Galveston Railroad Museum

2602 Santa Fe Pl, Galveston, TX 77550, USA

Address:	2602 Santa Fe Pl, Galveston, TX 77550, USA
Phone:	+1 409-765-5700
Site:	galvestonrrmuseum.com
Rating:	4.1
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 13

Jason K

A nice museum, especially if you have some little ones who love trains. They have a some old rail cars and passenger cars you can walk through, another set of cars that have been turned into an (air conditioned) part of the museum, with exhibits that go into railroad history in Texas. Lots of stuff to show that history and what it was like for passengers. The back of the museum is where all the old cars are lined up; be advised it can get hot in the summer and not all the cars are open to walk through. Also some of the cars that may seem closed actually arent, the doors can just get a little stuck. The museum could do a better job of marking that area and directing foot traffic back there. Theres a couple of big model train displays and theres a section that was the ticket and waiting area of the station as an exhibit as well. They also have a brief train ride; its not a big passenger car or anything like that - more like a platform you are standing on - but the kids enjoyed the ride and waving at the people in cars waiting to park for their cruises. Overall a nice way to spend a couple of hours if you have any interest in trains and the history of the island.

Jj Jj

This museum is one of the best appointed with memorabilia and history than just about any other Museum. This is in large part due to the fact that this was a last stop for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and this was a headquarters for the company. Not possible to see everything they have here , you could spend hours easily or a couple of days. For the railfan this is a Mecca to see. There is one fall back like a lot of museums who have outdoor displays they are not covered they are exposed to the weather this hastens their demise through exposure to the weather IE water, snow, ice and in this case right on the coast exposure to the salt water. If there was one thing I would wish it would be to have large covered awnings for all outdoor exhibits not just this one , to preserve them for future Generations.

Embriette Hyde

I love trains, and I loved this museum! The staff were amazingly friendly and informative, and it was really neat to be able to climb aboard so many different train cars. Some of the cars were jam packed with historical information (text and pictures) but others were simply the cars with no accompanying information. It would have been nice to have a bit more context in certain cases. I loved the model trains, too, though to be honest from the website description, I though the model train exhibit would be much larger. All in all, a great place to visit in Galveston!

Chad Jeanes

The worst part about this place was making my son leave. My wife and I brought our son (1.5 years old) here as part of our vacation in Galveston and it was without a doubt the highlight of his time on the island. Unlike other exhibits and museums in the area, virtually everything here is hands on and able to be explored (not including the models). The number of engines, passenger, and rolling stock cars from multiple generations and manufacturers is very impressive and made for a great day of exploring and pictures for our family. We will absolutely be returning.

Tabii Chan

Ive been to a fair amount of museums, but never a railroad one. It was a very cool experience and all the indoor parts were very clean. Its not too expensive too and they have so much to look at and many train cars to see and go inside. Sadly there was one I thought was super beautiful but you couldnt go in it nor where there lights so you could see inside. I know it probably doesnt get as much foot traffic as it deserves but I wish the giftshop was bigger or had more stuff fit for adults. Other than that it was a great time and I would go again in a heartbeat.

Ginny Turnbow

Website said train would be running at 11am on schedule. Told our toddler we were going to ride a train! Got there at 10am when the museum opened only to be be told the train may or may not run, they wouldnt know until 10:50 and the girl was unwilling to provide any explanation or additional info. It obviously had nothing to do with weather considering it was sunny and 80 degrees. If your main attraction is a train ride, then get it together people! We didnt stick around to find out if the train ran or not, decided not to give them our business.

Danny Abasolo

The place is okay, but Im not liking the overall quality of the preserved exhibits. Most of the rolling stock or locomotives are locked to not allow access inside. Also, some of exhibits still show signs of deterioration since hurricane Ike. This place needs lots more funding to restore everything and been taking too long to recover everything fully since the hurricane. Otherwise, this place needs better management that understands that is faster and knows how important is to preserve very well these unique treasures.

D Largent

First of all, from the outside, this building doesnt look like it would house a train museum. But, given that it is the historic train station, the grand room into which you enter the museum will take you back. The staff couldnt have been more pleasant. There are certainly other train/railroad museums that have a better (more extensive, more restored to original likeness, etc) collections. But, they have some treasures here and we thought it was worth a visit.

Red Eye Jedi

The lady selling tickets wasnt helpful. She made us miss our departure. They make it seem like the train ride is free, but you need to pay for the museum first. Or just walk around the museum for free and no train ride. The only nice things were the old trains I climbed all over and one train conductor. He was so awesome. Made it all worth it. Thanks man! He was riding on the back of the car, didnt catch his name.

Fiona Vaughan

Great experience!!! Went with my husband and absolutely loved it here. It was fun going through the different cars that were open...hope they can open up some more soon. The staff was friendly and informative! Plus the free parking lot in the back allowed some time to check out the strand. If you are into trains you will love it here. Even if you arent its a neat place to check out.

Natasha Eggers

Nothing works. There seem to be a lot of neat things, but none of them worked. The concession stand had a barely legible note on it that said it was closed for most of the day. And the lady inside the Union Passenger Depot was too busy on her phone to answer questions or pay any attention to the customers. ETA: second visit was a bit better. Much better than the Moody Mansion.

Jared Weis

This is a great place to take your young kids or older adults interested in trains. They have a really nice museum but the highlight is being able to tour the trains. They usually have 4 or more trains you can walk through. The kids love it! We met the director while we were there and he was such a nice person. He offered our boys bottles of water because it was so hot out.

James Schumacher

Dont waste your time and money. the "people" who work there are rude and have no ability to communicate. First they told us we were parked in the "Directors spot" (which was even marked. Then we werent "allowed to pass a certain line without giving them $10 they said you have to pay to even walk up to the counter to pay...WTH. Stay away they are not worth the aggravation.