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California State Railroad Museum

125 “I” Street
Sacramento,CA, 95814
United States

(916) 445-6645

Wesbite: http://www.csrmf.org/

Type Of Museum:

Rail road Museum, Kids, Model Train, Real Train Rides (weekend)

About Museum:

The museum has its origins in 1937, when a group of railroad enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area formed the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society[1]. This organization worked for years to promote the idea of a railroad museum, donating 30 historic locomotives and cars to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to be the nucleus of a State-operated museum in Sacramento. The Museum’s first facility, the Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station, opened in 1976. The Railroad History Museum was completed in 1981. Steam-powered passenger train service on the Sacramento Southern Railroad began in 1984, with the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot opening three years later. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown was added to the Museum complex during 1992.

The California State Railroad Museum is a dynamic complex of facilities and attractions. Throughout the year, the Museum offers a wide variety of activities to help you experience the magic of railroading. Authentic train rides, unique special events, and regularly changing exhibits bring the history of railroading to life!

The museum features 21 restored locomotives and railroad cars, some dating back to 1862. The “Sierra Scene” shows a large scale mockup of a construction scene high in the Sierra Nevada representing Donner Pass circa 1867, featuring the locomotive Gov. Stanford. Other exhibits show how the influence of railroads changed American society, influencing travel, commerce and daily life, as well as the lives of railroaders and the diversity of people who work on railroads. Changing exhibits featuring photography, ephemera, and artifacts from the museum’s collection, add depth and incidental information to the overall story of railroad history. The Museum has an extensive educational program for elementary students from across the region to help them learn about railroad history using re-enactments, costumed docents, and including train and handcar rides.Visit and Programs:

Events range from those with a seasonal flair (such as “Train Time for Santa” over Thanksgiving Weekend) to the infrequent but huge Railfairs, the most recent (1999) of which saw 180,000 guests visit the Museum over a ten-day period. Exhibits cover a wide range of topics, from social issues (such as women’s role in the railroad workplace) to displays of railroad artwork intended to promote California and the West as a tourism destination.

Resources:

What is new at Museum: See upcoming events:

Visitor Information: Hours, Admissions and so on

Taking Train Ride: Train ride and train history information