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 for our upcoming Club Car Conversation on July 15th at 5:30pm to discuss the American Freedom Train! 

From 1975 to 1976, in commemoration of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration of our independence, a rolling museum visited 48 of the United State. Affectionately called the “American Freedom Train,” the train displayed historical artifacts with the aim of bringing Americans across the nation together, united by our shared history.

The AFT consisted of 12 cars willed with remnants of the different eras of American history, notable artifacts included Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense,’ and most famously, The Decleration of Independence. Southern Pacific’s “Daylight” 4449 steam locomotive pulled the AFT for most of its journey with a patriotic red, white, and blue paint scheme.

As many as 7 million Americans visited the AFT one its tour, but this rolling display of American history was not without its own controversy and issues.

RSVP here to receive the link to join!

Club Car Conversations are free virtual chats that are open to the public!

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.