ATSF 347C, SP 6051, and WP 913 at the California Railway Museum, Sacramento on August 26, 1988.
(Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
RAILROAD MUSEUMS
A railroad museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives (steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signaling equipment. They may also operate historic equipment on museum grounds.
There are many excellent Railroad Museums located throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The following is a list that includes a link to that particular venue.
Note: Links will open in a separate window directly to the appropriate website.
USA
Alabama
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Calera, Alabama
North Alabama Railroad Museum Huntsville, Alabama
Arizona
Arizona Railway Museum Chandler, Arizona
Arizona State Railroad Museum Williams, Arizona
Phoenix Trolley Museum Phoenix, Arizona
Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Tucson, Arizona
California
California State Railroad Museum Sacramento, California
Golden Gate Railroad Museum Sunol, California
Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site, Laws, California
Lomita Railroad Museum Lomita, California
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad & Transportation Museum Nevada City, California
Niles Canyon Railway Fremont, California
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Campo, California
RailGiants Train Museum Pomona, California
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park Jamestown, California
San Diego Electric Railway Association National City, California
San Diego Model Railroad Museum San Diego, California
San Francisco Cable Car Museum San Francisco, California
San Francisco Railway Museum San Francisco, California
Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources Fremont, California
South Coast Railroad Museum Goleta, California
Southern California Railway Museum Perris, California (Formerly Orange Empire Railway Museum)
Tehachapi Railroad Depot Tehachapi, California
Travel Town Museum Los Angeles, California
Western America Railroad Museum Barstow, California
Western Pacific Railroad Museum Portola, California
Western Railway Museum Rio Vista, California
Connecticut
Connecticut Trolley Museum East Windsor, Connecticut
Danbury Railway Museum Danbury, Connecticut
Railroad Museum of New England Thomaston, Connecticut
Shore Line Trolley Museum East Haven, Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Florida Railroad Museum Parrish, Florida
Gold Coast Railroad Museum Miami, Florida
Railroad Museum of South Florida Fort Myers, Florida
West Florida Railroad Museum Milton, Florida
Georgia
Georgia State Railroad Museum Savannah, Georgia
Southeastern Railway Museum Duluth, Georgia
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History Kennesaw, Georgia
Idaho
Southern Pacific No. 975 at the Illinois Railway Museum in 2022.
(Znns, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Illinois
Fox River Trolley Museum South Elgin, Illinois
Galesburg Railroad Museum Galesburg, Illinois
Illinois Railway Museum Union, Illinois
Monticello Railway Museum Monticello, Illinois
Indiana
Hesston Steam Museum Hesston, Indiana
Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum North Judson, Indiana
Indiana Transportation Museum Noblesville, Indiana
National New York Central Railroad Museum Elkhart, Indiana
Iowa
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum Boone, Iowa
Sioux City Railroad Museum Sioux City, Iowa
Kentucky
Bluegrass Railroad and Museum Versailles, Kentucky
Elkhorn City Railroad Museum Elkhorn, Kentucky
Historic Railpark and Train Museum Bowling Green, Kentucky
Kentucky Railway Museum New Haven, Kentucky
Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation Irvine, Kentucky
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati Covington, Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Boothbay Railway Village Boothbay, Maine
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum Portland, Maine
Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad Phillips, Maine
Seashore Trolley Museum Kennebunkport, Maine
Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Alna, Maine
Maryland
Baltimore Streetcar Museum Baltimore, Maryland
B&O Railroad Museum Baltimore, Maryland
Ellicott City B&O Station & Museum Ellicott City, Maryland
Irish Railroad Workers Museum Baltimore, Maryland
National Capital Trolley Museum Colesville, Maryland
Oakland B&O Railroad Museum Oakland, Maryland
Queponco Railway Station Newark, Maryland
La Plata Train Station Museum La Plata, Maryland
Massachusetts
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum Lenox, Massachusetts
Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
Michigan
Alden Depot Museum Alden, Michigan
Boston-Saranac Historical Society Saranac, Michigan
Buckley Old Engine Show Buckley, Michigan
Capac Depot Museum Capac, Michigan
Clinton Northern Railway Museum St. Johns, Michigan
Crawford County Historical Museum Grayling, Michigan
Durand Union Station Durand, Michigan
Flushing Area Museum Flushing, Michigan
Henry Ford Museum Dearborn, Michigan
Huckleberry Railroad Flint, Michigan
Imlay City Museum Imlay City, Michigan
Lincoln Depot Museum Lincoln, Michigan
Lost Railway Museum Grass Lake, Michigan
Michigan Transit Museum Mt. Clemens, Michigan
Montcalm Community College Heritage Village Sidney, Michigan
New Buffalo Railroad Museum New Buffalo, Michigan
S.S. City of Milwaukee Museum Manistee, Michigan
Saginaw Railway Museum Saginaw, Michigan
Saline Area Historical Society Saline, Michigan
Sanford Historical Museum Sanford, Michigan
Shepherd Depot Museum Shepherd, Michigan
Southern Michigan Railroad Society Clinton, Michigan
Sparta Depot Museum Sparta, Michigan
St. Charles Area Museum St. Charles, Michigan
Standish Depot Museum Standish, Michigan
Steam Railroading Institute Owosso, Michigan
Thomas Edison Depot Museum Port Huron, Michigan
Vicksburg Historic Village Vicksburg, Michigan
Waterford Historical Society Waterford Twp, Michigan
Williamston Depot Museum Williamston, Michigan
Witches Hat Depot Museum South Lyon, Michigan
Minnesota
Lake Superior Railroad Museum Duluth, Minnesota
Minnesota Streetcar Museum Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota Transportation Museum Saint Paul, Minnesota
Mississippi
Burlington General Pershing Zephyr next to Frisco 2-10-0 No. 1621 at the National Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, MO.
(Nate Beal, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Nebraska
Nevada
East Ely Railroad Depot Museum Ely, Nevada
Nevada Northern Railway Museum Ely, Nevada
Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City, Nevada
Nevada State Railroad Museum Carson City, Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Black River & Western Railroad Ringoes, New Jersey
Delaware River Railroad Excursions Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Friar Mountain Model Railroad Museum Sparta, New Jersey
Maywood Station Museum Maywood, New Jersey
New Jersey Museum of Transportation Wall, New Jersey
North Pemberton Railroad Station Museum Pemberton, New Jersey
Northlandz Flemington, New Jersey
Whippany Railway Museum Whippany, New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Medina Railroad Museum Medina, New York
New York Museum of Transportation Rush, New York
New York Transit Museum New York City, New York
Railroad Museum of Long Island Long Island, New York
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum Rush, New York
Trolley Museum of New York Kingston, New York
North Carolina
North Carolina Railroad Museum Bonsal, North Carolina
North Carolina Transportation Museum Spencer, North Carolina
Wilmington Railroad Museum Wilmington, North Carolina
Ohio
Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum Sugarcreek, Ohio - More info. on this site HERE
Conneaut Historical Railroad Museum Conneaut, Ohio
Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum Bellevue, Ohio
Ohio Railway Museum Worthington, Ohio
Oregon
Mount Hood Railroad Hood River, Oregon
Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad Garibaldi, Oregon
Oregon Electric Railway Museum Brooks, Oregon
Oregon Rail Heritage Center Portland, Oregon
Pennsylvania Power and Light Company Fireless D No. 4094 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, east of Strasburg, PA.
(Photo by and (c)2016 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Pennsylvania
Colebrookdale Railroad Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Electric City Trolley Museum Scranton, Pennsylvania
Franklin Institute Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
National Toy Train Museum Strasburg, Pennsylvania
New Hope Railroad New Hope, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Washington, Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Railroaders Memorial Museum Altoona, Pennsylvania
Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Rockhill Trolley Museum Rockhill, Pennsylvania
Steamtown National Historic Site Scranton, Pennsylvania - More info. available on this site HERE
Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum Memphis, Tennessee
Tennessee Central Railway Museum Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Chattanooga, Tennessee
Texas
Cleburne Railroad Museum Cleburne, Texas
Galveston Railroad Museum Galveston, Texas
Interurban Railway Museum Plano, Texas
Museum of the American Railroad Frisco, Texas
Railway Museum of San Angelo San Angelo, Texas
Rosenberg Railroad Museum Rosenberg, Texas
Texas State Railroad Palestine, Texas
Texas Transportation Museum San Antonio, Texas
Wichita Falls Railroad Museum Wichita Falls, Texas
Utah
Golden Spike National Historical Park Promontory, Utah
Tie Fork Rest Area Tucker, Utah
Tooele Valley Railroad Complex Tooele, Utah
Utah State Railroad Museum Ogden, Utah
Western Mining and Railroad Museum Helper, Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Rappahannock Railroad Museum Fredericksburg, Virginia
Richmond Railroad Museum Richmond, Virginia
Virginia Museum of Transportation Roanoke, Virginia
Lee Hall Depot Newport News, Virginia
Boyce Railway Depot Boyce, Virginia
C&O Railway Heritage Center Clifton Forge, Virginia
Crewe Railroad Museum Crewe, Virginia
Suffolk Seaboard Station Railway Museum Suffolk, Virginia
Railroad Museum of Virginia Portsmouth, Virginia
RF&P Park Glen Allen, Virginia
Herndon Depot Herndon, Virginia
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Fairfax Station, Virginia
Museum of Culpeper History Culpeper, Virginia
Ashland Depot Ashland, Virginia
Norge Depot Norge, Virginia
Eastern Shore Railway Museum Parksley, Virginia
Montpelier Depot Montpelier Station, Virginia
Tazewell Train Station and Visitors Center Tazewell, Virginia
Strasburg Museum Strasburg, Virginia
Rural Retreat Depot Rural Retreat, Virginia
Washington
Inland Northwest Rail Museum Reardan, Washington
Northern Pacific Railway Museum Toppenish, Washington
Northwest Railway Museum Snoqualmie, Washington
Yakima Electric Railway Museum Yakima, Washington
West Virginia
Martinsburg Roundhouse Martinsburg, West Virginia
Harper's Ferry Toy Train Museum Harper's Ferry, West Virginia
West Virginia Railroad Museum Elkins, West Virginia
Rowlesburg Depot Rowlesburg, West Virginia
Tunnelton Depot Tunnelton, West Virginia
Mon Valley Railroad Historical Society Morgantown, West Virginia
Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum Wheeling, West Virginia
Huntington Railroad Museum Huntington, West Virginia
Wisconsin
East Troy Electric Railroad Museum East Troy, Wisconsin
Mid-Continent Railway Museum North Freedom, Wisconsin
National Railroad Museum Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
Riverside and Great Northern Railway Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Western Union Junction Railroad Museum Sturtevant, Wisconsin
Please report any errors, corrections, or updates HERE.