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
Danny Michael, curator of the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, will be joining us for October's virtual Club Car Conversations on October 22nd!
Danny will be discussing 'Firearms of the American West.' The Zoom will begin at 5:30 pm CST. From recognizable frontier guns to oddities used by outlaws, lawmen, and everyone in between, participants will discover how technological advances and innovations in firearms influenced the American Frontier!
Club Car Conversations are causal virtual discussion about pop culture, railroads, and more! Free to join, just sign up to receive the Zoom link to join!
RSVP here!
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Pumpkin Party: Trick or Treat the Museum
Trick or Treat the Museum's Pumpkin Party from 11 to 3 on Saturday, October 26th! Free and open to the public, wear your favorite costume to the museum to decorate a paper jack-o-lantern to add to our pumpkin patch, trick or treat throughout the museum, and have fun!
This event is open to all ages!
No food or candy will be given out.
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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.
