Midwest tourist railroads you must visit include massive museums, mainline steam excursions, and everything in between. From Trains Magazine’s Tourist Trains Guidebook, here’s our list of tourist railroads, museums, and displays to experience across the region.
Midwest Tourist Railroads and Museums
Illinois
Illinois Railway Museum – 7000 Olson Road, Union
The Illinois Railway Museum certainly lives up to its slogan as “A Museum in Motion.” As one of the largest railroad museums in North America, it’s home to more than 450 pieces of equipment including 30 steam locomotives, 50 diesels and over 90 streetcars, interurbans, and electric locomotives. Many in the collection are operational today, with trolley cars making a quick loop of the grounds on the streetcar line, while trains – including the streamlined Nebraska Zephyr – and interurban cars depart from a restored 1851 Chicago & North Western depot over the museum’s 5-mile main line.
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Indiana
Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society – 15808 Edgerton Road, New Haven
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 is the star of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society as it tours the Midwest on numerous steam excursions. Since 2022, the locomotive has been mainly active on the Indiana Rail Experience, a program of events and excursions in partnership with the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. The society also hosts family open houses and Holiday-themed events at their New Haven shop complex. Visit their website for the up-to-date schedule of events and excursions with No. 765 and recently restored NKP SD9 diesel No. 358.
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Iowa
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad – 225 10th Street, Boone
One of the few tourist railroads in the United States to offer train rides with either steam, diesel, or electric! The Boone & Scenic Valley operates over an 11-mile section of the former Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad. The scenic highlight of the trip is the Bass Point Creek High Bridge, a 156-foot-tall steel bridge spanning Bass Point Creek, showing that the terrain in Iowa is more than just flatlands. For a shorter trip, passengers can ride a trolley on the East End Electric Traction Co. line to downtown Boone.
Union Pacific Railroad Museum – 200 Pearl Street, Council Bluffs
The history of the Union Pacific Railroad is jam-packed, which could be an understatement for a company that’s over 150 years old. The vast collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents dating as far as the mid-1800s are preserved and displayed at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. While exhibits change periodically, one of the permanent setups is dedicated to the railroad’s passenger trains, featuring a cutaway coach, lounge and dining cars, as well as multimedia exhibits and thousands of artifacts.
Michigan
Steam Railroading Institute – 405 South Washington Street, Owosso
From one famous 2-8-4 to the next, the sound and look of the train in The Polar Express animated film were modeled after Pere Marquette No. 1225. So, it stands to reason this is the most sought-after train to see and ride during the holiday season! While the North Pole Express excursions are immensely popular, the Steam Railroading Institute offers a variety of events and excursions year-round. The 7-acre institute includes a maintenance shop, turntable, a variety of displayed equipment, and a renovated freight warehouse-turned-welcome center that houses exhibits, artifacts, and a winter-themed model railroad layout for visitors to explore.
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Minnesota
Friends of the 261 – 401 Harrison Street NE, Minneapolis
When it comes to steam excursions and private car charters, the Friends of the 261 is one of the industry’s gold standards. Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 is an excursion star that’ll usually lead a high-end train of the Friends’ historic passenger cars. You’ll always find Skytop Lounge observation car Cedar Rapids, built by the Milwaukee Road in 1948 with its large glass area, bringing up the rear and always sold out at a premium class. The Friends of the 261 operates year-round mainline excursions and charters out of the Twin Cities and around the Midwest. Visit their website for the most up-to-date schedule.
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Missouri
Branson Scenic Railway – 206 East Main, Branson
The Ozark Mountains are a popular destination in Missouri, and the Branson Scenic Railway takes passengers right into the rugged terrain. The 40-mile round trip travels along the former Missouri Pacific Railroad while traversing through tunnels and over high bridges along the banks of the White River. For specular vistas of the Ozarks, we highly recommend one of the dome cars on the train!
National Museum of Transportation – 2933 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood
Nearly 200 pieces of rail equipment call the National Museum of Transportation home. Many were once native to the region while others have historic backgrounds across the nation. Some of the more unusual highlights are the only surviving Milwaukee Road Bi-Polar EP-2 electric locomotives and the Aerotrain that was once used on the Rock Island line. A mixture of trolley and miniature train rides around the campus are offered on select days throughout the year.
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad – 1630 Mill Street W, Peninsula
As one of the Midwest tourist railroads, this one operates 25 miles of track through its namesake National Park and is the only one of its kind in Ohio. While year-round, special event trains are offered, it’s the regular scenic excursions that provide multiple stops between Independence and Akron, making the visit to Cuyahoga Valley National Park unique, efficient, and fun. Of course, the special event excursions include something for everyone with the dinner trains, Fall Flyer, the North Pole Limited, and Steam in the Valley.
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Wisconsin
National Railroad Museum – 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay
As the only congressionally designated railroad museum in the United States, the history of the National Railroad Museum’s collection stretches on an international scale. Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017, General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s World War II command train from England, a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric, and the GM Aerotrain are major highlights. An exhibit on Pullman Porters and a train ride around the campus add to the immersive experience.
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Other Midwest railroad sites to consider
During your visit to the Midwest region, consider also visiting these railroad sites:
Illinois
- Fox River Trolley Museum – South Elgin
- Monticello Railway Museum – Monticello
- Museum of Science & Industry – Chicago
- Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad – Freeport
Indiana
- French Lick Scenic Railway – French Lick
- Hesston Steam Museum – La Porte
- Whitewater Valley Railroad – Connersville
Iowa
- Eldon Rock Island Depot Museum – Eldon
- Hub City Railway Museum – Oelwein
- Marquette Depot Museum – Marquette
- Midwest Central Railroad – Pleasant
- Minneapolis & St. Louis No. 457 – Mason City
- RailsWest Railroad Museum – Council Bluff
- Sioux City Railroad Museum – Sioux City
Michigan
- Huckleberry Railroad – Flint
- Little River Railroad – Coldwater
- The Henry Ford – Dearborn
Minnesota
- Minnesota Transportation Museum – St. Paul
- Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad – Duluth
- Lake Superior Railroad Museum – Duluth
- North Shore Scenic Railroad – Duluth
Missouri
- Belton, Grandview & Kansas City Railroad – Belton
- Chicago & Alton Railroad Depot – Independence
- KC Rail Experience – Kansas City
- Railroad Historical Museum – Springfield
- St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway – Jackson
Ohio
- Dennison Railroad Depot Museum – Dennison
- Hocking Valley Scenic Railway – Nelsonville
- Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad – Lebanon
- Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum – Bellevue
Wisconsin
- East Troy Electric Railroad – East Troy
- Lumberjack Steam Train – Laona
- Mid-Continent Railway Museum – North Freedom
- Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway – Osceola
- Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad – Trego
