Some railway places are rides. These are the others — the museums, grand stations and engineering works you visit on foot. This section opens with a flagship set of 13 of America's great railway heritage sites, every one checked against its official source — the operator's own site, the National Park Service, or the state or museum that runs it.
Heritage sites are counted separately from the ride directory, always. The full American heritage layer — well over a hundred visitor-grade museums, preserved stations and landmarks — follows in this site's first expansion; the flagship set below is the claim staked at launch: Steamtown, Golden Spike, the B&O, Sacramento, and the museums serious railfans plan trips around. Nothing here is a ride; for trains you can actually ride, start with the directory or the Ride Finder.
Museums & collections — 12
Railway museums and collections — locomotives and cars you can get close to, in roundhouses, stations and museum halls.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Visitors can tour the Visitor Center, Engine House No. 6 Exhibit Shelter, and the Lemon House, and use park grounds and trails. There is no entrance fee at the site.
Plan a visit →B&O Railroad Museum
Now presented as the National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation, the museum invites visitors to view the oldest and most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world and to take tours and experiences at the site. Its homepage describes the museum as a living history of the men, women and machines that shape the country.
Plan a visit →Lowell National Historical Park
For October 18 - November 28, 2026, the park lists the Boott Cotton Mills Museum open daily, the Into an 1840s Boarding House Exhibit and One City, Many Cultures open daily, canal walkways open daily, a trolley shuttle Wednesday - Sunday, and guided tours. The Visitor Center at 246 Market Street is listed open Saturday and Sunday in that period.
Plan a visit →Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The museum displays 100 locomotives and railroad cars from the mid 19th and 20th centuries, including the Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Collection, and houses extensive exhibits of railroad artifacts, artwork, books, photographs, and corporate railroad material. It conducts educational programs, tours and special events.
Plan a visit →Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown preserves, interprets, and protects the history of steam railroading in America, including the historic railroad yard. The History Museum, Visitor Center, Roundhouse, Locomotive Cutaway Exhibit, Technology Museum, Railyard and park grounds are open to visitors, with short train rides and longer excursions offered in season.
Plan a visit →North Carolina Transportation Museum
The museum offers a train ride pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive on select days, taking place entirely on the property of the 60-acre museum and touring the historic site by train. Visitors see structures used to service Southern Railway's steam locomotives when the Spencer Shops were in operation, and exhibits in buildings including the Back Shop and Roundhouse.
Plan a visit →Illinois Railway Museum
The museum operates trains seasonally: electric trains in April, electric and steam or diesel trains and streetcars May through September and on special events, and electric trains on October weekends. Its 2026 general admission tickets are good for unlimited rides on non-special-fare days.
Plan a visit →National Railroad Museum
The museum is open year-round, with admission tickets available online prior to a visit or in person at the ticket desk. Seasonal train rides are $6 per person and offered May-October.
Plan a visit →Pullman National Historical Park
Start your visit at the National Park Service Pullman Visitor Center in the Administration-Clock Tower Building, which has introductory exhibits covering labor rights, manufacturing, urban planning, immigration, civil rights, and more. Visitors can also explore the former industrial grounds of the Pullman State Historic Site, which includes Hotel Florence.
Plan a visit →Colorado Railroad Museum
The museum offers general museum admission Tuesday-Sunday, with train ride tickets priced separately and special event tickets that include both museum admission and a train ride on selected days. Beginning in 2026 it implemented modest price increases, stating they help the museum continue providing an affordable and enjoyable experience for visitors.
Plan a visit →Golden Spike National Historical Park
The Park Visitor Center features exhibits, a theater, bookstore, picnic areas, and a welcoming staff. Outdoor features open year-round include the Big Fill Trail, Historic Last Spike Site, East Auto Tour, picnic areas, outdoor exhibits, and restrooms.
Plan a visit →California State Railroad Museum
Home to 225,000 square-feet of exhibits and beautifully restored railroad cars and locomotives which illustrate railroad history in California and the West. Guided tours are offered daily, led by docents and covering the building of the Transcontinental Railroad in about 30 minutes.
Plan a visit →Landmarks & engineering — 1
Engineering works and historic places with no door to knock on — you go to look, and the looking is the point.