Train Museums in Iowa: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 10 museums
- 9 towns
- 4 with train rides
- 4 free
Find a train museum near you in Iowa
Or tap a town (9)
Live near a big city?
Only show
Showing all 10 museums in 9 towns
Your Iowa train museum passport: tap “We’ve been here” on any museum to start it.
Council Bluffs is where the Union Pacific's first transcontinental track began its run west, and the railroad's own museum now fills the city's 1904 Carnegie Library. This page covers 10 Iowa train museums and rail sites in 9 towns, from Council Bluffs and Sioux City in the west to Boone, Mount Pleasant and Fort Madison. Type your town into the finder to see what is closest, or explore other states in our family guide to train museums by state.
Iowa has a good mix for families: free museums, a real excursion railroad, a miniature train you can ride on weekends and a narrow gauge steam line that runs on event days. Council Bluffs has two museums about a mile apart.
A few listings need a call first. The Midwest Central Railroad runs only on event days, Iowa Trolley Park posts its hours on Facebook, and the Rock Island Depot Museum is listed under both Iowa Falls and Clarion. The CRANDIC interurban page tells a story with no museum to visit.
Look inside the book
Big engines, little legs. 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 an Iowa train museum.
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.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
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.
Map of every train museum in Iowa
Every train museum in Iowa, town by town
10 museums in 9 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.
Boone
Heritage railroad with a museum
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad Museum
An operating railroad museum in Boone with steam, diesel and electric equipment, a 9,000 square foot museum, and rides that cross the 156-foot Bass Point Creek High Bridge. Check the schedule and fares online before you go.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCedar Rapids
Rail preservation groupClosed
Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC)
The CRANDIC was the electric interurban between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, carrying riders from 1904 into the 1950s. It still operates as a freight railroad, but there is no public museum site to visit; this page tells its story.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsClear Lake
Trolley and streetcar museum
Iowa Trolley Park
A small, hands-on rail museum in Clear Lake near Mason City, focused on the area's old electric interurban. Its Facebook page promotes rides and a chance to learn to run a diesel locomotive. Hours are not posted online, so check Facebook first.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCouncil Bluffs: 2 train museums
Two museums sit about a mile apart and keep the same Thursday to Saturday days: the free Union Pacific Railroad Museum in the old Carnegie Library and the RailsWest History Museum in the 1899 Rock Island depot.
Depot museum
RailsWest History Museum
The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County's museum in the 1899 Rock Island depot, with exhibits on eight local railroads, an HO layout and an outdoor display of locomotives, cabooses and a mail car. Open Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsRailroad museum
Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Free, self-guided museum in Council Bluffs' 1904 Carnegie Library covering the transcontinental railroad, golden age passenger travel and the modern railroad. Open Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, with summer Sunday afternoons.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFort Madison
Depot museum
North Lee County Historical Society Museums
Free, volunteer-run museums in Fort Madison's Old Santa Fe Depot Complex, open 360 days a year. See Santa Fe steam locomotive 2913, tour a Santa Fe caboose, and visit a rail and river transportation museum in the old CB&Q depot.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsIowa Falls
Depot museum
Rock Island Depot Museum
A small local and railroad history museum in a restored depot. Hours, admission and even the exact town are not clearly posted online (it is listed under both Iowa Falls and Clarion), so call the local chamber or historical society first.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMount Pleasant
Heritage railroad with a museum
Midwest Central Railroad
A volunteer-built 3-foot narrow gauge steam railroad circling McMillan Park in Mount Pleasant, led by 1891 Baldwin No. 6, Maria. Trains run for the Old Threshers Reunion, Midwest Haunted Rails in October and the North Pole Express in December.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsRed Oak
Depot museum
Restored BN Depot & World War II Museum
Red Oak's 1903 Burlington depot, rescued by citizens and restored as a railroad and World War II museum. Free with a free-will donation, open weekday mornings 10 am to noon from mid-March to mid-December, and by appointment.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSioux City
Historic rail site
Sioux City Railroad Museum
A free, hands-on museum on the 32-acre former Milwaukee Road shops in Sioux City, with a roundhouse, steam engine No. 1355, a 75-foot HO layout and weekend rides on a grand scale miniature train. Open Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday noon to 4 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Iowa 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad MuseumBoone | Heritage railroad | Yes | Fares vary by train; check the railroad's website | Seasonal, check the railroad's website before you go | Families who want a real train ride plus a museum stop |
| Iowa Trolley ParkClear Lake | Trolley museum | Yes | Not posted online; check Facebook | Not posted online; check the park's Facebook page before you go | Families and interurban history fans in North Iowa |
| RailsWest History MuseumCouncil Bluffs | Depot museum | No | Adults $10, seniors 60+ and students $8, ages 6 to 18 $5, 5 and under free, society members free | Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm | Families with young train fans and railfans who want to watch live trains |
| Union Pacific Railroad MuseumCouncil Bluffs | Railroad museum | No | Free | Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday noon to 6 pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day | History lovers, rail fans and families with school-age kids |
| North Lee County Historical Society MuseumsFort Madison | Depot museum | No | Free; donations and memberships appreciated | Open 360 days a year; the society's Facebook lists 10 am to 4 pm daily and noon to 4 pm Sunday | Families, rail fans and Amtrak travelers with time to spare |
| Rock Island Depot MuseumIowa Falls | Depot museum | No | Not posted online | Not posted online; confirm with local tourism offices before you go | Local history fans and depot collectors |
| Midwest Central RailroadMount Pleasant | Heritage railroad | Yes | Varies by event; check mcrr.org for ticket prices | Event days only; 2026 dates are posted on the railroad's events page | Young kids and steam fans |
| Restored BN Depot & World War II MuseumRed Oak | Depot museum | No | Free; visitors are asked for a free-will donation | Mid-March to the 2nd week of December: Monday to Friday, 10 am to noon; other times by appointment | History lovers, veterans' families and rail fans |
| Sioux City Railroad MuseumSioux City | Historic site | Yes | Free; donations welcome; special rates may apply for events | Thursday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm; Sunday noon to 4 pm; closed major holidays | Families with kids of all ages and rail history fans |
| Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC)Cedar Rapids | Preservation group | No | Not applicable | No public exhibit hours are posted | Interurban and Iowa history fans |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Quick picks: where to start in Iowa
Best first visit with a toddler
Sioux City
Entry is free, wide concrete trails suit strollers, and a grand scale miniature train gives weekend rides of nearly a mile.
Best train ride
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad Museum
Boone
The Fraser Train crosses the 156-foot Bass Point Creek High Bridge, and the 9,000 square foot museum is right at the depot.
Biggest free collection
Council Bluffs
Three floors of Union Pacific history are free, and kids line up for the train simulator in Working on the Railroad.
Watch live trains
Council Bluffs
A fenced viewing area sits beside Union Pacific, BNSF and Iowa Interstate tracks, next to locomotives and a mail car outside.
Best stop for Amtrak riders
North Lee County Historical Society Museums
Fort Madison
Free museums share the depot grounds with the Southwest Chief stop, plus Santa Fe steam engine 2913 and a caboose to tour.
Quiet history morning
Restored BN Depot & World War II Museum
Red Oak
A 1903 Burlington depot saved by Red Oak citizens, with railroad and World War II exhibits and free-will donation entry.
Where the East ended and the West began
When President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862, the Union Pacific was chartered to build west from the Missouri River, and its track set out from Council Bluffs to meet the Central Pacific at Promontory Summit in 1869. Eight railroads eventually served Council Bluffs. Across the state, Fort Madison became the Santa Fe's only stop in Iowa and a crew change point, and Red Oak's 1903 Burlington depot tied a prairie county seat to the wider world.
Iowa also built shops and electric lines. The Milwaukee Road's Sioux City engine terminal, finished in 1918, employed 560 workers at its World War II peak and serviced more than 70 trains a day. Interurbans linked Mason City and Clear Lake from 1896 and Cedar Rapids and Iowa City from 1904, and the old Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern route now carries excursion trains out of Boone.
Start the big story at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and the RailsWest History Museum. The Sioux City Railroad Museum shows the shop side, Fort Madison's depot museums cover the Santa Fe, and the interurban era lives on at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad and Iowa Trolley Park.
Iowa rail day trips
Trip 1
Council Bluffs museum pair
- Union Pacific Railroad MuseumCouncil Bluffs
- RailsWest History MuseumCouncil Bluffs
The two museums are about a mile apart and both open Thursday to Saturday. On a Saturday, join the free History Express tour at the Union Pacific museum at 1:30 pm, then watch live trains from the RailsWest viewing area before it closes at 4 pm.
Trip 2
Southeast Iowa steam and the Santa Fe
- Midwest Central RailroadMount Pleasant
- North Lee County Historical Society MuseumsFort Madison
Mount Pleasant and Fort Madison are about 26 miles apart. Time the trip for a Midwest Central event day so kids can ride behind narrow gauge steam, then see Santa Fe 2913 and the swing-span bridge in Fort Madison.
Trip 3
Red Oak to Council Bluffs
- Restored BN Depot & World War II MuseumRed Oak
- Union Pacific Railroad MuseumCouncil Bluffs
Red Oak's depot opens weekday mornings from mid-March to mid-December, and Council Bluffs is about 37 miles away. A Thursday or Friday works for both: depot at 10 am, then the Union Pacific museum in the afternoon.
Drive times from Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport
Times are rough estimates without traffic or stops, so check a map before you head out.
| Museum | From Des Moines | From Cedar Rapids | From Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad MuseumBoone | 50 min | ||
| Restored BN Depot & World War II MuseumRed Oak | 2 hr 5 min | ||
| Iowa Trolley ParkClear Lake | 2 hr 30 min | ||
| Union Pacific Railroad MuseumCouncil Bluffs | 2 hr 40 min | ||
| Sioux City Railroad MuseumSioux City | 3 hr 40 min | ||
| Midwest Central RailroadMount Pleasant | 1 hr 35 min | 1 hr 25 min | |
| North Lee County Historical Society MuseumsFort Madison | 2 hr 10 min | 1 hr 40 min |
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Iowa museums
Iowa families can find real holiday trains here, not just events in a depot. The Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant runs Midwest Haunted Rails on October weekends and the North Pole Express in December behind narrow gauge steam, and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad has hosted Thomas the Tank Engine visits, with future dates posted on its site. In Fort Madison, the Old Lee County Jail opens on Beggar's Night. For more holiday options, see our Christmas train rides in Iowa guide and our Iowa Halloween train rides list.
Know before you go in Iowa
- At the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the only restrooms are on the lower level next to the gift shop.
- Sioux City's miniature train runs Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting, and the Holocaust Rails exhibit is best previewed by parents of young kids.
- Boone & Scenic Valley schedules change by season, so check bsvrr.com and use the address on the railroad's own site.
- The Midwest Central runs only on event days; call (319) 385-8939 before driving to Mount Pleasant.
- Much of the RailsWest equipment is outdoors, so dress for heat or cold; kids 5 and under get in free.
- Red Oak's depot is open only 10 am to noon on weekdays, so arrive early or book an appointment.
More train museums near Iowa
From Council Bluffs, the Nebraska train museums start with the Durham Museum in Omaha's Union Station, about 4 miles away, where kids can climb aboard 1940s passenger cars. From Des Moines it is about 2 hr 45 min.
From Davenport, the Illinois train museums include the Galesburg Railroad Museum, with CB&Q steam locomotive 3006 and a 1945 Railway Post Office car, about 55 minutes away.
From Sioux City, the South Dakota train museums include the Sioux Falls Railroad History Sites, a self-guided look at two 1880s depots, about 1 hr 40 min north.
Rally meets Mr. Conductor
One of my favorite pages in our book is the moment Mr. Conductor, in his blue uniform, holds out a hand to welcome Rally aboard. Rally is our real corgi, and he travels with Mom and Dad on the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego. My kids are learning to read, and they always slow down on that page to look at the conductor's kind face. My mom dreamed up this story before she died in 2021, and you can read how it came together on our story page. For a rainy afternoon in Iowa, print a few train coloring pages.
A train book for the drive
Amtrak's Southwest Chief still stops at Fort Madison, right beside the depot museums, so read our Southwest Chief with kids guide if you want to arrive by train.
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 Iowa: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Iowa: pumpkin trains for next October
- The Southwest Chief 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
Iowa train museum questions
What is the best train museum in Iowa?
The Sioux City Railroad Museum is the biggest family rail museum in Iowa. It covers the 32-acre former Milwaukee Road shops, with a roundhouse, steam engine No. 1355 and a 75-foot HO layout, and entry is free. For depth on railroad history, the free Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs draws on more than 150 years of company archives.
Are there free train museums in Iowa?
Yes, several Iowa rail museums are free. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs and the Sioux City Railroad Museum charge no admission, and the North Lee County Historical Society museums in Fort Madison are free as well. The Red Oak depot museum asks only for a free-will donation. Donations help all of these volunteer and nonprofit sites.
Where can you ride a train in Iowa?
The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad offers the biggest train ride in Iowa, crossing the 156-foot Bass Point Creek High Bridge. The Sioux City Railroad Museum runs a grand scale miniature train on weekends, and the Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant runs narrow gauge steam on event days. Iowa Trolley Park posts ride days on Facebook.
Which Iowa train museum is best for toddlers?
The Sioux City Railroad Museum is a great first pick for toddlers in Iowa. Admission is free, concrete trails make strollers easy, the HO layout holds attention, and weekend miniature train rides cover nearly a mile. For a real steam ride sized for little kids, the Midwest Central's loop in Mount Pleasant runs about a mile on event days.
Is there a train museum in Council Bluffs?
Yes, Council Bluffs has two. The free Union Pacific Railroad Museum fills the 1904 Carnegie Library, and the RailsWest History Museum occupies the 1899 Rock Island depot with locomotives, cabooses and a mail car outside. They are about a mile apart and both open Thursday to Saturday, with the Union Pacific museum adding summer Sunday afternoons.
Train museums near Des Moines?
The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad is the closest rail museum to Des Moines, about 50 minutes away without traffic. It pairs the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum with excursion rides through the Des Moines River Valley. The Rock Island Depot Museum is about 1 hr 50 min north, and Red Oak's depot museum is about 2 hours southwest.
Is there a train museum in Sioux City, Iowa?
Yes, the Sioux City Railroad Museum sits on the former Milwaukee Road engine terminal and car repair shops, a National Register historic district. It is open Thursday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday from noon to 4 pm. Free docent tours run Saturdays at 10 am, noon and 2 pm from the Welcome Kiosk.
Train museums near Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has no public rail museum, though its CRANDIC interurban story is told on our Iowa listings. The closest rides are at the Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant, about 1 hr 35 min away on event days. Fort Madison's free depot museums are about 2 hr 10 min south, and Boone is roughly 2 hr 35 min west.
Is there a railroad museum in Fort Madison, Iowa?
Yes, the North Lee County Historical Society runs free museums in Fort Madison's Old Santa Fe Depot Complex. Visitors can see Santa Fe steam locomotive 2913, tour a Santa Fe caboose and visit a rail and river transportation museum in the old CB&Q depot. The society says it is open 360 days a year.
Is there a trolley museum near Mason City, Iowa?
Yes, Iowa Trolley Park in Clear Lake focuses on the old electric interurban between Mason City and Clear Lake. Its Facebook page promotes rides and a chance to learn to run a diesel locomotive. Hours and prices are not posted online as of October 2026, so message the park on Facebook before driving out.
What is the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad?
The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad is an operating railroad museum run by the Iowa Railroad Historical Society in Boone. It keeps steam, diesel and electric equipment and runs the Fraser Train through the Des Moines River Valley on the former Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern route. The 9,000 square foot James H. Andrew Railroad Museum is part of the visit.
Does Thomas the Tank Engine come to Iowa?
Yes, the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad has hosted Thomas the Tank Engine visits, with rides behind a full-sized Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt and electric trolley rides. As of October 2026, the 2026 visit has already wrapped up. Watch the railroad's website for future dates, and book early because Thomas events tend to sell out.
When does the North Pole Express run in Mount Pleasant, Iowa?
As of October 2026, the Midwest Central Railroad lists North Pole Express dates of December 5 to 6, 12 to 13 and 19 to 20. The holiday trains run on the railroad's narrow gauge loop around McMillan Park in Mount Pleasant. Ticket prices vary by event, so check mcrr.org or call (319) 385-8939.
What is Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant?
Midwest Haunted Rails is the Midwest Central Railroad's October event in Mount Pleasant. As of October 2026, dates are October 16 to 17, 23 to 24 and 30 to 31. Trains run on the 3-foot narrow gauge loop around McMillan Park, and the railroad's Facebook page is the best place for ticket news.
What is Great Northern No. 1355 in Sioux City?
Great Northern No. 1355, nicknamed Ironhorse, is the steam locomotive that started the Sioux City Railroad Museum. Built in 1909 and rebuilt in 1924, it was given to Sioux City in 1955. It is the sole survivor of the Great Northern's rebuilt H5 class and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on its own.
What is Santa Fe 2913 in Fort Madison?
Santa Fe 2913 is a steam locomotive on display at the Old Santa Fe Depot Complex in Fort Madison. It was built in 1944, weighs 708,000 pounds and hauled war equipment across the western United States before being gifted to the city. It is free to see alongside the Santa Fe caboose.
What was the CRANDIC railway in Iowa?
The CRANDIC, or Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway, was the electric interurban that carried passengers between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City from 1904 into the 1950s. When passenger service ended, the line kept going and is still a freight railroad today. There is no public museum for it, so ask local historical societies about photographs.
Why is Council Bluffs important in Union Pacific history?
Council Bluffs is where the Union Pacific began building west after President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862. Its track ran from the Missouri River to meet the Central Pacific at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869. That is why Union Pacific's museum is in Council Bluffs and honors Lincoln as the railroad's founding father.
When is the Red Oak depot museum open?
The Restored BN Depot and World War II Museum in Red Oak is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to noon, mid-March through the second week of December, and by appointment at other times. Entry is free with a free-will donation. The 1903 Burlington depot was saved from demolition by local citizens in the 1990s.
How much is the RailsWest History Museum in Council Bluffs?
As of October 2026, RailsWest admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 60 and up and students, $5 for ages 6 to 18, and free for kids 5 and under. Historical Society of Pottawattamie County members also get in free. The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Keep exploring
More family train guides from Rally
- DirectoryRailway Museum Directory650 train museums in all 50 states, with hours, tickets and train rides.
- 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.