What to DO at the museum
Train Rides
Take a step back in time on our relaxing and scenic historic train rides to Monticello on board vintage rail cars. See our calendar and get the details on our schedules and fares.
Events
Have you ever wanted to operate a locomotive, ride a variety of different trains all in one day, or take a train to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus? Check out our calendar and our event list to see the different special events held at the museum throughout the year.
DOWNTOWN Monticello
Hop on an early train to visit downtown Monticello to have lunch or shop. Visit beautiful Allerton Park with its large gardens a few miles west of town, or visit Bryant Cottage in nearby Bement where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas planned their debates.
Gift Shop
The museum’s gift shop in the Nelson Crossing Depot is open when trains are running and is where you can by tickets for our regular train rides. The shop has many railroad-themed items such as shirts, mugs, and books. An expanded gift shop is located in the Wabash Center on evenings when the Polar Express is running, with a wide selection of shirts, toy trains, and other gifts.
Exhibit Cars
Explore our exhibit cars and learn about the railroads that helped build central Illinois. Walk through the Pullman-built “Council Bluffs” sleeping car to see how people used to travel on the rails in style, enter the Railway Post Office (RPO) car to see how mail was picked up and sorted on the move, or climb aboard a vintage Wabash caboose to learn about cabooses and their history.
Train displays
Many pieces of historic railroad equipment are displayed around the museum campus for all to enjoy, and are occasionally moved around as new equipment is restored and displays are changed. Please remember to exercise caution when viewing equipment on display.
Nelson Car Barn
Explore a variety of different trains from the raised platform along the side of the building. Usually parked on this track are passenger and freight cars, cabooses and diesel engines. There are also ground-level sidewalks that allow you to get up close with some of the operating trains at the museum when they are not in use.
Stair Tower
This building is a replica of a railroad interlocking tower that was typically found at busy railroad junctions throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries. A restored lever machine controls the signals and train movements along the line. The communication equipment on display was used by an operator to talk to other towers and to generate train orders.
Camp Creek Yard
The complex of track and buildings in the yard is where the museum restores and maintains our operational locomotives and cars. Please exercise caution and stay on the roads when visiting the yard. Do not enter any buildings or climb on equipment in the yard without a museum staff member present. Safety first!