lines in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. It is a subsidiary of Rio Grande Pacific Corporation and once ran the Thunder Mountain Line excursions. It has no public museum, so families should stay off its tracks and visit nearby depots instead.
What is special about the Sandpoint train depot?
The Sandpoint depot is the only Gothic-style railroad depot in Idaho. Built of red brick around 1916 for about $25,000, it was listed on the National Register in 1973 and won Preservation Idaho's 2015 Orchid Award after a careful rehabilitation. It is also the state's only working Amtrak station, so passengers still board the Empire Builder there.
Keep exploring
More family train guides from Rally
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- HolidayChristmas Train RidesSanta trains and holiday light rides, sorted by state and town.
- OctoberHalloween Train RidesPumpkin trains and not-too-spooky rides for little ones, by state.
- NovemberThanksgiving Train RidesHoliday weekend train trips the whole family can share.
- AmtrakAmtrak With KidsWhich Amtrak routes work best with babies, toddlers and big kids.
- Plan a tripTrain Trips With KidsEvery Amtrak route, stop by stop, planned for families.