Train Museums in Michigan: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 17 museums
- 16 towns
- 8 with train rides
- 4 free
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A 401-ton Lima Berkshire that its keepers call the largest steam locomotive ever used in Michigan still lives in the old Ann Arbor Railroad steam shops in Owosso, and it is only one of the stops on this page. Our Michigan list covers 17 rail museums, heritage railroads and museums with train exhibits in 16 towns, one of them now closed, and it belongs to our larger guide to train museums in every state. Type your town into the finder below to see which ones are closest to you.
The Detroit area has the biggest names: the Glancy Trains at the Detroit Historical Museum and the twin draws of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village in Dearborn. Mid-Michigan packs depots and steam into a tight circle around Owosso, Durand and Flint, West Michigan rides vintage coaches out of Coopersville, and the Upper Peninsula adds a narrow gauge train that ends at a waterfall.
Most of the train rides here are seasonal, running somewhere between spring and the Christmas trains of December, so check each museum card for hours before you go.
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 a Michigan train museum.
Rally Takes the Train
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Quick picks: where to start in Michigan
Best first visit with a toddler
Detroit
The Glancy Trains layout has buttons kids can press to set things moving, and children under 6 get in free.
Most hands-on steam experience
Dearborn
Kids 6 and up can help push a 40-ton turntable by hand, next to a working 1884 roundhouse and a steam railroad.
Biggest collection under one roof
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Dearborn
Its Railroads exhibit sits inside more than nine acres of galleries, open every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Best full day with a train ride
Flint
A 40-minute narrow gauge loop along Mott Lake, pulled by 1920 Baldwin #152 on weekends, inside a village of historic buildings.
Free and huge
Owosso
Admission is free on summer tour days, and guides lead you into the backshop beside the 101-foot Pere Marquette 1225.
Rainy day pick
Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History Museum
Durand
An indoor museum in a 1905 depot open Tuesday to Sunday, where Amtrak's Blue Water still stops outside the windows.
Up North road trip stop
Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tours & Toonerville Trolley
Soo Junction
A 24-inch gauge train through the Tahquamenon Forest, with an optional riverboat to a private view of the Upper Falls.
Every train museum in Michigan, town by town
17 museums in 16 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.
Clinton
Heritage railroad with a museum
Southern Michigan Railroad Society
A volunteer museum railroad running excursions on Michigan's oldest branch line between Clinton and Tecumseh, with summer trips, fall color tours and the Santa Express. Not every train leaves from Clinton, so check your booking for the departure point.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsColdwater
Heritage railroad with a museum
Little River Railroad
Steam train rides from Coldwater to Quincy run by volunteers, about an hour and a half round trip with a layover to watch the engine move to the other end. Themed trips run spring through Christmas, and buying tickets ahead is recommended.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCoopersville
Heritage railroad with a museum
Coopersville & Marne Railway
Vintage coaches on a 12-mile, 90-minute round trip from Coopersville to Marne over track first laid in 1858, run entirely by volunteers. Families come for the costumed Pumpkin Train in October and the Santa Train after Thanksgiving, which sell out fast.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDearborn: 2 train museums
Dearborn holds two stops on one campus: the indoor Railroads exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and the steam railroad, roundhouse and turntable next door in Greenfield Village. The museum is open daily, while the village runs on a seasonal calendar.
Heritage railroad with a museum
Greenfield Village Railroad
Steam trains, an 1884 roundhouse and a 40-ton hand-turned turntable that kids 6 and up can help push, inside Greenfield Village in Dearborn. The village is seasonal, open roughly April through November, so check the calendar.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMuseum with a major rail exhibit
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
A huge Dearborn museum of American innovation with a Railroads exhibit of vintage trains and hands-on displays, steps from Greenfield Village and its working steam railroad. Open every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDecatur
Railroad museum
Wabash Railroad Museum
A small museum in Decatur, Michigan named for the Wabash Railroad. No official website, hours or admission details could be confirmed online, so plan a phone call or local check before making the trip.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDetroit
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Detroit Historical Museum
Detroit's history museum on Woodward Avenue, where the Glancy Trains layout lets kids press buttons to make things move and wall panels trace the city's railroads, depots, streetcars and interurbans. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDurand
Depot museum
Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History Museum
A grand 1905 depot where the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor railroads crossed, now home to the Michigan Railroad History Museum. Open Tuesday to Sunday afternoons, ADA compliant, with Halloween and Santa events each year.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFairview
Heritage railroad with a museumClosed
Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad
A much-loved quarter-scale ride-on railway near Fairview that ran through the Huron National Forest from 1994 until it closed permanently in 2021. It no longer operates; this page tells its story.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFlint
Heritage railroad with a museum
Huckleberry Railroad
A 40-minute narrow gauge train ride along Mott Lake, pulled on weekends by Baldwin steam engine #152, inside Genesee County's Crossroads Village. Pair it with the village's historic buildings and the seasonal Halloween and Christmas events.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsFlushing
Depot museum
Flushing Area Museum
A fully restored train depot beside the tracks in Flushing, now a free, volunteer-run museum with period rooms, railroad history and pioneer artifacts. Open on set days and by appointment, with ADA accessible rooms and restrooms.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMount Clemens
Depot museum
Michigan Transit Museum
An 1859 Grand Trunk depot in downtown Mount Clemens, open Sundays 1 to 4 pm year round, run by volunteers who also operate a one-mile train ride from Joy Park. The rides are set to return in 2027.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsNegaunee
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Michigan Iron Industry Museum
A free state museum near Marquette about Michigan's iron ranges and the people who worked them, with exhibits, a film in an 88-seat auditorium and outdoor trails. Open Tuesday to Sunday, June to mid-October; a Recreation Passport is needed to park.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsOwosso
Heritage railroad with a museum
Steam Railroading Institute
Home of Pere Marquette 1225, a 401-ton 1941 Berkshire, on the site of the Ann Arbor Railroad's Owosso steam shops. Admission is free on summer tour days, and the North Pole Express is its most popular holiday trip.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSaginaw
Depot museum
Saginaw Railway Museum
A seasonal railroad museum in a historic Saginaw depot, run by the Saginaw Valley Railroad Historical Society, with cabooses, boxcars, an interlocking tower and a model train exhibit. Admission is free, and opening dates are posted on Facebook.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSoo Junction
Heritage railroad with a museum
Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tours & Toonerville Trolley
A narrow gauge train and riverboat excursion from Soo Junction to a private viewing area at the Upper Tahquamenon Falls, or a shorter wilderness train ride through the forest. Call ahead for the season and departure times.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSt. Johns
Depot museum
Clinton Northern Railway Museum
A small nonprofit museum at the historic Grand Trunk depot in St. Johns, with vintage early 1900s railcars, especially Barney and Smith cars, plus railroad artifacts. Open May through October, with field trips by appointment.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Michigan 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Michigan Railroad SocietyClinton | Heritage railroad | Yes | Ticket prices vary by excursion; book through the Society's ticket pages | Operating days only, typically mid-May to mid-December; see the online train schedule | Families wanting a relaxed country train ride, and diesel fans |
| Little River RailroadColdwater | Heritage railroad | Yes | 2026 fares: adults (12 and up) $22, ages 3 to 11 $15, 2 and under free, plus fees; some events priced differently | Scheduled trips only; ticket office opens 2 hours before each departure | Families with young kids and steam fans |
| Coopersville & Marne RailwayCoopersville | Heritage railroad | Yes | Prices vary by trip and class; book online at the railroad's website | Scheduled trains only; see the train rides page for dates and times | Families with young kids, especially in fall and the holiday season |
| Greenfield Village RailroadDearborn | Heritage railroad | Yes | Greenfield Village tickets about $37 to $39 per person online, varying by date; extra charge on site | Seasonal; as of October 2026, Friday to Sunday 9:30 am to 3 pm through Oct 25, then Friday to Sunday 9:30 am to 5 pm through Nov 29; closed Nov 30 to Dec 31 | Families with young train fans and steam enthusiasts |
| Henry Ford Museum of American InnovationDearborn | Rail gallery | No | Single-venue and multi-venue tickets sold online, with prices that vary by date; members free | Daily, 9:30 am to 5 pm | Families and rail fans who want trains plus big-picture American history |
| Wabash Railroad MuseumDecatur | Railroad museum | No | Not posted online | Not posted online; confirm locally before visiting | Wabash Railroad fans checking local rail history |
| Detroit Historical MuseumDetroit | Rail gallery | No | Adults $15; seniors, students, military, educators, first responders and veterans $12; ages 6 to 12 $8; under 6 free | Wednesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm | Families with young kids and Detroit history fans |
| Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History MuseumDurand | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call (989) 288-3561 | Museum: Tuesday to Friday 1 to 5 pm, Saturday 11 am to 5 pm, Sunday 1 to 5 pm; closed Monday | Rail history fans, photographers and families |
| Huckleberry RailroadFlint | Heritage railroad | Yes | Village and train tickets sold by Genesee County Parks; current public prices posted on its website | Seasonal; check Genesee County Parks for current Crossroads Village days and train times | Families with young kids looking for a full day out |
| Flushing Area MuseumFlushing | Depot museum | No | Free; donations appreciated | Winter and spring: Tuesdays 9 am to 1 pm and by appointment; additional open days are listed on the society's calendar | Local history fans and families with school-age kids |
| Michigan Transit MuseumMount Clemens | Depot museum | Yes | Depot admission not posted online; train fares $7 adults, $4 ages 4 to 12 | Depot open Sundays 1 to 4 pm, year round | Families with young kids and Michigan transit history fans |
| Michigan Iron Industry MuseumNegaunee | Rail gallery | No | Free; a Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry | Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm, from June 2 through October 15 (2026 season) | Families and history fans exploring the Marquette area |
| Steam Railroading InstituteOwosso | Heritage railroad | Yes | Free admission, donations welcome | Summer 2026: Welcome Center Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm (June 4 to August 15); closed to the public September to March | Steam fans and families who want to see a giant locomotive up close |
| Saginaw Railway MuseumSaginaw | Depot museum | No | No admission fee; donations asked | Seasonal; check the museum's Facebook page for current open dates | Rail history fans and families wanting a short, free stop |
| Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tours & Toonerville TrolleySoo Junction | Heritage railroad | Yes | Fares not posted online; call or check the operator's website | Season and departure times not posted online; call (906) 876-2311 | Families and nature lovers who want a train ride with a waterfall at the end |
| Clinton Northern Railway MuseumSt. Johns | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call or message the museum on Facebook | Open May through October; a recent season opened on May 6 with hours of 1 to 3 pm. Check Facebook for current hours. | Rail history fans and families with school-age kids |
| Michigan AuSable Valley RailroadFairview | Heritage railroad | No | Not applicable; the railroad no longer operates | Closed permanently since 2021 | Rail history fans interested in Michigan's miniature railways |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Map of every train museum in Michigan
How railroads built Michigan
Michigan's rail story starts early. The Palmyra and Jacksonburgh, which the Southern Michigan Railroad Society describes as the first branch railroad into the state, began a working life that stretched from 1838 to 1982. By the 1850s new lines were spreading fast: the Flint and Pere Marquette organized in 1857, crews laid Detroit and Milwaukee track through Coopersville in 1858, and Mount Clemens got its Grand Trunk depot in 1859. Those trains carried the products of Michigan's lumber, mining, farming and factories.
At the height of the rail era, Durand was one of the busiest junctions in the state, with the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor crossing at grade and 142 trains a day passing the depot. Pere Marquette Berkshires hauled fast freight between Detroit, Toledo, Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Chicago, including war materiel when Detroit was the Arsenal of Democracy. Up north, small engines like the 1873 Torch Lake hauled ore on the Keweenaw Peninsula, while streetcars and electric interurbans tied Detroit and nearby towns together.
Each museum picks up a different chapter. The Southern Michigan Railroad Society rides the oldest branch, Durand Union Station tells the junction story, and the Steam Railroading Institute keeps Pere Marquette 1225 running. The Michigan Transit Museum and the Detroit Historical Museum cover streetcars and interurbans, Greenfield Village shows the roundhouse and depot side of steam, and the Michigan Iron Industry Museum explains the iron ranges that trains served.
Michigan rail day trips
Trip 1
Dearborn and Detroit in one weekend
- Greenfield Village RailroadDearborn
- Henry Ford Museum of American InnovationDearborn
- Detroit Historical MuseumDetroit
Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum share an address, so spend one day riding the steam train and watching the turntable, then save the indoor Railroads exhibit for a second day or a rainy afternoon. The Detroit Historical Museum is about 9 miles away and makes a shorter outing built around the Glancy Trains. Note that the village closes for the season after November 29.
Trip 2
Owosso and Durand steam and depot loop
- Steam Railroading InstituteOwosso
- Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History MuseumDurand
- Clinton Northern Railway MuseumSt. Johns
The Steam Railroading Institute and Durand Union Station are only 11 miles apart, so a morning beside Pere Marquette 1225 pairs neatly with an afternoon in the 1905 depot. Add the Clinton Northern Railway Museum in St. Johns, 20 miles from Owosso, during its May to October season. The Institute's Welcome Center is closed to the public from September to March, so this loop works best in summer.
Trip 3
Flint, Flushing and Saginaw
- Huckleberry RailroadFlint
- Flushing Area MuseumFlushing
- Saginaw Railway MuseumSaginaw
Start with a Huckleberry Railroad ride at Crossroads Village, then drive 11 miles to the free Flushing Area Museum in its restored depot. The Saginaw Railway Museum, with its interlocking tower and cabooses, is about 25 miles from Flushing. Both smaller museums keep limited hours, so confirm open days before you set out.
Drive times from Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing
Times are rough estimates for the drive without traffic, so build in extra time around Detroit rush hours.
| Museum | From Detroit | From Lansing | From Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Historical MuseumDetroit | 10 min | ||
| Greenfield Village RailroadDearborn | 15 min | ||
| Michigan Transit MuseumMount Clemens | 30 min | ||
| Southern Michigan Railroad SocietyClinton | 1 hr 10 min | ||
| Huckleberry RailroadFlint | 1 hr 25 min | ||
| Durand Union Station / Michigan Railroad History MuseumDurand | 1 hr 25 min | ||
| Clinton Northern Railway MuseumSt. Johns | 25 min | ||
| Steam Railroading InstituteOwosso | 35 min | 1 hr 45 min | |
| Little River RailroadColdwater | 1 hr 20 min | 1 hr 45 min | |
| Coopersville & Marne RailwayCoopersville | 20 min |
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Michigan museums
Fall and winter are the busiest times on Michigan rails. For Halloween, the Coopersville & Marne Railway runs a costumed Pumpkin Train with candy at the end, the Little River Railroad lets families choose pumpkins during its Quincy layover, Crossroads Village hosts Halloween Ghosts and Goodies around the Huckleberry Railroad, and Durand Union Station holds a Halloween Kids Day, with more ideas in our Michigan Halloween train rides guide. At Christmas, the Steam Railroading Institute's North Pole Express is its most popular trip, while Coopersville runs a Santa Train on weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Coldwater runs a Christmas Express, and the Southern Michigan Railroad Society runs a Santa Express. Crossroads Village also lists Day Out With Thomas among its events. Compare dates in our Michigan Christmas train rides roundup, and book early.
Good to know before you go
- At the Michigan Transit Museum, the depot and the train ride are in different places: trains leave from Henry B. Joy Park in Clinton Township, and the rides are set to return in 2027.
- The Greenfield Village turntable push is for kids 6 and up and runs weather permitting; as of October 2026 the village closes at 3 pm through October 25.
- The historic passenger cars at the Steam Railroading Institute are in original condition and are not ADA accessible, though the site is free to tour in summer.
- Little River Railroad coaches have no air conditioning and only limited heat, so dress for the weather, and arrive at least 30 minutes early because the train will not wait.
- Coopersville & Marne sells tickets at 306 Main St. but boards at 311 Danforth Street, and its Pumpkin Train and Santa Train sell out quickly.
- The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is free, but every vehicle needs a Michigan Recreation Passport to park.
- Hours for the Wabash Railroad Museum in Decatur are not posted, so confirm it is open before you make the drive.
Train museums in nearby states
Southwest Michigan sits close to train museums in Indiana, where the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart shows locomotives outside and model railroads inside, about 2 hours from Grand Rapids and only 29 miles from Decatur. From Detroit, it is about 1 hour 40 minutes to Bellevue for the outdoor collection at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum, one of many train museums in Ohio, headlined by Nickel Plate Road Berkshire 757.
Upper Peninsula families can head into Wisconsin's train museums: the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, home of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017, is about 3 hours 20 minutes from Marquette.
A note from Kelsey
Rally's train is the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner out of San Diego, a long way from Michigan, but my favorite page could happen on any platform in Owosso or Coldwater. Mr. Conductor, dressed in blue, holds out a hand, and our corgi gets a little braver. My mom dreamed up that story and died in 2021 before she could write it, and you can read how our family finished her book. My kids are learning to read now, and they like to color Rally before every trip, so print a few free train coloring pages for the back seat.
A train book for the drive
If your kids would rather ride than read about trains, Amtrak's Blue Water still stops at Durand Union Station; see our Blue Water with kids guide.
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 Michigan: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Michigan: pumpkin trains for next October
- The Blue Water 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
Michigan train museum questions
What is the best train museum in Michigan?
For sheer size, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn is the strongest single stop. Its Railroads exhibit shows vintage trains with hands-on displays inside more than nine acres of galleries drawn from an archive of 26 million artifacts. Greenfield Village sits next door with a working steam railroad, an 1884 roundhouse and a hand-turned turntable, so many families plan both on one trip.
How many train museums are in Michigan?
This guide lists 17 Michigan rail museums, heritage railroads and museums with rail exhibits across 16 towns, from Detroit and Dearborn to Soo Junction and Negaunee in the Upper Peninsula. One of them, the Michigan AuSable Valley Railroad near Fairview, closed permanently in 2021. Many of the others are seasonal, so hours and ride days change through the year.
Are there free train museums in Michigan?
Yes, several Michigan rail museums charge no admission. The Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is free on its summer tour days, with donations welcome. The Saginaw Railway Museum and the Flushing Area Museum are also free and ask for donations. The Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee is free as well, though every vehicle needs a Michigan Recreation Passport to enter.
Where can you ride a train in Michigan?
Michigan has several heritage railroads that carry passengers on scheduled days. The Coopersville & Marne Railway runs a 90-minute trip near Grand Rapids, the Little River Railroad steams from Coldwater to Quincy, and the Huckleberry Railroad loops along Mott Lake near Flint. Greenfield Village runs steam trains during its season, and the Southern Michigan Railroad Society rides between Clinton and Tecumseh.
What is the best Michigan train museum for toddlers?
The Detroit Historical Museum is the easiest toddler outing on this list. Its Glancy Trains layout has buttons that let kids set parts of the model railroad in motion, children under 6 get in free, and the museum is indoors and open Wednesday to Sunday. For a real ride, the 40-minute Huckleberry Railroad at Crossroads Village near Flint is a comfortable length for little ones.
Is there a train museum in Detroit?
Detroit's main option is the Detroit Historical Museum on Woodward Avenue, home of the Glancy Trains model railroad. Wall panels in the train gallery trace the city's railroads, stations, streetcars and interurbans. As of October 2026 it is open Wednesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 1 to 5 pm. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn are about 9 miles away.
Are there train museums near Grand Rapids?
The closest is the Coopersville & Marne Railway, about 20 minutes west of Grand Rapids. It runs a 12-mile round trip to Marne over track first laid in 1858, and it owns the line from Marne into Grand Rapids, which keeps it connected to the national network. The Little River Railroad in Coldwater and the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso are each roughly 1 hour 45 minutes away.
What train museums are near Lansing?
Lansing sits close to a cluster of rail stops. The Clinton Northern Railway Museum in St. Johns is about 25 minutes north, the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is about 35 minutes east, and Durand Union Station is about 45 minutes away. Owosso and Durand are only 11 miles apart, so they pair well. The Little River Railroad in Coldwater is roughly 1 hour 20 minutes south.
Is there a train museum in Flint?
Yes, the Huckleberry Railroad runs inside Genesee County's Crossroads Village in Flint. It is a three-foot narrow gauge line with a 40-minute ride along Mott Lake, pulled on weekends by Baldwin steam engine #152 and on Thursdays and Fridays by diesel #12. The free Flushing Area Museum, set in a restored depot, is about 11 miles away and makes an easy second stop.
Is there a train museum in Saginaw?
Yes, the Saginaw Railway Museum at 900 Maple Street is run by volunteers of the Saginaw Valley Railroad Historical Society. It occupies a historic depot and shows cabooses, boxcars, an interlocking tower and a model train exhibit. Admission is free, with donations asked. The museum keeps a seasonal schedule and posts its open dates on Facebook, so check there before you drive over.
Is there a train museum in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?
The Upper Peninsula has two rail stops in this guide. The Toonerville Trolley at Soo Junction offers a narrow gauge train ride, with or without a riverboat trip to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls. The Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee covers the Marquette Iron Range and is free, open Tuesday to Sunday from June 2 through October 15 in 2026. They sit about 110 miles apart.
What is Pere Marquette 1225?
Pere Marquette 1225 is a 1941 Lima Berkshire steam locomotive kept running by the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso. It weighs 401 tons with its tender and is 101 feet long, and the Institute calls it the largest steam locomotive ever used in Michigan. It hauled freight until 1951, sat on display at Michigan State University, and moved under its own power again in 1985.
What is the GMDH-3 locomotive in Clinton, Michigan?
The GMDH-3 #275, built in 1960, is the only locomotive of its type ever made, and it belongs to the Southern Michigan Railroad Society in Clinton. The Society runs excursions on the Clinton Branch, which descends from the first branch railroad into Michigan. Its roster also includes GE 44-ton #75 and a century-old Chicago, South Shore & South Bend commuter car.
What is special about Durand Union Station?
Durand Union Station stands where the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor railroads crossed, and at its peak 142 trains a day passed through. The 1905 depot is described as one of the most photographed in the country, and the city bought it for one dollar in 1979 to save it. Today it holds the Michigan Railroad History Museum and still serves Amtrak's Blue Water trains.
Can kids help turn the turntable at Greenfield Village?
Yes, guests ages 6 and up can help push the 40-ton turntable by hand during daily demonstrations, weather permitting. The 1901 turntable once worked for the Pere Marquette in Saginaw and later Petoskey, and it was balanced so well that it never needed a motor. As of October 2026 the village closes at 3 pm through October 25, so check demonstration times when you arrive.
Does the Michigan Transit Museum in Mount Clemens give train rides?
Not at the moment. The Michigan Transit Museum's one-mile ride on the Selfridge Spur, which leaves from Henry B. Joy Park in Clinton Township, is set to return in 2027. The 1859 Grand Trunk depot in downtown Mount Clemens stays open Sundays from 1 to 4 pm year round. Posted train fares have been $7 for adults and $4 for ages 4 to 12.
What is the Toonerville Trolley in Michigan?
The Toonerville Trolley is a 24-inch gauge railroad at Soo Junction, described as one of the oldest and longest lines of its gauge in the country. The full trip pairs the train with a riverboat to a private viewing area at the Upper Tahquamenon Falls and takes about 6.5 hours. A Wilderness Train Ride of about 1 hour 45 minutes is the shorter choice for small kids.
Which Michigan train museums run Santa trains?
Several Michigan railroads run Christmas trains each year. The Steam Railroading Institute's North Pole Express in Owosso runs in November and December, the Coopersville & Marne Santa Train runs weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Little River Railroad in Coldwater runs a Christmas Express. The Southern Michigan Railroad Society runs a Santa Express too. Popular trips sell out early, so book ahead.
Are there pumpkin trains in Michigan for Halloween?
Yes. The Coopersville & Marne Railway runs a costumed Pumpkin Train in October, with candy and a small gift for kids, though there is no pumpkin patch stop. The Little River Railroad's Pumpkin Train in Coldwater lets families pick pumpkins during the Quincy layover. Crossroads Village near Flint hosts Halloween Ghosts and Goodies, and Durand Union Station holds a Halloween Kids Day.
Why were railroads important in Michigan history?
Railroads tied Michigan's lumber, mining, farming and factories to markets across the Midwest. Lines such as the Pere Marquette and Grand Trunk Western carried freight and passengers, and Pere Marquette Berkshires hauled war materiel when Detroit was the Arsenal of Democracy. At its peak, Durand saw 142 trains a day. In the far north, engines like the Torch Lake hauled ore on the Keweenaw Peninsula.
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.