Illinois Railway Museum 4.8 (reviews)

Ready to explore 100 acres of locomotive history, and even enjoy a real life train ride too? We're off to the Illinois Railway Museum, which also happens to house the largest collection of historic railway equipment in America!

Choo choo - let the exciting family day out begin!

The Illinois Railway Museum, as you see it today, is the result of decades of effort by a dynamic group of dedicated volunteers. All of the buildings, track, locomotives and cars were assembled at Union on what was once farmland.

Pretty impressive when you see everything!

For any child or parent that has a sincere interest in some aspect of railroading, the Illinois Railway Museum is for you!

The main museum features over 20 structures, including the exhibit buildings which house much of the museum's collections of trains. It's here you can also see historic structures too, including the 1851 East Union Depot, the Central Diner and the Schroeder Mercantile Store.

Your journey around the Illinois Railway Museum is self-guided, which is great as you can just take your time, and explore the many artifacts and exhibits are your own pace

Kids always love checking out the million-pound steam locomotives, as well as the horse-drawn streetcars;

What would a railway museum be without actual train rides too? On select days, these take place on two separate routes (the main line and the streetcar line), taking around 45 minutes and 15 minutes respectively

Grab those conductor hats kids, it's time to climb aboard as we're about to depart the station!

The Illinois Railway Museum is locomotive fun for the whole family, where history and trains come together for a fun family day out in Illinois!