Train Museums in Wyoming: Every Railroad Museum by Town
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Cheyenne is where Union Pacific still keeps its Heritage Fleet steam power, including Big Boy 4014, in a working steam shop a short walk from the city's sandstone depot. This page gathers 10 Wyoming train museums and rail sites across 6 towns, from Cheyenne and Laramie on the old transcontinental line to Douglas, Rawlins, Evanston and Sheridan. Type your town into the finder to see what is closest, or browse every state from our national guide to train museums for families.
Most of Wyoming's rail sites sit along Interstate 80, which follows the Union Pacific across the southern edge of the state, so many families can fit one into a road trip. Cheyenne alone has four stops within about a mile of each other, and two of them cost nothing.
A few listings here are not walk-in museums: the Union Pacific Steam Shop opens only on announced tour days, the Rawlins depot is a rental hall, and the Evanston roundhouse runs tours by request. Each card says which is which, so check 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 Wyoming train museum.
Rally Takes the Train
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Quick picks: where to start in Wyoming
Best first visit with a toddler
Cheyenne
Kids 12 and under get in free, and the UC&N narrow gauge model railroad is the exhibit young visitors head for first.
Free and quick
Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4004
Cheyenne
A 1941 Big Boy rests in Holliday Park with no admission fee posted, so a 20 minute stop shows kids just how long these engines were.
Rainy day pick
Cheyenne
Everything is free indoors, the Hands on Habitats Room is built for little ones, and Family Days run on the first Saturday of each month.
Best road trip stop
Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center
Douglas
Many of the rail cars around the 1886 depot are open inside, and shaded picnic tables make it an easy lunch break.
For rail fans
Laramie Historic Railroad Depot
Laramie
Free volunteer tours, the restored Snow Train caboose and digitized Otto Perry steam films of Union Pacific in the 1950s.
Railroad history with a Wild West twist
Sheridan
The Burlington built this hotel, and Buffalo Bill auditioned Wild West Show riders from its long front porch.
Every train museum in Wyoming, town by town
10 museums in 6 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.
Cheyenne: 4 train museums
Four rail stops sit within about a mile of each other: the depot museum, Big Boy No. 4004 in Holliday Park, the free Wyoming State Museum and the Union Pacific Steam Shop, which opens only on announced tour days.
Depot museum
Cheyenne Depot Museum
A railroad museum inside Cheyenne's sandstone Union Pacific depot, a National Historic Landmark. Exhibits cover the transcontinental railroad and the Big Boy era, and kids 12 and under get in free.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsOutdoor rail park
Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4004
A retired Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive, No. 4004, on outdoor display in Cheyenne's Holliday Park. Built in 1941, it is free to look at and an easy stop between other Cheyenne rail sites.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsHistoric rail site
Union Pacific Steam Shop
Union Pacific's working steam shop and roundhouse in Cheyenne, home to Big Boy 4014 and the Heritage Fleet. It is not a walk-in museum: watch for occasional public tours, often tied to Cheyenne Depot Museum events.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsMuseum with a major rail exhibit
Wyoming State Museum
Wyoming's free state history museum in downtown Cheyenne, founded in 1895. Railroad fans can pair it with the nearby depot museum; families should aim for the monthly Family Days on first Saturdays.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDouglas: 2 train museums
Both Douglas listings point to the same place, the 1886 depot at Locomotive Park on Brownfield Road, where rail cars ring the old station and many are open to walk through.
Depot museum
Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center
An 1886 depot in Douglas that now serves as a railroad museum and visitor center, surrounded by rail cars and a steam locomotive. Many cars are open inside, and there are shaded picnic tables on the grounds.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsDepot museum
Wyoming Transportation Museum
Searching for the Wyoming Transportation Museum? In Douglas, the rail collection lives at the Douglas Railroad Museum & Visitor Center, an 1886 depot with a steam locomotive and cars you can explore inside.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsEvanston
Historic rail site
Historic Evanston Roundhouse & Railyards
A 1912 Union Pacific roundhouse and railyard complex that the City of Evanston owns and is restoring. Guided tours are free to request through an online form and are scheduled on weekdays.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsLaramie
Depot museum
Laramie Historic Railroad Depot
Laramie's 1924 Union Pacific depot, listed on the National Register, with a free railroad museum open Mondays and free volunteer-led tours by request. The restored Snow Train caboose was unveiled in Depot Park outside.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsRawlins
Historic rail site
Historic Rawlins Union Pacific Depot
A 1901 Union Pacific station in downtown Rawlins, on the National Register since 1993. It is a city-run rental hall rather than a museum, so plan to see the outside and Depot Park unless you have an event inside.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsSheridan
Historic rail site
Historic Sheridan Inn
A railroad hotel built for the Burlington line's arrival in Sheridan, later Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show headquarters. Reopened to overnight guests after restoration, with historic photographs on display inside.
Hours, tickets, contact and 20 FAQsCompare every Wyoming 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Depot MuseumCheyenne | Depot museum | No | Adults $10; 60+, military and AAA $9; ages 13 to 18 $5; 12 and under free; members free | Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm, Sunday 11 am to 3 pm | Families, rail fans and history lovers |
| Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4004Cheyenne | Rail park | No | No admission fee posted for the park display | Outdoor park display; check with Visit Cheyenne for park hours | Quick photo stop for families and steam fans |
| Union Pacific Steam ShopCheyenne | Historic site | No | Varies by tour; tickets have been sold online through Visit Cheyenne | No regular hours; open only on announced tour days | Serious steam fans and Big Boy admirers |
| Wyoming State MuseumCheyenne | Rail gallery | No | Free | Monday to Saturday 9 am to 4:30 pm; closed state holidays | Families and anyone exploring Wyoming history |
| Douglas Railroad Interpretive CenterDouglas | Depot museum | No | No admission fee is posted; call to confirm | Monday to Saturday 9 am to 4 pm, closed Sunday | Road trippers and families with young train fans |
| Wyoming Transportation MuseumDouglas | Depot museum | No | Not posted online; call (307) 358-2950 | Monday to Saturday 9 am to 4 pm; closed Sunday | Travelers passing through central Wyoming |
| Historic Evanston Roundhouse & RailyardsEvanston | Historic site | No | Not posted; ask when requesting a tour | Tours scheduled Monday to Friday, 9 am to 2 pm, by request | Rail fans and history lovers |
| Laramie Historic Railroad DepotLaramie | Depot museum | No | Free; donations appreciated | Museum open Mondays 9 am to 2 pm (hours may vary) and by appointment | Rail history fans and families on a downtown Laramie stroll |
| Historic Rawlins Union Pacific DepotRawlins | Historic site | No | No museum admission; room rentals are $200 per room per day | No public museum hours; the building opens for rentals | Road trippers following Union Pacific history |
| Historic Sheridan InnSheridan | Historic site | No | No museum admission posted | Operating hotel and restaurant; call for current hours | History fans and couples on a Wyoming road trip |
No museum on this page matches every filter you picked.
Map of every train museum in Wyoming
How the Union Pacific built Wyoming, one town at a time
Wyoming's towns grew where the Union Pacific needed them. On July 4, 1867, chief surveyor Grenville M. Dodge picked a spot on Crow Creek for water and an easy pass over the mountains, and Cheyenne was born. The first train reached Laramie on May 4, 1868, and within two weeks more than 2,000 people lived there. Rawlins became a division point because it had permanent water, and Evanston got a roundhouse in 1871.
The mountains shaped the railroad too. The steep grades of Sherman Hill west of Cheyenne demanded the most powerful engines Union Pacific could buy, so Cheyenne became the base shop for the 4-8-4s, the Challengers and the Big Boys. Other lines reached the north: the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley ended at Douglas in 1886, before statehood, and the Burlington built a grand hotel in Sheridan in 1893.
To follow that story, start at the Cheyenne Depot Museum for the founding of Cheyenne and the big locomotives, then see a real Big Boy at Big Boy No. 4004 in Holliday Park. The Laramie Historic Railroad Depot covers track work and steam films, the Evanston Roundhouse shows the shop side, the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center tells the territorial story, and the Historic Sheridan Inn shows what a railroad hotel looked like.
How far is it? Drive times from Wyoming's bigger towns
Times are rough estimates without traffic or stops, and Wyoming distances add up fast, so check your route before you go.
| Museum | From Cheyenne | From Casper | From Rock Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laramie Historic Railroad DepotLaramie | 55 min | ||
| Douglas Railroad Interpretive CenterDouglas | 2 hr 40 min | 1 hr 5 min | |
| Historic Rawlins Union Pacific DepotRawlins | 2 hr | 2 hr 20 min | |
| Historic Sheridan InnSheridan | 3 hr 10 min | ||
| Cheyenne Depot MuseumCheyenne | 3 hr 15 min | ||
| Historic Evanston Roundhouse & RailyardsEvanston | 2 hr 10 min |
Day trips that pair Wyoming rail stops
Trip 1
A Cheyenne rail morning
- Cheyenne Depot MuseumCheyenne
- Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4004Cheyenne
- Wyoming State MuseumCheyenne
Start at the depot museum to learn why Cheyenne got the biggest engines, then see Big Boy No. 4004 outdoors in Holliday Park. Finish at the free Wyoming State Museum, about a mile away, where little ones can use the Hands on Habitats Room. Note that the State Museum is closed Sundays.
Trip 2
Cheyenne to Laramie on the old main line
- Cheyenne Depot MuseumCheyenne
- Laramie Historic Railroad DepotLaramie
The two depots are about 42 miles apart and tell back to back chapters of the same railroad. Laramie's museum is open Mondays and by appointment, so request a free guided tour at least 24 hours ahead and pair it with a morning in Cheyenne.
Trip 3
Douglas lunch stop
These two listings share one site at Locomotive Park, so one stop covers both. Pack a picnic for the shaded tables, let kids climb into the open cars, and plan for Monday to Saturday since it is closed Sundays.
Good to know before you go
- At the Cheyenne Depot Museum, kids 12 and under are free and Sunday hours are short, 11 am to 3 pm.
- Big Boy No. 4004 is an outdoor, unstaffed display, so dress for sun or wind and read the historical marker together.
- Union Pacific Steam Shop tours are rare and can be cancelled by the railroad; keep the Cheyenne depot as your backup plan.
- In Douglas, expect steps up into the rail cars and plan on carrying little ones.
- The Laramie depot asks for tour requests at least 24 hours ahead, and private events can change museum hours.
- The Rawlins depot has no museum inside, so treat it as a quick look and some time in Depot Park.
- Evanston roundhouse tours are requested online and scheduled on weekdays, 9 am to 2 pm.
Holiday trains and seasonal days at Wyoming museums
Wyoming's rail museums lean toward community events rather than themed train rides. In Douglas, the depot hosts Christmas at the Depot, the Spirit of Fall Tea and a Nightmare at the Museum event, while Cheyenne's depot plaza fills up for Depot Days, which in August 2026 included a rare opening of the Union Pacific Steam Shop. The Union Pacific holiday excursion advertised on the Cheyenne Depot Museum's website is run by the railroad, not the museum. Laramie's depot holds an open house in November with behind the scenes tours. For rides with Santa or pumpkins, see our Wyoming Christmas train rides guide and our Halloween train rides in Wyoming roundup.
Rally and the very big stairs
When my kids hear about a Big Boy, they always ask how anyone climbed into something that tall. It makes me think of the moment in our book when Rally, our real corgi, reaches the train stairs and they look like a mountain. Dad gives him a boost, Mom cheers, and up he goes. My mom dreamed up that little dog's adventure before she died in 2021, and you can read about her on our story page. If your train fan wants a quiet moment after a big day in Cheyenne, our train coloring pages are free to print.
Train museums just across the Wyoming line
From Cheyenne, the Colorado train museums are close: the Colorado Model Railroad Museum in Greeley is about 1 hr 10 min south, and the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, with more than 100 historic railcars, is about 2 hr 10 min away.
From Rock Springs or Evanston, head west to the Utah train museums. The Utah State Railroad Museum at Ogden Union Station is about 3 hr 20 min from Rock Springs, and Golden Spike National Historical Park marks where the rails through Wyoming met in 1869.
From Casper, the South Dakota train museums include the Black Hills Central Railroad's 1880 Train, a steam ride between Hill City and Keystone, about 4 hr 5 min away.
A train book for the drive
Amtrak no longer stops at the Wyoming depots on this page, so for a long-distance train trip in the West, start with our California Zephyr 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 Wyoming: Santa trains and holiday rides
- Halloween train rides in Wyoming: pumpkin trains for next October
- The California Zephyr 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
Wyoming train museum questions families ask
What is the best train museum in Wyoming?
The Cheyenne Depot Museum is the most complete railroad museum in Wyoming for most families. It fills the 1880s Union Pacific depot, a National Historic Landmark, with exhibits on Cheyenne's founding, the shops and yards and the Big Boy era. The UC&N narrow gauge model railroad is a favorite, and children 12 and under get in free. It is open seven days a week.
Are there free train museums in Wyoming?
Yes, several Wyoming rail stops are free. The Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne is free for every exhibit and event, and the Laramie Historic Railroad Depot offers a free museum and free guided tours, with donations welcome. Big Boy No. 4004 in Holliday Park has no admission fee posted. At the Cheyenne Depot Museum, kids 12 and under are free.
Can you ride a train at a Wyoming railroad museum?
None of the Wyoming museums on this page list regular train rides as of October 2026. The Cheyenne Depot Museum's website advertises a Union Pacific holiday excursion, but the railroad runs it, not the museum. Families who want to climb aboard can step into the open rail cars in Douglas, which is the closest thing to boarding a train in the state's museums.
Which Wyoming train museum is best for toddlers?
The Cheyenne Depot Museum is the easiest first stop for toddlers in Wyoming. Kids 12 and under are free, the model railroad holds attention, and trains still pass on the main line outside. The free Wyoming State Museum nearby has a Hands on Habitats Room for little ones and Family Days on the first Saturday of each month.
Is there a train museum in Cheyenne?
Yes, Cheyenne has the Cheyenne Depot Museum inside the city's sandstone Union Pacific depot. Within about a mile you can also see Big Boy No. 4004 in Holliday Park and visit the free Wyoming State Museum. The Union Pacific Steam Shop, home of Big Boy 4014, is nearby too, but it opens only on announced tour days.
Is there a railroad museum in Laramie, Wyoming?
Yes, the Laramie Historic Railroad Depot is a free volunteer-run museum in the 1924 Union Pacific station downtown. It is open Mondays from 9 am to 2 pm, with hours that may vary, and by appointment. Free guided tours take about 45 minutes and should be requested at least 24 hours ahead. The restored Snow Train caboose stands in Depot Park outside.
Is there a train museum in Douglas, Wyoming?
Yes, the Douglas Railroad Museum and Visitor Center sits in an 1886 depot at Locomotive Park on Brownfield Road. Rail cars surround the station, including a steam locomotive, a day coach, a dining car and a caboose, and many are open inside. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm and closed Sundays.
Train museums near Casper, Wyoming?
The closest rail museum to Casper is in Douglas, about 1 hr 5 min away without traffic. The Douglas depot dates to 1886 and has rail cars you can walk through. The Rawlins Union Pacific depot is about 2 hours from Casper, though it is a rental hall rather than a museum, and the Historic Sheridan Inn is roughly 3 hours away.
Can you visit the Evanston Roundhouse in Wyoming?
Yes, but only on a guided tour that you request through the City of Evanston's online form. Tours are scheduled Monday to Friday between 9 am and 2 pm. The city calls its 1912 brick roundhouse the last intact roundhouse on the original Union Pacific line, and steam engine 4420 is being restored inside. Admission is not posted, so ask when requesting.
Can you see Big Boy 4014 in Cheyenne?
Only on the rare days the Union Pacific Steam Shop in Cheyenne opens for public tours. The shop is a working railroad facility where Union Pacific keeps its Heritage Fleet, so there are no regular hours. It opened during Depot Days in August 2026. Watch the Cheyenne Depot Museum and Visit Cheyenne for future tour dates, and expect tickets to go quickly.
Where is Big Boy No. 4004 on display in Wyoming?
Big Boy No. 4004 is on outdoor display in Holliday Park in Cheyenne. Built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company, it retired in 1962 and is described by railfans as the surviving Big Boy with the lowest number. No admission fee is posted, and a historical marker beside the engine explains the class. Plan on about 20 to 30 minutes.
How much does the Cheyenne Depot Museum cost?
As of October 2026, adult admission to the Cheyenne Depot Museum is $10. Visitors 60 and older, military and AAA members pay $9, ages 13 to 18 pay $5, and children 12 and under get in free. Members are always free. Hours run Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm and Sunday 11 am to 3 pm.
What can you see at the Laramie Railroad Depot?
The Laramie depot holds Union Pacific tools and memorabilia, with a focus on rail laying and welding. Outside, the fully restored Snow Train caboose was unveiled in Depot Park in September 2025. Volunteers have also digitized rare 16mm steam films by photographer Otto Perry, including Union Pacific 4013 passing through Laramie in 1956.
Is the Rawlins Union Pacific depot open to the public?
Not as a museum. The 1901 Rawlins depot is owned by the city and rented out for weddings, meetings and parties, so there are no public museum hours. Travelers can see the building from Front Street and spend time in Depot Park next door. The depot has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1993.
Does the Sheridan Inn in Wyoming have railroad history?
Yes, the Historic Sheridan Inn was built by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and opened in 1893. Buffalo Bill Cody was a part owner and auditioned riders for his Wild West Show on its front porch. Today it is an operating hotel and restaurant with historical photographs inside, so call ahead to ask what non-guests can see.
Are there Christmas train events at Wyoming museums?
Yes, Douglas holds Christmas at the Depot at its 1886 railroad museum. In Cheyenne, the depot museum's website promotes a Union Pacific holiday excursion, but the railroad operates it rather than the museum. Dates change each year, so check with each organization before planning a December trip, and confirm whether tickets are needed.
Are there Halloween events at Wyoming train museums?
Yes, the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center lists a Nightmare at the Museum event along with a Spirit of Fall Tea. Neither is a train ride, but both bring families to the depot and its rail cars in the fall season. Call the Douglas museum at (307) 358-2950 to confirm dates and details before you go.
Why is Cheyenne important in Union Pacific history?
Cheyenne exists because Union Pacific surveyor Grenville M. Dodge chose a site on Crow Creek on July 4, 1867. The first passenger train arrived that same year. Later, the steep grades of nearby Sherman Hill made Cheyenne the base shop for the railroad's most powerful steam engines, including the Challengers and the Big Boys.
What is a Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive?
A Big Boy is one of 25 giant steam locomotives built for Union Pacific by the American Locomotive Company between 1941 and 1944. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement and were designed to pull a 3,600-ton train up mountain grades without extra engines. In Wyoming you can see No. 4004 in Holliday Park and, on rare tour days, No. 4014.
Is the Wyoming Transportation Museum the same as the Douglas Railroad Museum?
Yes, people searching for a Wyoming Transportation Museum in Douglas end up at the same address, 121 Brownfield Road. That is the Douglas Railroad Museum and Visitor Center at Locomotive Park, with the 1886 depot and eight rail cars around it. Admission is not posted online, so call (307) 358-2950 before visiting.
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