The Galveston Railroad Museum (located at 2602 Santa Fe Place) is an immersive experience. Exhibits in the museum include fully-restored railcars and visitors can also see Ghosts of Travelers Past (white alabaster sculptures representing travelers from all walks of life in the original train depot waiting to board) and other artworks; the history of the railroad, including The Orphan Train; railroad porcelain china and silver service; the story of the Pullman Porter; vintage marketing posters, and more!
Visitors are invited to board trains and “toot” the whistle or climb aboard a steam-engine train, experience the dining and sleeping cars, get an inside look at a traveling post office, view military transport cars, and also see tools, memorabilia, artifacts, uniforms, and more.
Currently on display: “Traveling the World on a City at Sea: The Story of the Battleship Texas.” This is the powerful story of the last dreadnought battleship that fought in both World Wars I & II, the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, on D-Day, in Okinawa and Iwo-Jima, as well as during Operations Torch, Overlord-Neptune, Detachment, Iceberg, and Magic Carpet Ride.
In addition, check out “Grandpa’s Train,” a large-scale model train currently being restored, and see collections of various gauge model trains. Located in the depot, visitors can work real train control signals. Coming soon: an exhibit focused on new arrivals to America called “Forgotten Pathway: Coming to America through Galveston Island.” Special events not to miss include the Galveston Steampunk Festival (April 6) and Rail Fest: Model Train Rally (April 27–28). Buy your tickets online today!
Five acres of fun for all ages, the museum houses a unique Rail Hotel for guests who want to sleep on a train! The Rail Hotel offers luxury railcars that sleep up to 10 and include parking and concierge service. (Reserve through VRBO or by contacting the museum directly.) The museum is also an excellent special events venue, so reserve in advance to secure a date for your event. Note that Rail Hotel blackout dates are observed to make way for the annual Polar Express Train Ride (held in November and December). Museum Members enjoy early Polar Express ticketing privileges and a number of valuable benefits throughout the year!
