Historic RailPark & Train Museum 401 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY 42101
About the Business
The Historic RailPark & Train Museum, located at 401 Kentucky Street in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a must-visit museum and tourist attraction that brings the magic and adventure of railroading to life. Explore important railroad artifacts and learn about the region's rich heritage through self-guided museum tours and guided railcar tours.
In addition to the museum experience, visitors can also help support the institution by donating towards the repair and painting of vintage railcars. The museum has partnered with Carriage House Vineyards to create specialty wines, "RailPark Red" and "Whistle Stop White", with proceeds going towards fundraising efforts.
Please note that the museum is closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays from January 1st to March 19th, and open Wednesday to Sunday. Admission prices vary for adults, seniors, veterans, students, and children.
While the museum does not offer train rides, visitors can still enjoy an immersive and educational experience at the Historic RailPark & Train Museum. Make sure to call ahead for tour times and arrive early to ensure a spot on the guided railcar tours. Membership and volunteer opportunities are also available for those looking to support the museum further.
Plan your visit today to embark on a journey through the history of railroading at the Historic RailPark & Train Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Photos
Location & Phone number
401 Kentucky St, Bowling Green, KY 42101, United States
Hours open
Monday:
10:00 - 16:00
Tuesday:
10:00 - 16:00
Wednesday:
10:00 - 16:00
Thursday:
10:00 - 16:00
Friday:
10:00 - 16:00
Saturday:
10:00 - 16:00
Sunday:
10:00 - 16:00
Reviews
"My husband loves trains and learning about them. We so enjoyed our visit today. We slid in and was surprised to get a private tour of the rail cars. This tour does cost extra , but you can just tour the museum for a small fee. The very large model train set was free to view in the gift shop. Really interesting purchases available. Although small climb the stairs in this beautifully restored original train station to view the interesting facts of trains throughout time. Learn about this trains founder and builder of his own private train line. Mr. Pullman built more than trains as you will learn upstairs. I hope if you have a chance to visit this area be sure to stop at this historical landmark."
"What a great experience! If you are really into trains, the tour took us through the locomotive, the mail car, the dining car, and the presidential car. Also on the rails, but not part of the tour on the day we visited, were a medical car from the US Army, and a Jim Crow car which they're in the process of restoring. I absolutely loved this tour -- and the museum. I think what I loved best about this museum is that it really brings the people to life, far beyond the mechanical nuts-and-bolts of the trains (although all of that is there as well). The displays in the indoor museum include interactive panels that allow you to push a button and hear the very different whistle sounds that each of the locomotives used to make, which is really cool (and a huge hit with the kids). There are also interactive displays featuring interviews with Pullman porters and chefs, and their testimony is both informative and poignant. There is also an indoor theater with a movie on loop giving depth and breadth to the Pullman porters' experience, and there are exhibits throughout the museum that bring alive the roles of men and women from many walks of life who used the railroads and/or kept them running. All of this and a beautiful historic depot, plus a cool gift shop with excellent books about local history and all kinds of train memorabilia. At just over $15 for two hours of amazing learning, this was *easily* the best money I have spent on a museum. Special shout-out to Will for his knowledge, enthusiasm, and warmth throughout the tour. Please add this to your Bowling Green to-do list -- in fact, it would be worth a trip just to visit this place!"
"We stopped here to see the trains and hopefully a model layout. We were happy to see the HO scale and N scale layouts inside the gift shop. We felt the price for the tour and museum was too much, so we did not do these activities."
"This was great! The museum had lots of high quality exhibits and the information and data was portrayed expertly and in no expense on stands and walls. Was very well organized and the cost was fantastic! We also did the train tour and that was great, our guide provided LOTS of information and let us take ample time in the train cars, which were well kept and restored. They're currently restoring 2 more train cars which will be awesome to go back and see later!"
"The train depot is nicely restored. They have a uniquely and carefully selected set of rolling stock and an E8 locomotive that I'm glad has been restored and maintained. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave a pretty good history of the L&N. This museum is definitely worth going to. The hospital car and caboose should be open for a tour next year. Military get in free with ID."
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