We are currently undergoing window replacement, so there might be minor disruption in our galleries. However, we are still open to the public and the majority of our exhibits are unaffected!

Please give us a call at 712-329-8307 for more information on exhibit closures and general impact.

Summer hours have started!

We are open regular hours plus Sundays from noon to 6pm!

Summer hours will be in effect until August 31st, 2025.

The museum will be closed on July 4th, 2025.

Join us virtually on Tuesday, August 12th at 5:30pm CDT as we explore Union Pacific's new 1616 Abraham Lincoln Heritage Locomotive and Lincoln's railroad history!

Earlier this year, Union Pacific unveiled their new Heritage Locomotive No.1616 in honor of Abraham Lincoln and his role in signing the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, creating Union Pacific. Even before signing the act into law, Lincoln had an extensive connection to the railroad. As a Lawyer, Lincoln often represented the Illinois Central Railroad and participated in a landmark legal case where a steamboat, the Effie Afton, collided with a railroad bridge. In 1859 Lincoln visited Council Bluffs, Iowa where he met with Grenville Dodge, future Chief Engineer for Union Pacific who advised Lincoln on which route the Transcontinental Railroad should take.

Join us on Tuesday August 12th at 5:30pm CDT to learn more about Union Pacific’s new Lincoln Locomotive with images and video provided by Justin Mensik and examine the 16th President’s railroad history.

Club Car Conversations are casual, virtual chats about railroads, history, and popular culture. They are free and open to the public, just RSVP to receive the Zoom link! Can't make it but still want to listen in? RSVP! All registrants will receive a recording of the chat that is available for up to 10 days.

RSVP Here!

Historian and author Dr. Alessandra La Rocca Link will be joining the UP Museum on September 25 to present her book ‘The Iron Horse in Indian Country: Native Americans and Railroads in the U.S. West’.

Dr. Link earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research has been supported by Southern Methodist University's Clements Center for Southwest Studies, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Huntington and Newberry libraires. She has been teaching history and English at Louisville Collegiate School since 2021.

Dr. Link’s talk will begin at 6:30pm, but guests are encouraged to attend a book signing prior to the event from 5pm to 6pm at the UP Musuem.

These events are free and open to the public. Please RSVP here to save your seat!

Looking for some throwback recipes? Check out our new UP Commissary cook book! For more than a century, UP employees delivered high-quality meals and service to the public traveling on their iconic trains. This mid-20th century Dining Car Service Manual from the UP collection has been reproduced for you to enjoy! 

Get a behind-the-scenes look into what it took to deliver world-class service in a moving restaurant. Recreate some of your favorites or try something new! 

The Union Pacific Dining Car Cook Book and Service Instructions (replica edition) is available for purchase now!

Law and Order on the Railroad:Learn about the evolution of railroad law enforcement from the beginning of the railroad until today!

History Express FREE Tour: Saturdays starting at 1:30 p.m.

Experience a standing tour that explores the overview history of 150 plus years of the railroad. No reservation needed. We will meet in front of the business car on the first floor.

The museum is housed in a historic Carnegie Library building in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Visitors can explore an extensive compilation of items from 150 years of our nation's western history, including artifacts, photographs, documents and equipment.

Donate or become a patron

All donations support the Union Pacific Museum Association, a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit.