Great place to take the kids and learn about trains. You can walk through some great cars and imagine what it was like to travel by rail.

This is a small museum dedicated to old school trains. Lots of fun for little kids. Our toddler liked it a lot and we could have spent hours wandering around and watching the model railroad. You do not need to only purchase a ticket in advance and you don't necessarily need to only go during the time your ticket is for. There's also a lot of content for adults too (think traditional museum exhibits, history, and of course trains. They have events throughout the year for different themes (Santa Claus, Halloween, etc).

We are so fortunate to enjoy the Twin Cities as our playground. This weekend's adventure with our grandson was to visit the train museum, ride the train and visit Santa. There was so much to do. It was one of the best adventures we have had yet. The Christmas music with children participating was amazing and provided us old folks a bit of a rest while escorting our young ones. Popcorn and apple juice hit the spot. Best of all we were fortunate to ride the train 3 whole times. My young grandson said exactly what we were thinking... "I want to come back soon, Grammy!" Indeed, we will be back soon!

I’ve lived in St. Paul for 10+ years and never knew this was here. It was the best hidden gem that I’ve exposed to all my friends and family. Hosted my sons 3rd birthday party and it was a huge success. People couldn't have been any kinder and the kids were in pure heaven with the caboose ride. We will be back in December to see Santa!

Definitely a fun place for the kids. They love pressing the buttons to make the trains go. There's enough activities and train stations to keep them busy for at least a few hours. They also have a small shop of train toys (both used and new).

Great museum with lots of trains and memorabilia from the beginning. One of the volunteers had some great stories to tell. I highly recommend visiting this place

We visited the museum for Santa's Train Shop and it was really, really nice! The decorations were so thoughtful and must have taken a long time to set up. Every single staff person and volunteer was absolutely kind and helpful. And the old trains are just fun to look at! Highly recommend going there (not just to see Santa)!!!

Not as big as I would have liked, but some very knowledgeable folks there. Best part is getting on some of the trains themselves.

I visited the museum during their classic car and classic train event (also during COVID-19). They have done a great job with adjusting to mask and social distancing guidelines. There is a wonderful group of volunteers that runs the museum. I wish I would’ve gotten the name of the volunteer who kindly acted as our guide around the museum. He was great at making the experience fun while also providing lots of interesting historical facts. They also have train rides that guests can go on. It was a great date night activity.

My family worked for the SOO LINE RAILROAD so this museum reminds me of my grandfather. Its really a neat place. You get to see all the old train cars and how they ran them. They also have a toy train set up for kids to see.

This museum holds an excellent selection of railroad memorabilia. It's staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. Be sure to request a tour of the restoration shop.

The museum was great and I got to see no. 328 and me and my dad got to go in the cab of no. 328 and the guy who volunteered there had a lot of information about steam locomotives and the projects in the museum.

This was the largest museum I have ever been to. I had no expectation before coming. I thought the place might be OK to see. I visited the inside portion, which was very interesting. Volunteers were on hand to demonstrate operating a steam engine, and I almost thought, "I could drive this engine in an emergency." Next, I went outside to look at the round table. While there, a volunteer was working outside, and he offered to show us more rolling stock and another steam engine in a large shed. It's very cool to be so up close, and the size of these is huge. He mentioned that there was a lot of car and engine restoration in the other direction, not part of the tour, and if we were lucky, a volunteer in that area might show us around. As I headed toward the exit, someone was exiting the office, and we were asked how we liked the place. "Fine! Uh, any chance we can peek at the repair spaces?". And then we were among old dismantled steam engines and ancient cars. There was too much to write about here. Sheldon Cooper would would have been envious of us. There is a lot of magic here. I am considering what it would be like to spend time here as a be a volunteer. I think I caught the train bug.

I'm not sure why this isn't called the Minnesota RAILROAD Museum because it didn't seem to have anything to do with other forms of transportation. The space though is nice enough, with interesting self-guided displays and activities, plus real trains to explore and friendly all-volunteer staff with limited expertise on the exhibits. Big dirt parking lot. While there is a bicycle rack ON the patio, the street bike paths and sidewalks nearby end before the entrance so be careful! Also don't visit with a wheelchair unless you've got somebody to push you up all. those. ramps. I recommend the red cap/porter exhibit!

We had a great time. The docents were engaging and knowledgeable. The trolley ride was short but still fun. While this museum is smaller than some others it is still a good one. We will be back!

What a great place. Lots to do with your kids. Very cool stuff for adults. Model railroads, big engines being repaired. Steam train rides in the summer!

Good place to take a family. It is interesting and has fun activities for children. My grandson's loved the ride in the caboose.

Lots of history to be seen and the guide was super friendly.

Quick train rides offered on Saturdays. Friendly volunteers. Plenty of train tables and train Legos for kids to play with. Real trains to explore. Parking onsite. Small amount of snacks for sale. Tables if you bring your own food. Clean bathrooms with changing table

Wednesday morning was a great time for toddlers andadults alike!

Get a tour with a docent and you can see inside the repair shop!

My toddler adores this place. We’re members but I’m pretty sure he’d go daily if we let him.

A great place for train lovers and historians.

A surprisingly diverse museum, housed in a roundhouse with some outdoor displays and several cars open for touring. It was worth the small admission price, and was well staffed with friendly folks to answer questions.

Needs more artifacts. Maybe adding more stories on jj hill and the more of a history of railroads in the area.

Wonderful group of Volunteers. Trains for all ages, our 3 year old loved the experience cant wait to go back. Keep up the good work!

Love this place. Around Christmas time is when we go cause they have pictures w Santa n Mrs. Claus there. My niece loves looking at all the trains n going on the little short train ride that they have. Such a fun place to go.

We loved this museum. But the website is a disaster - Good luck figuring out what is (and isn't) included in a membership. Our last experience was disastrous - trying to figure out the membership benefit for a the mysterious "coach" seat. Which is and isn't available on all trains and changes depending on who you talk to. There was a 75% increase in the cost of our favorite train ride Pumpkin Express in the last few years, it is now more expensive then a Day out with Thomas. There also was a 25% increase in their membership fees. Overall I don't think leadership cares about the inconsistencies and I had an overall annoying conversation with their office manager. Also if you bring your littles be careful, they need to secure a few of their railings inside there was one that was rather loose (with a good drop to the lower floor).

Absolutely loved this place and can't wait to visit again in the future. Everyone was incredibly friendly and so welcoming. Me and my husband got to take a charming caboose ride given by two friendly ladies who were more than willing to explain everything to us and even offered to take our picture before we even asked. The model trains inside were very impressive and could see all the hard work put into it. They put in extra details such as king Kong, a DeLorean in its cave, snoopy and several others to make it fun. At the end of our visit a few gentleman went out of their way to make sure we got to visit the restoration area where they were very genuine and took quality time to explain everything and answer any questions. Me and my husband think it would be really enjoyable to volunteer here!

We have been several times over the years. We visit the Twin Cities area to see family, and this has been a hit with all four of our children, but especially our youngest who is a major train guy. The tour of the workshop was very interesting and getting to see a blacksmith at work was fascinating as well.

The most popular "Fall Colors Train" tickets were sold out a few weeks ago, so we chose the "Train Ride to Marine on St. Croix" instead. It turned out to be a smart choice since the trip was amazing. My hub and I had a great time enjoying the gorgeous view, so glad we captured the autumn foliage along the St. Croix river area this year🍁 P.S. Bring a bottle of hot coffee for yourself since some sections may be chilly - they made the whole trip a total difference!

We had an absolutely wonderful time at the transportation museum. A nice little gem in St. Paul. Our toddler and the adults (4 of us) loved going into the different cars and touring the round house. Bonus points for the model train display too - so many trains to watch on the different tracks. The short train ride out and back was just long enough to keep the kids’ attentions and really get them excited. We wound up doing this twice. We will absolutely be back this winter.

Thank you so much for the Santa event, we had so much fun! What a wonderful and unique place this museum is, would love to be back and recommend to everyone! Thank you!

Great for kids. Plenty of free parking in front. Discount for seniors and kids under 2.

Several trains to go inside. A large car that is a dedicated sitting area with toys for kids. Cool model train displays. Loved the Christmas event with Christmas music. Half mile train ride nothing much but my kids loved it. Really a nice place to go with little kids as a family. My 2.5 year old loves trains. Workers are super enthusiastic and love what they do. Nice lower stim place to go. Not much for food but there are tables if you wanted to pack lunch. Maybe the price is slightly steep but without other funding sources I’m sure it is what needs to be charged. I value the museum and will pay for the experience here and there.

Great price, lots to do and see for kids and adults of all ages. My kids love playing with the train sets as well as exploring the trains INSIDE the building. They also love riding the train (outside) as well. I really enjoy watching the model train set as there is so much detail and items hidden throughout the track.

We visited during the holidays & the kids loved it! Really educational exhibits w/fun interactive elements. We rode the short train ride three times—my 4 y.o. nephew did not want to leave! Great little piece of history in the heart of st paul. Thanks for bringing it together!

They have trains in it. Many hands on exhibits. The rail cars are beautiful. Interesting history in the building, near Downtown Saint Paul. The building is located in the JacksonStreet Roundhouse. Excellent staff, very knowledable. It was a positive fun experience. I would definately return!

This place is great! We have serverap train enthusiasts in our home and love going there for that. There's also information about buses and cars too! There are many things that the kids can do. A majority of the exhibits are hands on. Another impressive thing about it is that many of the people you will see and who run it are all volunteers.

A hidden gem. My 3-year-old son is a train junkie and loved every minute here. It is a little rough around the edges but charming. It made me feel like a kid again.

This is a great place to bring the kids. Be sure to talk to anyone working there they are all very knowledgeable.

Great place to work/volunteer they need all the help they can get.

Little train ride. Great interactive things for small children. A train conductor simulated driving experience. Restored train cars.

train stuff!

Good place

Great history, fun train ride

Pretty cute place, my kids had a blast and really enjoyed the train ride.

Love trains and the museum.

Great fun place you will learn a lot

Kids loved it here.

Looks great, but closed early on a Saturday. Try Again another Saturday. They apparently have 🚆 rides

One of my preschooler's favorite places, and I enjoy it too for all the history.

Great place for toddlers.

Great experience overall, great for kids who are into trains.

Great place to take a train lover. Don't forget to check out the gift shop and donate.

Historic and educational

We received a gift certificate for a train ride. I called to book a train using our gift certificate and was informed it was only for a specific train ride, the pizza train. Never having been here before, we had no idea the gift certificate didn't cover all rides. They informed us the pizza train was sold out the rest of the year. We asked if we could roll over to next year or apply the value to a different train ride and weren't given any options. The money was essentially flushed down the toilet. A terrible customer experience.

Volunteers are very happy to share their knowledge of the Railroad origins & development in Minnesota. Some of the model trains are brought from a volunteer's home & are very detailed. There's a lot of pride & effort put into the exhibits & it shows. Once in a while a modern day train rolls by on the track running near the back cement porch. Little ones enjoyed themselves too.

Great place need more adult t-shirts

Looks cool

Really fun museum but pretty expensive.

Due to insurance reasons, I couldn't walk in the yard or near the railroad equipment that interested me. I thought that was what museums were about. The study the way things used to be by getting up close to the artifacts. They did have a nice G scale model railroad and gift shop.

Grandson and family went to see all the train stuff and a visit with a great santa. 🎅

Fantastic. Bring the whole family

Perfect 90 minute ride! Enjoyed walking the train cars and seeing the outside scenery. Especially enjoyed the ride back on the last car's outside deck. I have 2 littles (2&4) and it was the perfect length with lots to see and learn. Our car host was very knowledgeable and let us know when special things were coming up like the waterfall, caves and river crossing. Highly recommend!