RailsWest Railroad Museum & HO Model Display
RailsWest Railroad Museum & HO Model Display
RailsWest Railroad Museum & HO Model Display
3.5
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RailsWest Depot Museum is housed in an old Rock Island Depot built in 1899. There are many displays which include full size train cars to walk through and an HO size model train.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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3.5
42 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
8
Average
11
Poor
5
Terrible
3
Joel G
Port Ewen, NY234 contributions
Sep 2022
This is a place only rail enthusiasts might want to visit. They look like they're on a limited budget and it shows. The cars are old and in poor shape. Mail car was the only interesting stock sitting in the yard to look at. The main draw is the information in the museum which appears to be an old rail station. Staff was friendly, but I don't think they get enough business to do any upgrades. If it were a bit cheaper, would be a worth a look inside the museum. Otherwise, if pressed for time, I'd skip this.
Written September 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quimby R
Omaha, NE131 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
Wife and I visited July 3, 2013. The Museum is located in the old Rock Island Railroad depot in Council Bluffs and is fairly easy to get to from I-80. The building itself is pretty "nifty" and exemplifies the small to medium sized town station. It has some outdoor railroad equipment displayed that can be inspected as part of the standard admission of $7 for adults. The outdoor equipment consists of several passenger cars, an old CB&Q ten-wheeler steam locomotive, a caboose, and a few miscellaneous cars. The inside displays are modestly setup and the freight section houses an elaborate HO scale model railroad of Council Bluffs that comes on with a motion sensor. Overall a bit pricey, but worth visiting if you've never been there before and/or are a railroad fan.
Written July 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RailfanMotels
New York City, NY595 contributions
Sep 2011 • Family
I'll start by saying the museum was closed the day I stopped at the museum this year. I have been here in the past, and really enjoyed myself. The museum staff is very knowledgeable about the local railroad history, as well as their displays. My favorite part is the old time trains displayed on the site. A couple steam locomotives, as well cabooses and other railroad cars are restored. Several of these are open to walk through. If you’re lucky, you may catch a real freight train pass the museum site, which is always exciting for the museum visitors.
Written November 1, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave C
Alexandria, VA1,597 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
This is something of an under resourced museum compared to the Union Pacific Museum but is nevertheless significant, with a mail car, club car, and other exhibits for the hard-core rail geek. Mostly a place to view relics, so great if you already know the stories. Great staff, and a lot to see within a rail station and outside viewing area. You can hit this and the Union Pacific museum easily on the same day and get a pretty good dose of vintage rail.
Written June 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
micahel56
Mundelein, IL91 contributions
Jul 2015
It's in a beautiful Rock Island depot but this museum is in bad need of cash. The exhibits are more collections of stuff. There is no story to tell. The rail car outside are falling apart. Maybe it's time to pack it in.
Written July 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cmbritton
Morgantown, WV47 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Visited this museum on a Saturday. Lots and lots of displays which were very interesting. If you have any interest at all in trains and history this museum is for you.
Written June 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Josie S
Omaha, NE254 contributions
Jul 2017
I would pass on this unless you really, really like trains and have an hour to kill while in the area. The old model train inside is small and compact but on the cute side I guess. The trains outside are rundown and I am nervous my kid will get tetanus. I also think it is on the steep side for admission.
Written June 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve R
Fort Dodge, IA207 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
We took our 2 1/2 year old grandson to this museum and it was perfect for him. Exhibits in the depot include a nice HO layout and a small Lionel gauge layout set up as Thomas the Train. Plenty to keep him occupied and a lot of history for adults to look at and keep their interest as well. There are outside exhibits as well, several engines and cabooses, a mail car, parlor car and the like. Almost all are accessible by steps so you can view inside and out. There is also an operating track adjacent and you might see some grain trains moving. We were there for almost 90 minutes which says something about keeping small kids interested. Check you AAA travel guide or call for hours of operation. It is kind of an out of the way area south of downtown CB but GPS will get you there.
Written August 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wvgm
Amherst, OH56 contributions
Jun 2013 • Family
Very nice young lady met us at the door and gave us a rundown of the facility. Great local RR history, with very good local information. Union Pacific 814 in the yard was fun to see and climb aboard. Local folks working hard to keep their history alive!
Written June 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redmon05
Council Bluffs, IA77 contributions
Feb 2012 • Family
The renovations to the museum were very high tech. They provide a lot of information on the railway system for the adult but also a lot of hands on activities for the kids. The simulation train is very cool although I thought I broke it! It must be dummy proof though. Thank goodness. Go during the Black Squirrel Days when many of the CB sites are free to the public.
Written August 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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