Train Museums in Mississippi: Every Railroad Museum by Town
- 7 museums
- 7 towns
- 1 free
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Corinth began in the 1850s where the Memphis and Charleston crossed the Mobile and Ohio, and the town was first called Cross City for that junction, which made it a prize in the Civil War. It is one of 7 Mississippi museums and rail sites in 7 towns on this page, part of our state-by-state train museum guide for families, from Corinth and Water Valley in the north to Cleveland, Jackson, Meridian, Hattiesburg and McComb. Type your town into the finder to see what is closest to you.
For young kids, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson pairs a big model railroad with a barnyard, and the free Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland has the largest O-gauge layout in the state. Casey Jones fans head to the Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum to see the bell from his last train.
None of these stops runs a regular excursion train, and several keep short or unposted hours. The McComb museum is in a temporary home while its depot is rebuilt, so check each card before you drive.
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 Mississippi train museum.
Rally Takes the Train
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Quick picks: where to start in Mississippi
Best first visit with a toddler
Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum
Jackson
The Jackson Station model railroad, a Children's Barnyard and a General Store with old-fashioned candy all come with one ticket, Monday to Saturday.
Best free stop
Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum
Cleveland
A 71-by-17-foot O-gauge layout and a 1941 Illinois Central caboose you can walk into, with no admission charge.
Biggest collection
McComb
Nearly 1,800 artifacts on the Illinois Central and the McComb Shops, kept going at a temporary Third Street home after the 2021 depot fire.
Best for train watching
Meridian
The 1906 freight station sits right beside the Norfolk Southern mainline, with wooden train sets inside for small hands.
For Casey Jones fans
Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum
Water Valley
The cracked, battered bell from Casey Jones's final train hangs in the depot of the town where he lived and worked.
Rainy day history stop
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center
Corinth
Open daily with indoor exhibits, a theater and full accessibility features, explaining why a rail crossing drew two armies in 1862.
Every train museum in Mississippi, 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.
Cleveland
Railroad museum
Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum
A free, city-run museum in historic downtown Cleveland with Delta railroad artifacts, a 71-by-17-foot O-gauge layout, the largest in Mississippi, and a 1941 Illinois Central caboose open to visitors. Open weekdays and Saturday afternoons.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCorinth
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center
A National Park Service center in Corinth that explains how the crossing of the Memphis & Charleston and Mobile & Ohio railroads made the town a Civil War prize. Interactive exhibits, a theater and a water courtyard. Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsHattiesburg
Historic rail site
Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot
A restored 1910 station on Newman Street that still serves Amtrak riders and hosts community events. Two retired engines rest at the depot, including Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern No. 300. Visiting hours are not posted, so plan for an outdoor look.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsJackson
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum
A 40-acre state museum in Jackson where kids can meet barnyard animals, walk a relocated small town and watch Jackson Station, a big volunteer-built model railroad of historic Jackson. Open Monday to Saturday; adult admission is $8.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMcComb
Depot museum
McComb Railroad Depot Museum
McComb's Illinois Central story, told by a nonprofit museum that lost much of its 1901 depot to arson in 2021 and kept going. It is open Thursdays and Fridays at a temporary Third Street location while the depot is rebuilt.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMeridian
Depot museum
Meridian Railroad Museum
A volunteer-built museum in Meridian's 1906 freight station and Railway Express Agency building, right beside the Norfolk Southern mainline, with interactive exhibits, wooden train sets for kids and three pieces of retired rolling stock. Hours are not posted, so check Facebook first.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsWater Valley
Depot museum
Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum
A small museum in Water Valley's historic depot, shared with the Lions Club, that tells the story of Casey Jones and the Illinois Central. Its centerpiece is the cracked, battered bell from Jones's train. Hours are not posted, so check Facebook before you go.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Mississippi 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage MuseumCleveland | Railroad museum | No | Free | Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm; Saturday 1 pm to 4 pm | Families with young train fans and groups |
| Corinth Civil War Interpretive CenterCorinth | Rail gallery | No | Not posted on the center's page; check the National Park Service website | Daily 9 am to 5 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day | Civil War and railroad history fans, older kids |
| Historic Hattiesburg Train DepotHattiesburg | Historic site | No | Not posted online | Not posted online; the engines and exterior can be seen from outside | A quick downtown stop for train-loving kids |
| Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry MuseumJackson | Rail gallery | No | Adults $8, ages 3 to 17 $6, seniors and military $7 | Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm (General Store 9 am to 4 pm) | Families with young children |
| McComb Railroad Depot MuseumMcComb | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call the museum | Thursday and Friday 10 am to 4 pm; Saturday by appointment | Rail fans and families interested in local history |
| Meridian Railroad MuseumMeridian | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call ahead | Not posted online; check Facebook or call 601-479-2483 | Families with young kids and train watchers |
| Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad MuseumWater Valley | Depot museum | No | Not posted online | Not posted online; check the museum's Facebook page | School-age kids and Casey Jones fans |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Towns the railroads made
Many Mississippi towns owe their existence to rail. Corinth grew where two lines crossed. Meridian's railroads made it, for a time, the largest city in the state. McComb was built by the Illinois Central, which kept major steam and car shops there, and Hattiesburg earned the nickname Hub City from its crossing rail lines and its lumber boom. In the Delta, short feeder lines opened thick forest and cane to cotton farming and new towns such as Cleveland.
Water Valley became a railroad headquarters. From 1866 until 1945 it was a division headquarters, and dispatchers in its enlarged depot ran every train on the Illinois Central main line between Canton, Mississippi and Cairo, Illinois. Engineer Casey Jones lived and worked there for much of his career before he died at his post in 1900.
Each museum covers part of that story. See the Civil War junction at the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, Illinois Central shop life at the McComb Railroad Depot Museum, Meridian's rail corridor at the Meridian Railroad Museum, the Hub City at the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot, Delta railroading at the Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum and Casey Jones in Water Valley.
Map of every train museum in Mississippi
Drive times from Jackson, Gulfport and Tupelo
These are approximate drive times without traffic, so leave a little extra room for stops.
| Museum | From Jackson | From Gulfport | From Tupelo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry MuseumJackson | 5 min | ||
| McComb Railroad Depot MuseumMcComb | 1 hr 40 min | 2 hr 20 min | |
| Historic Hattiesburg Train DepotHattiesburg | 1 hr 55 min | 1 hr 30 min | |
| Meridian Railroad MuseumMeridian | 2 hr | ||
| Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage MuseumCleveland | 2 hr 25 min | 2 hr 45 min | |
| Corinth Civil War Interpretive CenterCorinth | 1 hr 5 min | ||
| Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad MuseumWater Valley | 1 hr 15 min |
Mississippi rail day trips
Trip 1
Delta layout to Casey Jones country
- Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage MuseumCleveland
- Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad MuseumWater Valley
Start on a weekday at the free Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland, with its giant O-gauge layout and walk-in caboose. Water Valley is about 68 miles east, where the Casey Jones bell waits in the old Illinois Central depot. Message the Water Valley museum on Facebook first to confirm it will be open.
Trip 2
Jackson trains, then McComb's Illinois Central story
See Jackson Station and the barnyard at the Ag Museum in the morning, then drive about 77 miles south to McComb on a Thursday or Friday. The museum's temporary home on Third Street tells the story of the McComb Shops, and the 1901 depot is being rebuilt nearby.
Trip 3
Pine Belt depots
- Historic Hattiesburg Train DepotHattiesburg
- McComb Railroad Depot MuseumMcComb
Look over the two retired engines outside the 1910 Hattiesburg depot and walk the Hub City Historic District around it. McComb is about 69 miles west for a visit to its railroad museum. Both towns still have Amtrak stations, so you may see a passenger train.
Tips for a Mississippi train outing
- The McComb Railroad Depot Museum is at 112 Third Street, not in the depot, and opens Thursday and Friday 10 am to 4 pm; Saturday visits are by appointment at 601-248-3625.
- Meridian and Water Valley do not post hours online, so check their Facebook pages before a long drive.
- The Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum is open weekdays 9 am to 4 pm but only 1 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, and the caboose is open only during those hours.
- At the Ag Museum in Jackson, adult admission is $8 and ages 3 to 17 pay $6. Much of the campus is outdoors, so plan for summer heat.
- The Hattiesburg depot posts no visiting hours, so plan an outdoor look at the engines and pair it with a downtown walk.
- The Corinth center tells a war story that suits older kids. Pack a lunch for the picnic table and a refillable bottle for the filling station.
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Mississippi museums
As of October 2026, none of the seven Mississippi stops on this page runs a Santa train, pumpkin train, Polar Express or Thomas day. The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson comes closest for families, with Pumpkin Adventure hayrides and a pumpkin patch on select October days, Harvest Fest demonstrations in November and Homestead for the Holidays in December with story time with Mrs. Claus and photos with Santa and Rudolph. For a ride on the rails, see our list of Christmas train rides in Mississippi and our roundup of Halloween and fall train rides in Mississippi.
Train museums near the Mississippi border
From Meridian, the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera is about 2 hr 50 min east, with free admission and 75-minute Saturday train rides in season; see our Alabama train museums. From Tupelo, the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum in Jackson, Tennessee, is about 2 hr 10 min north, where kids can ring the bell on a replica of engine 382, listed on our Tennessee train museums page. And from Gulfport, the New Orleans streetcars, including the St. Charles Avenue line running since 1835, are about 1 hr 30 min west on our Louisiana train museums page.
What Rally packs for a train day
Before every trip in our book, Rally packs his suitcase: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball. My kids are learning to read, and they love pointing at each thing as we go. A Mississippi train day can be a long drive, so a little suitcase of favorite toys helps. Rally is our real corgi, and my mom dreamed up his story before she died in 2021. Print our Rally coloring pages to tuck in the bag, and read how the book began on our story page.
A train book for the drive
Amtrak's City of New Orleans stops at the McComb depot, so see our guide to the City of New Orleans with kids if you would like 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 Mississippi: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Mississippi: pumpkin trains for next October
- The City Of New Orleans 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
Mississippi train museum questions families ask
What is the biggest train museum in Mississippi?
The McComb Railroad Depot Museum has the largest collection on this page, with nearly 1,800 artifacts on the Illinois Central, the McComb Shops and passenger rail. Its best known piece is Illinois Central No. 2542, a 200-ton steam locomotive. As of October 2026, the museum is at a temporary home on Third Street while its 1901 depot is rebuilt.
Are there free train museums in Mississippi?
Yes, the Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland is free. The city-run museum has the largest O-gauge model train layout in Mississippi and a 1941 Illinois Central caboose that visitors can walk into. It is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Where can kids ride a train in Mississippi?
None of the Mississippi museums on this page runs a regular excursion train as of October 2026. The simplest way to ride is Amtrak, which stops at the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot and at McComb, where riders catch the City of New Orleans. The Ag Museum in Jackson offers hayrides during its October Pumpkin Adventure.
Which Mississippi train museum is best for toddlers?
The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson is the easiest toddler pick. Little ones can watch the Jackson Station model railroad, visit farm animals at the Children's Barnyard and pick candy at the General Store. Storytime for children in K3 to K5 runs the second Tuesday of each month. The Meridian Railroad Museum also has wooden train sets.
Is there a train museum in Jackson, Mississippi?
Yes, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum on Lakeland Drive houses Jackson Station, a scale model of historic Jackson and its railroads in an exhibit of more than 3,000 square feet. Volunteer modelers known as the Red Caboose Crew built it. The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, and also has a relocated historic town.
Is there a railroad museum in Meridian, Mississippi?
Yes, the Meridian Railroad Museum fills the 1906 Mission Revival freight station on Front Street, next to Meridian Union Station and the Norfolk Southern mainline. It has interactive exhibits, wooden train sets for kids and three pieces of retired rolling stock, including a Meridian and Bigbee caboose. Hours are not posted, so check Facebook or call 601-479-2483.
Where is the McComb Railroad Museum now?
As of October 2026, the McComb Railroad Depot Museum is at a temporary location, 112 Third Street, where it reopened in June 2024. It is open Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, with Saturday visits by appointment. It will stay there until repairs to the 1901 Illinois Central depot are finished.
Is there a train depot to visit in Hattiesburg?
Yes, the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot on Newman Street is a restored 1910 station that still serves Amtrak riders and hosts community events. Two retired engines sit at the depot, including Bonhomie and Hattiesburg Southern No. 300. Visiting hours are not posted, so plan to see the engines and the building from outside.
What is the railroad connection at the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center?
The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center explains that the town grew where the Memphis and Charleston crossed the Mobile and Ohio, and that junction made it a target for both armies in 1862. Run by the National Park Service as part of Shiloh National Military Park, the center is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
What can you see at the Casey Jones museum in Water Valley?
The Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum's centerpiece is the cracked, battered bell from the train Casey Jones was driving when he died in 1900. Photographs, documents and railroad memorabilia trace his life and the Illinois Central in North Mississippi. The museum shares the old depot with the Lions Club, and hours are posted on Facebook.
How big is the model train layout in Cleveland, Mississippi?
The O-gauge layout at the Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland measures 71 by 17 feet, the largest O-gauge layout in Mississippi. It shows a small town called Anytown, Mississippi, sometime between the 1940s and the 1960s. The museum says it keeps changing, so repeat visitors often find something new.
What is Illinois Central No. 2542 in McComb?
Illinois Central No. 2542 is a 200-ton Mountain-type steam locomotive built at the railroad's own Paducah shops, and it is the best known piece in the McComb Railroad Depot Museum's care. With the depot under repair after the 2021 fire, ask the museum which large pieces are on view before planning a visit around it.
What engines are at the Hattiesburg train depot?
Two retired engines are kept at the Historic Hattiesburg Train Depot. One is Bonhomie and Hattiesburg Southern No. 300, built in 1925 and retired in 1961. They are the main draw for young train fans, and since the depot does not post visiting hours, families usually look at them from outside and then walk downtown.
Are there Christmas events at Mississippi train museums?
The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson holds Homestead for the Holidays in December, with breakfast for supper, story time with Mrs. Claus and photos with Santa and Rudolph. As of October 2026, none of the Mississippi rail stops on this page lists a Santa train ride, so check current schedules before planning a holiday trip.
Is there a pumpkin patch at the Ag Museum in Jackson, Mississippi?
Yes, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum runs Pumpkin Adventure on select October days. Kids get a hayride around the grounds, a snack and a pumpkin to take home. Special events have their own prices, though an Ag Museum Foundation membership covers the Saturday Pumpkin Adventure. Harvest Fest follows in November with a working cotton gin.
Why was Meridian once the largest city in Mississippi?
The Meridian Rails Historical Society credits the railroads for making Meridian the largest city in Mississippi for a time. The town sits on the busy rail corridor known as the Meridian Speedway, and its station and freight house served a long list of passenger trains in the 20th century. The 1906 freight station now holds the society's museum.
What happened to the McComb train depot?
The McComb depot, a wooden Illinois Central station built in 1901, was set on fire on May 30, 2021. Inspectors later found that most walls in its central and southern sections could be saved, and rebuilding began on January 3, 2022. Donations to the museum's Rebuild our Museum Fund are helping return the collection to the depot.
Did Casey Jones live in Water Valley, Mississippi?
Yes, Casey Jones lived and worked in Water Valley for much of his Illinois Central career. The town was a railroad division headquarters from 1866 to 1945, and its depot held dispatchers who ran every main line train between Canton, Mississippi and Cairo, Illinois. That depot now houses the Water Valley Casey Jones Railroad Museum.
Does Amtrak stop in McComb, Mississippi?
Yes, McComb is a stop on Amtrak's City of New Orleans, and the 1901 Illinois Central depot has long kept a waiting room for those passengers. The depot also housed the McComb Railroad Depot Museum until a 2021 fire. The museum now operates at 112 Third Street while the station is rebuilt.
How much does the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum cost?
As of October 2026, admission to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson is $8 for adults, $6 for ages 3 to 17 and $7 for seniors and military. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, and the General Store closes at 4 pm. Special events are priced separately.
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.