Explore Railroad
History!
Located in historic downtown Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Missouri River, we're a great place for friends and family to come and learn about the Union Pacific Railroad.
Directions200 Pearl St, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Museum Information
Free, Self-Guided General Admission
The museum is open:
Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
HOLDAY HOURS
The museum will be closed November 28th and 29th.
Regular hours resuming November 30th.
Masks are strongly encouraged when the community level is elevated.
Visitor Reviews
"Keep up the good work. It was fun learning about trains. It's an amazing museum!" |
"This museum has fantastic displays! Love the demonstration of what made America great: hard working American spirit!" |
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Club Car Conversation
Join us on Zoom for our next Club Car Conversation, ‘Women on the Railroad’ with author Chris Enss on December 3rd at 5:30 pm cst!
Dating back to the 19th century, women have had roles in the railroad. Beyond nursing and services roles, women played a larger part in the creation of rail lines than they have been given credit for. Although the physical task of building the railroad had been achieved by men, Enss will discuss the significant and lasting contributions that women made to the historic operation!
Club Car Conversations are casual virtual chats about railroads, history, and pop culture! They are open and free to the public! Can’t make it? Just register to receive a recording to watch at your discretion! -
Winterfest!
Get ready for Winterfest in style! From 4pm to 6pm, stop by the museum to create glow-in-the-dark Reindeer antlers to light up Winterfest! After crafting your antlers, head over to Bayliss Park to catch Santa flip the switch and light up the park!
This event is free and open to the public!
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Check out our new book!
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!
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Check out our new temporary exhibit!
Law and Order on the Railroad:Learn about the evolution of railroad law enforcement from the beginning of the railroad until today!
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Join us for our free public events
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.
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Our mission is to share American History through the lens of the railroad, connecting generations who have been impacted by Union Pacific
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.
All donations support the Union Pacific Museum Association, a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit.
