Area Railroad Museums & Tourist Railroads
The American Midwest is fortunate to feature a wide variety of railroad museums and tourist railroads, staffed by dedicated volunteers passionate about railroading and historic preservation.
Many of these museums and tourist railroads also offer themed rides aimed towards the public:
Easter Bunny Trains, Pumpkin Trains, Ghost Trains, visits from Thomas the Tank Engine, and Christmas/Santa Trains
...all of which are are extremely popular with families with children of all ages.
Go to their individual websites to find out their days and hours of operation, and the exhibits and events they present.
Most of these are located within a reasonable day's drive, or an overnight trip, from Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.
Places that offer train rides on operating railroad equipment are marked with a 🚂
Many of these museums and tourist railroads also offer themed rides aimed towards the public:
Easter Bunny Trains, Pumpkin Trains, Ghost Trains, visits from Thomas the Tank Engine, and Christmas/Santa Trains
...all of which are are extremely popular with families with children of all ages.
Go to their individual websites to find out their days and hours of operation, and the exhibits and events they present.
Most of these are located within a reasonable day's drive, or an overnight trip, from Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.
Places that offer train rides on operating railroad equipment are marked with a 🚂
Illinois
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OPERATING
NON-OPERATING
Amboy Depot Museum
Amboy, IL Batavia Depot Museum Batavia, IL Station Carbondale Carbondale, IL Chillicothe Historical Society Rock Island Depot Museum Chillicothe, IL Chicago History Museum Chicago: Crossroads of America Chicago (Old Town), IL Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Chicago (Hyde Park), IL |
NON-OPERATING (continued)
Pullman Factory and Company Town Chicago (Pullman), IL
Wheels O' Time Museum Dunlap (Peoria), IL Chicago Great Western Depot Museum Elizabeth, IL Forrest Railroad Park and Depot Forrest, IL Joliet Railroad Museum Joliet, IL Kankakee Model RR Club and Museum Kankakee, IL The Museums at Lisle Station Park Lisle, IL Mendota Depot Museum Mendota, IL Oregon Depot Museum Oregon, IL Dillon Home Museum Sterling, IL Hedges Station Museum Winfield, IL |
Indiana
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OPERATING
Whitewater Valley Railroad 🚂
Connersville, IN French Lick Scenic Railway 🚂 Rail Trolley at French Lick Resort 🚂 French Lick, IN Hesston Steam Museum 🚂 Hesston, IN Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society🚂 New Haven (Fort Wayne), IN Nickel Plate Express 🚂 Nobleville, IN Indiana Rail Experience, featuring Nickel Plate 765
and the Indiana Northeastern Railroad 🚂 Pleasant Lake, IN plus other locations in northeast IN, northwest OH, and southern MI |
NON-OPERATING
National New York Central Railroad Museum
Elkhart, IN Griffith Historical Society Griffith, IN "All Aboard!" at Children's Museum of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN |
Iowa
Michigan
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Little River Railroad 🚂
Coldwater, MI Coopersville & Marne Railway 🚂 Coopersville, MI Henry Ford Museum: Greenfield Village - Railroad Junction 🚂 Henry Ford Museum Railroad Exhibit Dearborn, MI |
Huckleberry Railroad & Crossroads Village 🚂
Flint, MI New Buffalo Railroad Museum New Buffalo, MI Steam Railroading Institute 🚂 (home of Pere Marquette 1225) Owosso, MI |
Wisconsin
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Caledonia Historical Village
Caledonia, WI East Troy Electric Railroad Museum 🚂 East Troy, WI National Railroad Museum 🚂 Green Bay, WI Kenosha Streetcar Society 🚂 Kenosha, WI |
Lumberjack Steam Train & Camp 5 Museum 🚂
Laona, WI Mid-Continent Railway Museum 🚂 North Freedom, WI Wisconsin Great Northern 🚂 Spooner, WI |