Reviews of Illinois Railway Museum (Museum)

Kevin Thomas

My lady took me here for a surprise date night and we attended the Night Train event Saturday evening! Such an awesome experience to ride on the steam train! Will definitely be back to check out more!

Judy Zimmerman

Great place to see a variety of trains,cars and other railroad related memorabilia. Great fun and experience for the whole family,groups,or solo I road the Nebraska Zephyr which is very sleek and comfortable ride on a 5 mile track. There are 9 barns to view plus a restaurant on the campus. Eat inside or outside. Diesel days is one of their best weekends to go. However there's other times with rides available. If you love trains and history,that's a great place to go.

Robert Clay

This place is so cool for kids as well as any train enthusiast. With your admission you get to ride trains and trolleys. you have to make sure you check the schedule to see which ones are running this day. For example they may not run steam trains every day. They may not run diesel trains every day. They may not run electric trains every day. But there may be one or a combination of them on any given day. They also have special days or they even do more things. The warehouse is with the trains are so cool. it's a really nice day out with the family just to walk around and see a big part of American history.

Night Star

I know I have more photos of this trip, and this place is a perfect place for kids and rail fans like me.

Stephen Korenchan

We always have a great time here with the day out with thomas event. Definately going to return here on a regular day when it is less crowded. My 5yo son is really into trains and looks forward to this trip every year.

Ethan Keefer

So many things to do for a cheap price

John Relic

This place was great. Lots of historical trains and the Thomas day out was awesome

Chris Kramer

An amazing collection of rail history.

Natalie Basgall

The Thomas the Train event was the cutest thing! The staff did a great job organizing the event and my nephews had an awesome time!

A Lacy

Railroad museum, lots of fun. Mostly outdoors. Wear good walking shoes. Educational fun.

David Burris

I enjoyed seeing the trains, especially the L trains I've occasionally ridden over the years. If you're primary purpose is photography you may be disappointed. The trains are mostly in "barns" with poor lighting.

mlke allen

Had a great time...only wish it was cooler out ...picked a day it was 94

Zach Miller

Very interesting place with lots of info on old train cars. We went to ride the train to look at the lights along the way. It was a lot of fun for my 2 year old who got to meet Santa as he came through the cars and passed out bells to all the children like in the Polar Express. We all enjoyed the cookies and hot chocolate. Unfortunately we didn't see any lights as we took the actual ride so that combined with what I thought was a pretty steep price for what was offered only made this a 3 star

CL Sa

Good museum with lots to look at -and you get to ride a real train (weekends). Reasonably priced food too.

Papa Dankenstein

Awesome experience and really cool railcars! Will be back for sure with the rest of my famil

Pratyusha Ryali

The best museum for all the rail lovers . A must visit

Michael Levin

Top notch rail Museum One of the finest collections in the country

Edward Chase

The Illinois Railway Museum is s getting better every year. The best is yet to be.

Basia Gabryel

Awesome place to have fun with kids

talonrt

The Illinois Railway Museum is a great place to make family memories . Our whole family had a great time.

Brenden Oneill

Love this place it is Awesome!!! Open May-september every day from9am to 5pm open April and October weekend only if you love trains big or small, active or static come to the Illinois Railway museum in Union Illinois 55 miles Northwest of Chicago

Kristie Bednarz

This place was awesome. Lots and lots of trains. Very friendly staff. Lots of parking. Fun train ride.

John Sprague

Very nice and with Thomas and Percy, it made the day.

Heather A

Whoever rated the Holiday Train low obviously didn't get the same experience we did. It was a 40 minute train ride through the country. We got to meet and talk with Santa and he handed out bells. Then Santa's elves came around with souvenir glass mugs, cookies, and hot chocolate. It was so much fun to watch my daughter on her first train ride ever! She was so interested in looking out the window that at first she didn't notice Santa! The train was decorated so beautifully with beautiful lights and you walked into holiday music playing. The train was a mid-century modern locomotive commuter train. It was so warm and inviting. They had Christmas lights everywhere along with fake presents and pine Garland! I just wish we could have gone to the top row but it was understandable why we couldn't when they were handing everything out. If I had anything bad to say it would have been nice to have better weather. It was rainy, dreary, and cold. But the Museum did a great job of making it feel warm and cozy!

Emily Murphy

Went here for the Bunny Hop train ride, well organized event. The Museum has a lot of old trains and cabooses very neat spot to walk around and learn some history on trains.

Philip Hegel Photography

So cool! I've known about this place for years but I never bothered to visit. THERE ARE SO MANY TRAINS!!! Seriously, I had no idea, I mean we are talking dozens and dozens of styles, ages, locomotives, dining cars, sleeper cars, ones you walk past and others you walk through. But you get to step right up next to these gigantic pieces of history and be awestruck at the sheer size and complexity of these machines. If you're even the most casual fan of trains you will LOVE it here and even if you aren't you will still be thoroughly entertained!

Richard Moore

This is an awesome museum. A must for rail fans.

Andrea Kane

Been wanting to go to Illinois Railway Museum for years and finally made it. Not disappointed. Great displays, fun trolley ride, tasty food at the cafe. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Tim Reid

Really great collection of locomotives in a massive area

Adam Bass

Wonderful Museum! Would definitely recommend going when the steam engine is running! Kinda and friendly staff!

Sherry Brunton

Always have a great time when we go here. Always find new things I have never seen before. Can't wait to go back already. We missed riding the Zephyr today.

tudor culica

Great way to drain your kids energy!

Matt Davidson

Glad place to visit for kids (and adults) who love all things trains. We go every year to see Thomas but it is worthwhile to go other times as well (and less crowded).

David Reese

Worth the trip! Great museum, excellent displays. Plan on 2-3 hours at the least to see everything.

Jonathan Douglas

You would never assume that such a gem of a place would be sitting in the quiet countryside. It's absolutely packed full of retired trains of all types, some outside and most sitting in various covered barns. There are two live lines on our around the property, a short loop for the various electric streetcars they run, and another out-and-back steam line. Most weekends in the late spring and summer, both operate, and it's so nice to see the vehicles doing what they were designed to do. The can watch the folks around the property prepping the vehicles and showing such passion for maintaining and using them. As someone who likes and appreciates trains, I would rate it five stars, as I'm sure most serious train buffs would. However, it should be well noted that this is more of a working and as-is train exhibit, rather than a restoration museum. As such, most of the trains (many in rough condition) are "look but don't touch" from the ground on marked pathways, without much interaction or exhibits. But I think this is the true essence of trains, and the fact you can still see their awesome size and complexity, and breathe in the distinctive smell that brings back such memories, is truly amazing. But because of the aforementioned display of the trains, with dimly lit barns that are not temperature controlled (pleasant weather is a must), it's not necessarily a place that young kids or people who are indifferent to trains would get a lot from, aside from the rides. But there is at least a few hours of entertainment for everyone to enjoy.

Andrei c

Good place to see railroad history and Thomas the train

Stephanie Dumercy

My son is a Thomas the train fanatic! This was our second year doing day out with Thomas, though he had a great time, I was a little disappointed this year with how scattered and unorganized everything seemed. Overall my son had fun so that's all that matters!

Chris Voelker

Great place lots of fun. One of the biggest train museums in the world hidden in union Illinois If you enjoy trains or old things this is a great trip.

donna carson

My son really enjoyed Day out with Thomas

Stephanie Wilson

Always fun to visit, great for kids. Food is reasonably priced.

Pauline Owens

My son is autistic and this place was a dream come true! Very frendly staff! Wonderful place!!

Scott Heyob

Great place for kids an they are always adding exhibits.and when Thomas an friends are there it is truly a very special experience...

Fritz Golman

Always a fun experience. Many new pieces and restoration on progress. Check calendar online before going, though.

Christopher Walter

You think you have seen trains. You will find one here you haven't. Located in Union, IL amongst acres of corn. This place is worth the drive. Usually there are at least 2 or 3 trains running. (Check the website before going) This place is run almost completely by volunteers many willing to share their knowledge and love of trains. The food available is a snack bar (with virtually no competition) so grab a snack you drove there for the trains. Children will require supervision.

Pronounced Like the Chips Loehe

We have been to this museum twice now, and we are so grateful to have found it. The grounds and buildings are clean and well cared for. Even on a quieter day, we were able to take a nice ride along their line, and on a busier day, like "Diesel Days," there were plenty of ride options. The staff is kind and knowledgeable. There is a playground for young children and plenty of places to eat your own lunch, or you can eat in their cafe. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future, and we will be back!

Mary D

Docent Ken lead an amazingly informative tour focusing on historic stations, Pullman car history, luxury train travel dining and more! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!

Maria Ackerman

Great family fun for train lovers.

Jim Manley

Always a great place to visit. They do a fantastic job maintaining the old trains and running them for visitors.

Albert Lavorata

A neat place if you like trains. It's nice to see the steam engines in a protected shed saving them from the weather.

Dionysius

One of, if not THE largest collections of historic trains in the country, with a large rolling stock including at least one if not two fully restored steam locomotives. A must visit working museum.

David Quillman

Great place for capturing train photos.

Bradley Watkins

It was really awesome to see all the old trains and locomotives in prime conditions. There is alot to see and they are working on a new town addition that will be done soon!

David Gottschalk

Trains are awesome. So are the volunteers here; knowledgable & friendly.

Liesel Polichette

Lovely park to enjoy trains and railway history.

Linda Sandoval

It's an Old Train Museum when you visit you can see very old train locomotives. It's very interesting to see. For the Holiday season they have a Christmas train ride that runs at different hours of the day. They serve you hot chocolate with a cookie. Plus they give you a cup as a souvenir. The Train ride isn't all that, specially if you go at night, there isn't anything to see. No Christmas lights or decorations.!!! Honestly it's boring.!! For the price not worth it.!!! If they could make it better and more interesting than maybe just maybe it could be a hit.!!! Pretty disappointing. I feel the place has room for improvement to make your visit fun and wanting to come back.!!

Reyes Salva

best year yet !! Trains, buses, trollies, steam, electric ... done it all !! And the picnic later was incredible, same caterers each year ... perfection !

Juan Batrez

It's awesome my family love it very much

Alex

A very beautiful railroad museum which is a hidden local gem and is about 1 hr drive from Chicago. Admission is only $15 per adult and includes the entire exhibit, train rides, and parking. You don’t need to be a train enthusiast to appreciate and have a good time at this museum. There are about 8 barns of locos, cars, trams, buses, and other vehicles. Whole it sounds like a lot it only takes about 2-3 hours to go around the whole area. Most of the trains and exhibit objects are from different times of the 20th century. You could see locos and cars from 1900’s as well as 1980’s and even newer. It is recommended to come during nice weather as barns are not climate controlled and there’s a lot of fun outdoors to do here. You can have free rides on the actual steam trains which last about 40 mins and are a great way to experience old times and appreciate everything railroads. Very fascinating. You can also hop on an old tram and go around a smaller loop. The only thing I wish they had is guided tours or audio tours. While there are some signs to read next to each car of loco, there isn’t a lot of information on them and I’m sure there is a lot more to learn. Also, there are only a few cars you can actually get inside. Most of the items can only be viewed from the outside, no climbing is allowed. As a bonus the museum store has some books and railroad kits / apparel for everyone interested.

anthony raspantini

Its always changing and expanding. A great place to go by yourself or with the whole family. Lots to see and do, buses, trains, trolleys etc.

sandra aguilar

We came here for the Christmas train ride and it was great! They give out cookies and hot chocolate along with bells and a souvenir mug. Santa and his elves got on the train and ofcourse the kids loved it! I just wish the train went to a destination instead of just going in a circle. It'll be great if it goes to " the Northpole" have a bunch of Christmas lights, trees and decorations. The staff was great, after the train ride the conductor asked if my little ones can go inside and sound of the horn, of course that loved! Overall it's an awesome experience. I'll definitely do it again

StormGamer

You know, this is one best museums in the world. It has outdoor trains! Some random scrapyard which I found a lawnmower. Some old trains. And best of all, It has a tram and a steam loco! It even has like little sheds that the rest of the trains are. Also a diner! I love the dogs and fries! :)

James

Great place with great staff. This is a all volunteer staff. They make history come a live.

C Big Tuna Chi town Boy

Acres and acres of REAL railroad equipment. Regularly operating diesel and electric and sometimes steam trains. More than 5 mile long demonstration railroad in operation for riding trains. Great for the whole family.

Miri C

Museum for real train buffs. Thomas the Tank engine weekends every July are fun for young and old alike.

Step 219

Train heaven for the railroad enthusiast. A trolley runs around the property to pick and drop off patrons. (Huge property) They have two trains that runs their five mile gauntlet track every other hour. You can ride all day long as many times as your heart feels like it. Hundreds of items thankfully under roof for preservation. I'm a modern diesel fan and the museum is in no way short on that order. They have rare and very popular diesel locomotives. Most of which I was told are still in operating condition. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, wear a hat and glasses, bring water as you'll be walking a few miles here to see everything. I'm glad places like this exist for future generations to see.

John Peacock

If you like trains, it's a must-see. Lots of old train cars. One of the largest train museums in the country. They also sell books about the railroads and trains of the past.

David Kwechansky

IRM is among the best, a fan "must" with some motive power superstars. It's heavily oriented to local traction, and the variety of that is quite amazing. Wear comfy shoes.

peter winspur

Superb. Recommend visiting on Sunday when steam trains are running.

Mohamed mosaad Hasan

It is a nice place for kids. It is a little bit pricey though.

Bryan Krieter

Awsome ride very nice day this is an excellent thing to do

Olga Ralchenko

Great place to visit with kids and for any train enthusiast.

A K

It was a pleasant experience for the adults in my group, the 2 kids were a bit bored and dissappointed that not all trains were accessible. I would have given more stars however the girls in the diner did not practice any sanitary procedures when handling the food. No gloves. They were touching the food with their bare hands after handling non-food items without washing their hands. An inspector should probably check it out. I wouldnt come a second time but its very cool if you like trains.

Pankaj Sharma

Your kids will enjoy here Its there loving Thomas, anni and percy trains

Rich Paeth

If you like trains, you will be awe stuck. I actually got to ride in a steam engine pulled train. Wow

J. Victor Ryckman

We came here for my two old grand sons birthday. He loves trains. Seems totally serious. Contemplating every detail. No question this is his thing. Hope he will soon be able to share his curiosity and intrest.

Underground kid

It's a great way to explore and experience history. All kinds of trains to see. Highly recommended!

Stan Zoller

Amazing collections, great value, educational, great family destination

Dave Burrows

Easily one of the best railroad museums I've ever been to. My main complaint with other rail museums is that most of the equipment is on static display. Here however, it is obvious that operation of the equipment is a top priority. If you want to see a wide variety of old trains doing what they were built to do, this is the place to go.

Annie Harrell

It was SOO much fun my grandson didn't want to leave. Train history is well detailed you can learn alot. We're going to go back closer to Halloween or Christmas.

Brian Ana

What a display of railroad history! Be sure to visit when some units are operating and take a ride!

Aaron Parker

My son loves trains and he was so fascinated by the Railway Museum. Actually we were all very fascinated by it. It was so much more fun than I ever imagined seeing all the old antique street cars and engines. if you want to feel small go to the old steam engine shed and stand by some of the wheels. I can't even imagine how much these must weigh. Fabulous collection I will definitely go back. In the summer they also have Thomas the Tank Engine whom my son also loves so we will also be back for that as well hahaha!!

Vickie Klick

Amazing variety of railroad equipment. Unlimited tram/train rides with admission on whatever's running that day. Cool!

harry schultz

This place is a lot of fun for my family

Mike

We went on Museum Showcase Weekend and were able to see and ride several of the restored antique trains and trolley cars including the streamlined Zephyr and a Chicago cable car. Definitely an interesting outing for train enthusiasts and kids of all ages. I was impressed by the number and variety of locomotives and passenger cars on display from steam engines to electric trains and everything in between. Amenities include a well stocked gift shop appropriately themed, and a diner/restaurant serving surprisingly tasty fast food fare. We spent a leisurely 4 hours wandering the grounds and accessing equipment representing the significant periods of our train transportation history. Worth the trip to Union IL.

Dan Hawker

Great museum, lots of trains, tons to do, see & read, will definitely go back, staff there is fantastic

Evelyn Tatum

Enjoy the train rides!! I love to see more people there everytime we go!

Bo Duke

So much to look at and do. Great place

Stephen Etheridge

Wonderful place for family outing. The entry fee includes rides on any of the operating trains or street cars. Small snack bar inside. Not very crowded. Huge site. Seasonal.

Chase Renwick

Amazing museum to walk through and volunteer at. I grew up as a kid visiting here and I still love going.

Michael Borowiak

My 3 and 4 was absolutely amazed by all traines and ride in the real intercity old train...

Brian Sill

1st visit to this amazing museum which today hosted all types of transportation. Enjoyed the rides provided on the trains as well.

Nancy B

Loved it. We learned a lot. Thanks for the train rides and to all the volunteers.

Jeff Marchluk

This is a great place to go with train enthusiasts of any age. Most weekends in the summer they have trains going. Many barns full of trains to admire.

Billy Groff

It was like taking a trip to the Past. Great time for family we loved it!!! The Groff Family

Pat Lindley

Its was very interesting, but I wish you could see the inside of more of the trains.

Piyush N

The place seems to be run down a bit. I have visited it twice. The first time it was about 3 years ago - it was excellent, many barns were open and they had plenty of staff. I visited it again last week - not many barns were open, less staff and the streetcar was running late - they could not accurately predict the schedule , we kept waiting for it. My highlight of the visit was seeing the gargantuan steam locomotives. They are sight to behold!

Alex Schneider

I have volunteered here for several years. We have an outstanding collection of streetcars, interurban cars, and coach trains pulled by steam and diesel locomotives. Enjoyable rides. Lunch available on the premises. Special fun for kids on two Thomas the Task Engine weekends in July.

Cory Francis

Even better than I remember

William Webb

Enjoyed the Santa's Holiday train experience during Christmas. Anyone with young children should do this at least once.

Rhonda Kisting

Day Out with Thomas 10+ Event is Superb. Volunteers are Amazing! Train yard rocks! But...it was a very Steamy day for Steamies.

David MacLennan

Awesome . The best train experience live operating train museum experience I have ever had .

Kelly Mysliwiec

Wonderful day with all trains. Hot day but first time and child cried going home!!!

Charles Lehmann

Lots of things to see. They are always improving the experience.

Mark Manley

Super museum. Plenty to see and do. Great collection of Train Engines,cars, Trollys, Busses, and other RR stuff. Florida Rail Road Museum smaller, but more interaction with volunteers.

Travista Carrington

Great place to go with the kids. They will enjoy a classic train ride as well as the museum.

Roberto Blanco

Friendly family fun at a well organized attraction

Scott Barker

We had a truly great time I highly recommend take time and make the visit

Anna Górska

Awesome collection of trains, locomotives, suburban cars from midwest. You may walk inside of some of then and explore the interior. Good idea to visit the place over the weekend, because there's more attractions like train ride on a train from different decades or hop on a streetcar going around the museum.

Felix R

Great places, lot to do n lots of trains to ride n see!!

Asriel Dreemurr

The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful, and the excursions are fun. Staff are very educated and are great!

Jeremy Hernandez

Amazing place to take a walk through history. Everyone working are volunteers and always very welcoming. Storage sheds are not heated or air conditioned. Special events are posted on their web page, check them out to ride on trains from an era gone by. Excellent family destination.

Stephanie Corra

We took our family on the Christmas train ride. The staff was wonderful, the treats were delicious, it was delightful! We sat in the first car all the way at the front, and they had a tree set up with a toy train around it. Our boys loved it! We lucked out with great weather, so we explored the museums a bit and enjoyed the playground. We would do it again!

Ken Mascheri

We took a ride on the Winter Train ride. This was our first time and it was great! There is plenty of parking and just a short walk to the train. There is a large gift shop and a counter service restaurant. We boarded the train and all sat together. The conductor came by and checked our tickets punching holes in them with the first letter of our names. The ride was smooth and lasted about 40 minutes. Elves came by with hot chocolate and cookies. Then came Santa! He walked through the train car greeting everyone and spending some time and giving each child a special gift. The adults got gifts as well. It was a very fun time for all of us and will definitely be going next year.

Craig Swan

Very educational. Grounds well kept, new things on the way. Great visit.

Alec Mesa

I've been coming here since I was a child, really enjoyed the diesel days they had this year. Driving the train was a lot of fun!

Joey M

Any place you can spend the whole day and have lots of fun things to do for the kids, is alright for me.

Kristine Pinion

Had an absolutely horrible experience last weekend at the vintage transport show, I've coming to this show for more than 5 years and the line to get in was enormous. Only 1 person working tickets! Me and my 84 year old father waited an hour in the hot sun just to buy a ticket, ridiculously handled by staff. Eventually a young worker divided the line in half taking the people in the back half of line behind me, into an air conditioned bldg to buy tickets leaving those of us who had been standing in the sun longer ,there to rot...I might never come back, thoroughly wrecked show for us , I also rescued 2 people in parking lot & drove them to their car, should really consider the heat and running courtesy vehicles in the parking lot during big events like this....poorly managed event.I give you a grade of F.

Lee Beaver

Years of great memories here. I don't know anywhere else you can ride a steam train! Great for kids and adults who love to take pictures!

Stan Mack

Fun place. Looks like they are really expanding to make it look like a little downtown neighborhood. I wish the train ride was a little longer but other than that it was a lot on fun. My 2 y/o nephew LOVED it!

trevor D

Sounds boring but the trains that are there are very cool and interesting

Franklin Jones

An amazing place. Very awesome collection of trains. We went on desiel day and got to ride in the Coppola of a caboose which was something I always wanted to do since i was a kid. It was fun seeing my kids in awe of the size of the old steamers and I got to see a Shay type steam strain. Plan to go back someday when the steamers are operating.

Bruce Dixon

Traditional Italian American restaurant in downtown Chicago. Good food, friendly staff and interesting decor.

Russell Kupferer

Great museum with a huge collection.

CC Rita

Took my grandson to see Thomas the train...Great fun he loved it!!!

Irene Scott

Loved the place. So much to see. Train ride was great

Shellie Esparza

This was a great event! The train rides were a blast, and the pink heals truck was amazing.

Richard Burdick

Came here in early season...not much moving. Some of the best equipment not available for viewing. Locked in barn. Was impressed by how much the museum has grown. Last visit was in 1996.

IQ TaxAppeal.com

Greater place. My kids loves trains so I spend here every other weekend. :) it is worth to buy family membership. I thing it is the biggest train museum in the world. We had rare experience of driving breeze last weekend ... train with no doors nor windows

Tor B.

The Illinois Railway Museum was a fun place full of history! We had a great time. It was one of the weekends where Thomas the Tank Engine was visiting and the place was PACKED. Huge line at the entrance, however, once inside the sprawling campus we never felt overly squished.

Aaron Hunter

Very polite staff and volunteers. We visited for the Day Out with Thomas event this year. The event went well and my son loved seeing Thomas and Percy! The barns were full of classic train engines and cars. We even got to take a trolley to the other side of the campus! It was very hot outside but the museum offered cooling train cars and sprinklers. It was a very beautiful place. Keep up the good work!

Mary Radek

Great place for the men in my family who love railroads and everything about them

Kenneth Beynon

This is a really fun place to bring the family...even if you're not that into trains. It was alot of fun to learn the local railway history of Northern Illinois. There's a lot to do. You can actually ride a train for several miles around the property.

Jean-Paul Veillon

This location has the only restorable 4-6-4 Hudson in the country. I visit it several time anually to see this steam locomotive as well as their E5 diesel. They are showing strong growth and I look forward to their future attractions

Luke Olszewski

Great collection of trains, streetcars, and trolley buses. The staff is very friendly and a great place to see vintage equipment.

Alicia Daniel

So fun for the kids and train enthusiasts. Train rides are a blast. Has a little cafeteria, too.

Trent Blasco

largest railroad museum in the USA...great for people of all ages.

Danny Robertson

Thank you to all the staff that put on this great event! Everyone was helpful and friendly!! Plenty of cooling places and water/refreshments were not expensive, most events charge a fortune for water, only $1.50 Thank you!!

Lauren B

Family friendly, lots to do, pleasant staff, easy to navigate....had a wonderful day!

Kathy Durbin

Very informative, learned things I never knew. Far enough from Chicago that one could enjoy the countryside all around.

Joy Valko

What a gem! Great for kids and adults alike.

Kurt Wendt Jr

Had a great time with the kids, all staff is very knowledgeable! Cafe prices are reasonable. Get an up close look at all types of railroad locomotives.

Shirley Bagshaw

We love the Illinois Railway Museum. There are so many buildings to see trains being worked on and complete. The Santa train we went on is very memorable and in the summer Thomas the Tank engine comes and even Sir Top m Hat

Jameson White

This place is amazing. Dont miss all the barns full of train engines and cars if all types, a few of which you can walk through. One tip - the steam train can sometimes not start until later in the day so set your kids expectations accordingly.

Steve N

Fun place. The trains are amazing

Mark

Always a fun day for the family when you come here. Train rides are announced over the PA so you have plenty of time to get to the station. They have a new gift shop where you buy your admission tickets. We have been coming here since the 80's with my parents and now I bring my two girls to see the histroy before it's forgotten. Mainly volunteer based people who care about passing down the history and their knowledge. They have storage sheds full of trains that you can look at and even climb on for pictures.

Jeff Smith

An amazing experience. So much well cared for rolling stock. Kind of out of the way but well worth the effort getting to ity.

James McManus

This is a great place to experience how transportation was in the mid 20th century. Kids and adults enjoy this museum

Steve Lafferty

Always an interesting place to visit. People are friendly. Always have a good time here.

stephanie thompson

Took my son to see Thomas the train and he loved seeing all the old trains at the museum.

connie & Leonard frye

We enjoyed it very much. Got to ride all 4 trains/electric cars. Hats off to all of the volunteers. Was impressed with grounds maintenance. Food was good. Very nice food svce people. Will visit again.

Dave Saletzki

Great fun and a lot to see!

Krystal

A living museum. They have a nice cafe now with basic and affordable food or you can bring a picnic.

Gerald Alsvig

Went 8/4/2019 this was the antique auto show Sunday. This also happened to be the weekend after they were handing out flyers at the West chicago big boy experience. There were lines to get in Inter the early afternoon. Also line for food. Food was less expensive than many places-$3.50 brat. The $5.00 refillable drink something to consider. Cans are $1.50 from the vending machine. You can also bring your own food into the park( but not on the trains) or leave and eat in town and return. Needed more seating for food. Mosquitos near some areas where autos were exhibited for show that are not normally frequented by visitors Not are buildings are open for entry- sprinkler regulations so you cannot see all the equipment. If you would like to see specific equipment go on a day like CNW day- last held 2017 dedicated to that railroad. A UP centennial an a UP turbine are displayed. A GG1 in green paint is also available to see. There is a used bookstore with used books, magazines, publications ( like the CNW heritage magazine) , and videos that are train related. This is open sporadically and not the open status not on the website. The website does a good job of listing what equipment will run on a particular day pending weather. Also gives themes- diesel day, etc. related to specific interests. I usually go on the auto show Sunday. CNW equipment is not run often eventhough the museum is near chicago and adjacent to ex CNW now UP tracks. Sometimes the CNW pained metra cars are pulled by BN engines. CTA equipment rain often as well as CA&E, Chicago streetcars, and BN equipment(like the steam engine and the zephyr on weekends)Also they run the same equipment often. I went last year and rore on the same stuff. The volunteers and the other visitors are willing to answer questions. You can also pay to ride in a engine cab or even run an engine. See web for details I will continue to go yearly.

James Fischer

Visited on a hot day, but enjoyed our time there. Lots to see and learn, plus a short train ride and a trolley ride around the area included in the price. Happened to see Percy arrive for a weekend event. Thomas was "hiding" in one of the buildings.

Nick Scratch

Fantastic, all around. Friendly, knowledgable, and passionate staff. Highly recommended.

Stephanie Hogan

We went for the day with Thomas, and we've visited on other days Day with Thomas was so crowded and the weather was HOT but we had fun! It's a great place to visit if you love trains.

Franke Gordon

Do you like trains, or the idea of fun? Do you love your mother or your children? Do you hate the devil? Then this is the place for you. Possibly the best train museum ive ever been to. The trains were huge one of them was probably 7 feet tall. More trains than I have ever seen one of the trains reminded me of Jesus. Infact one of the trains gave emotional support in a really tough time. During the Christmas time there was a Santa train and for the first and last time in my life I saw Santa get out of a 2007 Toyota. This was probably the best experience ill ever have 5/7

Barb Muff

Wonderful place to see old train cars and take rides on the train and trolley. Very nice staff.