Activities for Kids

Make Tracks for the Best Train Museums in the Country

We tracked down the best train museums from coast to coast. At the end of the day, the kids will beg the conductor (you) for another tour or two.

By Allison Sutcliffe May 19, 2017

You’re never too old to ride the rails. To help you discover (and explore) a few awesome engines, we tracked down the best train museums from coast to coast. Whether you’re a big buff or a little buff, these historic sites, antique collections, and interactive exhibits will keep you clickety-clacking down the track. Flip through the album to see them all.

Galveston Railroad Museum – Galveston, Tx

When you enter the Galveston Train Museum (one of the five largest railroad museums in the U.S.), you’ll step back in time. The waiting room is filled with “ghosts,"—aka sculptures of old-timey passengers waiting for their train to arrive or depart. The museum is home to numerous railroad memorabilia and exhibits, including more than 40 pieces of locomotives and rolling stock. You’ll also be able to see a sleeper/lounge car, a post office car, a Union Pacific Engine, caboose and more. Best part? The Galveston Train Museum also houses an actual working train! Little visitors will be thrilled to take a ride on the Harborside Express, once they’ve toured the exhibits and seen the model train layouts.

Insider Tip: There’s also an audio tour, which will take visitors to 22 stops throughout to the museum, and covers the history of both the museum and the assortment of railcars that call the railyard home.

Online: galvestonrrmuseum.com

photo: courtesy Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Did we miss your favorite museum? Tell us about it in a Comment.

— Allison Sutcliffe