Train Museums in Washington, D.C.: Every Railroad Museum by Town
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In 1981, after pieces of its leaking ceiling crashed into the main waiting room, Congress passed a law saying Washington's Union Station must be saved first as a working passenger terminal, and trains still leave from under that restored ceiling every day. The station heads this page, part of our state-by-state train museum guide for families, which covers 3 rail sites in Washington, D.C. Type your town into the finder below to see these and the closest museums just outside the city.
The list is short but varied. Union Station is free to walk through and full of real Amtrak, MARC, VRE and Metro trains, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History tells the story of American travel in America on the Move, and the 1881 Arts and Industries Building, now closed as a museum, can be admired from outside on a walk along the National Mall.
For a train ride on vintage streetcars or a steam engine cab to climb into, look just over the line in Maryland and Virginia, listed near the bottom of this page.
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 Washington, D.C. train museum.
Rally Takes the Train
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Every train museum in Washington, D.C., town by town
3 museums in 1 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.
Washington: 3 train museums
All three rail sites are in the city, and two are open to visitors: Union Station near the U.S. Capitol and the Smithsonian's history museum. The Arts and Industries Building is closed as a museum, so plan on seeing it from outside.
Museum with a major rail exhibit
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
The Smithsonian's history museum in Washington, D.C. holds America on the Move, a large road and rail exhibition with 18 dioramas covering transportation from before 1876 to 2000. Check the museum's website for hours and entry details before you go.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsHistoric rail site
Union Station
Daniel Burnham's 1907 terminal near the U.S. Capitol, restored in 1988 and still served by Amtrak, MARC, VRE and Metro. Free to walk through; the station is open daily but closes to the public from 11 pm to 5 am.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMuseum with a major rail exhibitClosed
Arts and Industries Building
The Smithsonian's second oldest building opened in 1881 as the first U.S. National Museum. It has permanently closed as a museum and is becoming the National Museum of the American Latino; check si.edu for any special openings.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Washington, D.C. 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryWashington | Rail gallery | No | Check the museum's website for current entry details | Check the museum's website for current hours | Families and rail fans interested in transportation history |
| Union StationWashington | Historic site | Yes | Free to enter | Open daily; closed to the public 11 pm to 5 am (ticketed passengers only). Retail Mon to Sat 10 am to 9 pm, Sun 12 to 6 pm | Families who want to see real trains and grand architecture |
| Arts and Industries BuildingWashington | Rail gallery | No | Check si.edu for any special events | Closed as a museum; check si.edu for any special openings | History fans walking the National Mall |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Quick picks: where to start in Washington, D.C.
Best first visit with a toddler
Washington
Entry is free, the departure boards are full of real trains, and the food court opens at 7 am for early risers.
Rainy day history
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Washington
America on the Move walks kids through 18 dioramas with artifacts, pictures and sound instead of long labels.
How the railroads came to the capital
Two railroads built Washington's great terminal together. The Pennsylvania and the Baltimore & Ohio hired Daniel Burnham to design Union Station on swampy ground near the U.S. Capitol, and the first train in, a B&O passenger train from Pittsburgh, arrived on October 27, 1907. By the early 1940s the station handled up to 42,000 passengers a day, a measure of how much the nation's capital depended on rail.
Then cars and planes took over long trips, and the station nearly fell apart. A federal plan to turn it into a National Visitor Center opened in 1976 and failed, and in 1981 its ceiling began to collapse. A $160 million restoration brought it back in 1988, and today more than 40 million people pass through each year. Meanwhile the Smithsonian had been collecting the story of American transportation since 1964, when the Museum of History and Technology opened with road and rail galleries.
See the working side of that history at Union Station, the national story in America on the Move at the National Museum of American History, and the Smithsonian's first museum building from the outside at the Arts and Industries Building.
Map of every train museum in Washington, D.C.
Train museums just outside D.C.
The best ride near the capital is in Maryland: the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville runs real Washington streetcars on a mile of track through Northwest Branch Park, about 20 minutes from Union Station, and every ticket includes unlimited rides. In Virginia, Alexandria's 1905 Union Station is about 10 minutes away and has interpretive exhibits, and the Richmond Railroad Museum, about 2 hours 15 minutes south, lets kids climb into the cab of a 1924 Porter steam engine.
A rail history day in Washington
Trip 1
Union Station and the National Mall
- Union StationWashington
- Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryWashington
- Arts and Industries BuildingWashington
Start early at Union Station, when the food court opens at 7 am, and watch the trains and the Main Hall ceiling. Head to the Mall for America on the Move at the National Museum of American History. On the way, point out the 1881 Arts and Industries Building, where the Smithsonian first put its collections on public display.
Know before you go
- Union Station closes to the public from 11 pm to 5 am, when only ticketed passengers can enter.
- Photos are welcome inside Union Station, but tripods and professional gear need a permit that can take 3 to 6 weeks.
- Union Station is a busy working terminal, so hold small hands near crowds and escalators.
- Union Station has a four-level parking garage; call 202-898-1950 with garage questions.
- Preview America on the Move online with kids before you go, and confirm the Smithsonian's hours and entry details that week.
- Do not plan a trip around the Arts and Industries Building's interior without checking si.edu for special openings first.
Getting to Union Station from nearby cities
Times are approximate and assume no traffic, which is rare here; MARC, VRE and Metro trains also serve the station.
| Museum | From Baltimore | From Annapolis | From Frederick | From Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union StationWashington | 45 min | 40 min | 55 min | 2 hr 15 min |
A word from Rally's mom
When I picture a big station like Union Station, I think of the moment in our book when Mr. Conductor, all in blue, holds out a hand to help Rally aboard. Rally is our real corgi, and he rides with Mom and Dad on the Pacific Surfliner out of San Diego. My mom dreamed up his story and died in 2021 before she could write it, so now my kids and I read it together while they learn. Grab a few Rally coloring pages for the ride home, and read our family's story.
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Washington, D.C. museums
None of the three Washington, D.C. rail sites lists Santa trains, pumpkin trains or Thomas days, and there are no city holiday train ride pages for D.C. For holiday trains, families look just outside the city: in Maryland, the Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum sets up a Holiday Train Garden each winter, and our Virginia train museum guide lists more choices to the south. Inside the city, Union Station is open daily year-round, so a winter visit to watch the trains is always possible.
A train book for the drive
Union Station is a major Amtrak stop, so if you want to ride after your visit, start with our guide to the Northeast Regional with kids.
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
- The Northeast Regional 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
Washington, D.C. train museum questions
Is there a train museum in Washington, D.C.?
Washington, D.C. has no stand-alone train museum, but it has three rail history sites. Union Station is a restored 1907 terminal that is free to walk through, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History holds America on the Move, a large road and rail exhibition. The 1881 Arts and Industries Building is now closed as a museum.
What is the best place to see trains in Washington, D.C.?
Union Station is the best place to see real trains in Washington, D.C. Amtrak, MARC, VRE and Metro trains all serve the station, and the departure boards are full of places for kids to imagine. Entry is free, and the station is open daily, closing to the public only from 11 pm to 5 am.
Is Union Station in Washington free to visit?
Yes, Union Station is free to enter and explore on your own. Families can walk the Main Hall, browse the Retail Concourse and three levels of shops, and eat in the food court, which opens at 7 am daily. Train rides cost regular fares, and only ticketed passengers can enter between 11 pm and 5 am.
Are there free train museums in Washington, D.C.?
Union Station is the free rail stop in Washington, D.C., open daily for self-guided visits. For the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, check the museum's website for current entry details before you go. The Arts and Industries Building is closed as a museum, though its exterior on the National Mall can be seen on any walk.
Where can kids ride a train in Washington, D.C.?
Kids can ride real trains from Union Station, where Amtrak, MARC, VRE and Metro trains depart at regular fares. For a museum ride, the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Maryland, runs vintage Washington streetcars, and every ticket includes unlimited rides. It is open Saturdays from noon to 5 pm.
What is the best train outing in Washington, D.C. for toddlers?
Union Station is the easiest train outing in Washington, D.C. for toddlers. Entry is free, the Main Hall is a huge indoor space, and trains come and go all day. Visits take about an hour, and the food court opens at 7 am, which helps with early starts. Hold hands near crowds and escalators.
Train museums near Washington, D.C.?
Several rail museums sit just outside Washington, D.C. The National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville and the Bowie Railroad Museum in Maryland are each about 14 miles from Union Station, and the Alexandria Union Station historic exhibits in Virginia are about 7 miles away. The Richmond Railroad Museum is a longer drive south.
What is America on the Move at the Smithsonian?
America on the Move is the transportation exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It is built around 18 multimedia dioramas that re-create specific times and places with artifacts, images and sound, following road and rail travel across American history. A section called On the Interstate carries the story into the highway age.
Does the Smithsonian have trains on display?
Yes, rail travel is part of America on the Move at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Its dioramas set trains beside cars and highways to explain how transportation helped turn a mostly rural nation into a major economic power. Confirm hours and gallery details on the museum's website the week of your visit.
Is the Arts and Industries Building in Washington open?
No, the Smithsonian says the Arts and Industries Building has permanently closed as a museum. It reopened for a limited time starting June 16, 2026, for events tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, and on August 31, 2026 it was named the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino. Check si.edu for any special openings.
When did Washington Union Station open?
Washington Union Station opened on October 27, 1907, when a B&O passenger train from Pittsburgh became the first to arrive. The building was finished in April 1908. The Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio railroads built it together, and Daniel Burnham designed it. By the early 1940s it handled up to 42,000 passengers a day.
Why did Union Station in Washington almost close?
Union Station declined after 1945 as travelers moved to cars and planes and wartime wear went unrepaired. A National Visitor Center plan opened in 1976 and failed, and in 1981 heavy rain sent pieces of the ceiling crashing into the main waiting room. That year Congress passed the Union Station Redevelopment Act, and a $160 million restoration reopened it in 1988.
What happened to the Union Station ceiling in the 2011 earthquake?
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake in August 2011 damaged the historic plaster ceilings in Union Station's Main Hall and Retail Concourse. Crews built a rolling scaffold so travelers could keep walking underneath while each of the Main Hall's five coffered ceiling bays was repaired and repainted. The finished ceiling is one of the station's highlights.
Which trains run from Union Station in Washington?
Amtrak, MARC, Virginia Railway Express and Metro all serve Washington Union Station. MARC commuter trains run to Maryland and West Virginia, and VRE trains run to Northern Virginia. The station is also Washington's main bus terminal and a common stop for tour buses, and it says more than 40 million people pass through each year.
Can you take pictures inside Union Station in Washington?
Yes, photos are welcome anywhere inside Union Station. Only professional gear, such as a tripod, needs a permit, and that permit can take 3 to 6 weeks to arrange. Families snapping phone pictures of the Main Hall or the trains on the departure boards do not need any permission.
Are there Christmas trains in Washington, D.C.?
None of the three Washington, D.C. rail sites lists a Santa or Christmas train. The closest holiday train display is just over the line in Maryland, where the Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum sets up a Holiday Train Garden each winter. Union Station stays open daily year-round for a winter visit.
Is there a trolley museum near Washington, D.C.?
Yes, the National Capital Trolley Museum is in Colesville, Maryland, about 14 miles from Union Station. Families ride real Washington streetcars on a mile of track through Northwest Branch Park, and Street Car Hall holds the largest collection of D.C. streetcars anywhere. It is open Saturdays from noon to 5 pm as of October 2026.
Train museums near Baltimore and Washington, D.C.?
Between the two cities, Maryland's Bowie Railroad Museum is about 14 miles from Union Station and is free, built around a restored station, tower and 1923 caboose. Baltimore is about 45 minutes from Union Station by road without traffic and is home to the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, the former B&O Railroad Museum.
How long should you spend at Union Station in Washington with kids?
Plan about an hour to walk Union Station's halls with kids, and longer if you stop for a meal. Start in the Main Hall, look up at the coffered ceiling, then watch the departure boards for Amtrak, MARC and VRE trains. Retail shops open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday from noon to 6 pm.
When did the Smithsonian start collecting transportation history?
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology, with galleries on road and rail transportation and civil engineering from the start. Those early displays focused on the machines themselves. America on the Move later replaced them with a broader story of what transportation did to the country.
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