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California State Railroad Museum
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- Good for Kids:
- Yes
43 reviews for California State Railroad Museum
There are some things that all kids seem to be fascinated with. Trains are definitely one of them! We have been anxious to check out the Railroad Museum and finally did for the first time on Sacramento's Annual Museum Day in February.
Upon entering, we felt like we were back in time with an exhibit of a huge vintage train and coal miners. The whole first floor was filled with real trains, old and new, that we could walk around or through. It was fun to peek inside the windows of an old excursion train...the dining car, the kitchen car, the lounge car...and just imagine what it used to be like. The kids had a ball climbing on a freight car and pretending they were taking a ride. My favorite was the postal train...there was a guide explaining how the postal system used to work between the trains and the pony express.
The 2nd floor was an even bigger hit with my little ones, who are ages 5 and 2. What could be better than a Thomas the Train display? There were several train cars running the tracks and a clear bubble they could stick their heads into for an unbelievable view. There were a couple of small train tables for them to play with and even with all of the children there, they were satisfied with the amount of play time they were able to get. The rest of the 2nd floor was filled with model trains...old and new. It was truly amazing to see so many trains in one place! This museum is both educational and fun-filled...definitely memorable!
Our kids gave it 2 thumbs up!
Absolutely worth a visit. Even if you're not a train enthusiast, this place will turn you into one. Plenty has been said here about the exhibits, but I think the facility deserves top marks as well. It's big and modern, much closer in scale to a Smithsonian museum than a tiny local historical society-type operation, and this really does enhance the experience.
They really should have a joint entry ticket with the CA History Museum. After all, railroad history is CA history, and seeing both museums back-to-back is a good plan.
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Very neat, overall. The museum fits in with the area due to being situated on the river and the train tracks nearby. The displays are nicely presented. There are good photos and various artifacts on the display. The descriptions presented give a good idea of the history of the area, how the railroads shaped it, who shaped it, and the technology behind it. This is especially interesting as you are trying to put the pieces together for our freight transportation system because this was really what started it and what enabled expansion west long ago. It is nice to reflect on these things.
Of course the highlight for me was getting to go into a few of the trains. They had volunteers inside a couple of the ones that you can walk into. One was very outgoing and was explaining aspects of the conductor's job while the other wasn't exactly outgoing and seemed to just be "monitoring" things.
I had a good time here but I haven't been to any other railroad museums so I have no basis for comparison. The review could swing one star in one direction or the other if I had more of a basis for comparison.
Awesome times at the railroad museum. A must when in old Sacramento
First off, if you haven't been inside the museum you shouldn't be reviewing the place based solely on the gift shop. It'd be like reviewing Aqua restaurant after walking in off the street and using their bathroom.
The museum is incredible. *If* you are in to trains. If you aren't totally curious about railroads, trains and the like, you'll find lots to see and do, and they make it extremely interactive.
As we were walking past the massive steam locomotive on our way in to the main part of the museum we were completely surprised to hear a voice from the cab of the engine room shouting, "Come on up and take a look around!"
Really? Get *in* the train? Suh-weet.
They have a massive selection of trains that you can explore inside and out: a few engines, a cargo car, a sleeper cabin, a dining car, and a mail car. The volunteers who work the exhibits are extremely knowledgeable and talkative. Be warned: a simple question like, "is that where they burned the coal?" can lead to a 20-minute explanation.
There is a huge train table set up on the upper levels, some electric trains you can "operate" as well as a massive collection of old toys on display. We skipped the movie about the development of the California railroad, simply because LittleQ is still too small for movies. And it gives us a reason to go back and check it out again. Next time, when the full-size train ride is in operation.
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As a mom of boys, I get to play with trains a lot. Train table, Thomas the Tank Engine books, Mexican dominos with trains... you get the idea. So, when we came to Old Sac to play and saw the museum, we had to check it out. Unfortunately, it was too late to go into the museum (they were closing in half an hour), but we had a blissful time in their museum store.
My favorite item in the store? The Rosie the Riveter metal water bottle... We Can Do It! It's nice to see a touch of feminism espoused at a train store.
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I love trains. I long for the times when I used to take 24 hour train rides, in the comfort of my own cabin. Ah, good times.
It was good seeing the locomotives and knowing the history behind CA railroads. It was also depressing to learn how the Chinese were mistreated during the CA railroad construction. It is slavery in disguise. Kudos to the museum for telling it like it is.
There are some giant machines in here. We had the museum all to ourselves because the conference planners reserved the museum for the reception. I gotta admit, it makes for a pretty sweet party venue. Some of the conference-goers were dancing in the trains.
It was cool seeing the dining area on one of the trains.
By the end of the night, I was strangely aroused, and wanted to get naked in one of the trains. I think it is the BIG machines. Is that wrong?
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As a kid, I had a small train/railroad collection. I never really appreciated it too much and would rather play with Legos and TMNT action figures. Similar to how I was as a kid, I hadn't paid too much attention to trains and their importance while I was growing up.
So I looked forward to visiting this museum to learn about a subject that I did not know much about, which is something I always look to get out of a museum. It was fun to be able to see real life trains in person and see what each one was used for. There were luxury trains, cargo trains, fruit trains, passenger trains, etc. A couple of the trains were "look only, don't touch" but there were several trains where you get to go through the interior.
Those were awesome. They even had a train where there was a motor underneath that rocked the train back and forth and felt like it was actually moving. That was the passenger sleeper train. In another train, you get to check out the main control cabin.
I spent about two hours here and had a great time. Highly recommended if you're visiting Sacramento.
I notice that a bunch of people here on Yelp talk about bringing kids to this museum. If you have kids, I saw a bunch of them playing with toy trains in the second floor so if they're not tired after walking around the museum, you should bring them up to the upper level and let them tire themselves up while you take a break :P
When I used to work in a different train museum, we had a term for the type of people who would come to a place like this: Foamers.
People SO INVOLVED WITH TRAINS and railroad history they would literally foam at the mouth when exposed to historic artifacts or new information they hadn't heard before.
Well, all you foamers out there, this is the place for you. This museum has a terrific collection of all things rail, from actual engines and cars to toy trains to artifacts relating to the big 4. And even for those of you who claim to know every iota of knowledge about railroading in California (and i know there are many of you self proclaimed know-it-alls out there,) I guarentee that you will find something unique, interesting, or unknown on your visit.
The lay out and interpretation is just enough to get the beginner involved and interacting with the artifacts to create an interest, however contains enough info for even the greatest expert. All-in-all, a day at this museum is a day well spent, an is a must for any trip to the captiol.
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This was most certainly one of my favorite places as a child. My father would take me here every year for my birthday. It's pretty cool being able to walk into all the train cars, but it teaches you a great deal about an important part of California history. There's only so many cool things to do in Sacramento as a child... and the RR museum in Old Sac is up there on the list.
Well, I didn't care about California history when I was 6 years old. I cared about cool trains, and it's good for that. I recently went back about two years ago, even though I couldn't give a damn about trains anymore. And I must admit, it's still pretty cool. You have originial china and upholstery in many of the old dining cars and there's such a rich description of the history behind it. The history is now what I enjoy most (and there's lot of it!), but the trains are still pretty cool, even at my age.
This is a great place to take your kids at some point, no matter the gender nor age.
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Probably one of the top 5 railroad museums I've been to in my life. Huge displays of actual trains and a great way to learn about the history of the rails in our country (and specifically the role they play in California's history).
Being from SF, I was quite surprised by these antiquated modes of travel that you "non-SFers" have relied upon for many years. I was particularly disgusted to see the dining car menu -- non-organic and non-free range foods littered the page. There wasn't even one vegan meal available! I guess this is what people that aren't from SF have grown to know --- it makes me pretty sad.
I was also pretty shocked to see that coal was used to fuel many of these trains. Being from SF, I am particularly sensitive to my carbon footprint and have dutifully purchased carbon credits since they were first introduced (I was actually one of two people to come up with this idea -- the other person was named Al Gore). I just hope that all you non-SFers realize the horrible harm that you have brought upon our precious planet with your coal chugging steel machines. Unlike people from Sac, I drive a Toyota Prius which has been proved by many scientists and marketers to be good for Planet Earth. Hopefully, this technology eventually makes its way to the Sac area so that you can reduce your mammoth carbon footprint. Until then, I would encourage you to purchase carbon credits to offset the massive damage you continue to inflict on our environment.
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This place was awesome! I had an afternoon to kill, wandered in here and loved it. There are massive trains in this building, many that you can walk through with displays of dishes and clothing. It's hard to imagine real ceramic breakable dishes on a train considering so many restaurants now use paper plates and plastic forks.
There was a lot on information about the poor bastards that built the rail system as well as the wealthy guys. I like seeing how average people lived in history, as well as the Governor's mansion. The railroad management gave the white and black workers free meals, but made the Chinese labor pay for their rice and tea!
Lots of history about the gold rush and telegraphs also.
The mock train - telegraph station was cool. I can hardly wait to go back for another visit. The rest of old town Sacramento has great architecture, but not much else. 9 candy stores, "Just Socks" that sells only socks, lots of tacky souvenir shops, "1000 purses" store with made in china purses. I've never seen so much repetition and cheap junk in such a historic area, and only a few stores were open. I visited on a weekday, and this whole area is mostly for weekend tourists, a ghost town in the week. It's so close to down town I thought it would be more vibrant.
Sacramento's train museum will always hold a special place in my heart for the awe-inspiring afternoons I spent there as a 4-8 year old with my mom (who would make the bi-annual pilgrimage from the Bay Area out here on my behalf).
We've taken our own little boys here twice now -- most recently yesterday -- and I am delighted to report that it fully lives up to my memories. My favorite exhibit is the Governor Stanford locomotive all polished up in its full 1860 glory. My five year old especially enjoyed the super-sized engine that you can climb into, while my three year old could have spent all day at the Thomas table upstairs.
Anyhow, if you or your little one is into trains, you've got to come visit at some point. And if you are making the trip from the Bay Area, suggestion that you shoot for spring or fall, as it's dern hot up here in the summer.
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My husband and I went to the Calif. State Railroad Museum based on my friend saying it was good. I liked it enough. My husband and I spent about 1.5hrs there.
We went on Sat 5/13/06 and it was a warm day. There is air-conditioning there. Adult price for ticket $8 per person. We asked if we can come in and leave then come back..they said fine as long as it's before 5pm when they close.
They had a one day only showing of the Last Gold Spike which was cool. I heard others that came that day say they only came for that.
Huge trains you can walk and see inside the cabins of the train on the first floor. That was neat. Lots of families with kids. On the second floor are the miniature trains. A neat display was one that had small trains doing a few laps on the tracks.
Saw some photography there until Dec 31, 2006.
Nice gift shop w/ a train track over head that has a small running train. Cool.
Best part is there is a Train Ride you can take on weekends from April -Sept, on the hour. Cost $8 more for adult (separate from museum price which is Evil). Sit out on the open tram w/ unobstructed views, take lots of pics. Short ride only 40 minutes but it's fun.
AAA calls it a gem, I would agree. website: http://www.csrmf.org/d...
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Like trains? Don't care about trains? Whatever--go here. It's like that math class in high school, or that bio class in college. You thought you hated the subject but if you get the right instructor, well, you don't love the subject, but you really enjoy the class.
It's very, very well done. Make sure you take the free tour. You could literally spend hours in here. And it's both fun and educational (not necessarily mutually exclusive terms, I promise).
A definite winner.
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Love this place. Been here like a bajillion times but it never gets old. Got to introduce my non-Sacramentan husband to it and now he loves it too!
Super cool to go through the train with the sleeper cars and imagine what it would've been like to travel like that.
It's also a nice air conditioned place to be in on a legendary hot Sacramento day.
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Though you might hesitate to pay an $8 admission fee "to look at trains", I guarantee you that you won't regret it... those fees are probably what keeps this State Parks-run museum feeling like you stepped into a Smithsonian-like institution.
The museum spends about 25% of its display space outlining how the Transcontinental Railroad was built, through older text/photo displays and then in large dioramas (an admirable amount of room dedicated to the Chinese on the railroads, of course.) The rest of the space is trains, both real and toy... my obvious favorites were the sleeper car (which jumps and sounds like it's moving when you're inside) and the mailcar, which gave me greater appreciation for the post office. It's amazing to consider how revolutionary trains were in their heyday, particularly as they're becoming antiquated because the US has failed to make them as much a part of daily life as Japan has.
Wonderful for folks of all ages, if just to come and marvel at the size of the trains and the skills and engineering required to create these machines... the "Empire" is a particularly beautifully restored train at the end; you won't miss it. I spent well over two hours meandering on my own.
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I went here about three times. It's fun. Ok, it's boring. If you like history or trains it is cool.
It's a train museum. If that is how you want to spend your afternoon, then this is a good place for you. It is what it is.
Very nice museum with lots of awesome stuff. Go when you are wide awake, not tired and falling asleep.
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Little boys love this place (and little girls too). There are train tables upstairs that the toddler/preschool set can play with and socialize. Of course you must know train table etiquette...no grabbing! We had the annual membership when one of the kiddos was into 'trains" but since he was the most interested in them and and now has outgrown them and lost interest, we don't frequent the joint as often. Be warned, the volunteers and staff there are old school when it comes to child behavior and they will say something if your little tyke is getting out of line. Last word, unless you want to spend cash, avoid the store as you exit. They have lots of Thomas the Tank Engine stuff and it can be hard to say no to just another train.
This is a very high quality and large train museum with items of interest for all ages...from numerous full-sized restored train cars down to the tiny details of original period dishes and more. Pictures, movies, history, and great volunteers to tell you all about it. Oh yes...and they also have a big Thomas train table play area.
If all this gets you "in the mood"...which I'm sure it will, the museum also operates a steam train ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad on weekends (except in winter). Good fun and something that you can do more than once and not tire of it.
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When in Sac town go here. The kids will love it. I thought it might be a little boring, but I was so wrong. Wait til you see the biggest locomotion ever. Lots of cool trains and history. Wow, how cool is that. You won't be disappointed. Bring your camera.
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This was an amazing experience. I was there with my 3 kids and all of us couldn't get enough of it. I wish I could spend a few days there.
The real trains, the toy trains, the description of the efforts to lay the tracks... I just couldn't get enough of it. I have not seen so many locomotives and such a rare collection of engines. Simply amazing. Get there early so you can see *everything*.
This is THE museum to go to for all of us train fanatics (or even
semi-fanatics). There are 10-13 (?) full sized train cars of different
types and vintages on display. You can walk through and even
in one case UNDER the train.
One train moves and it's "clickety clack " sounds and motions
makes you wish you were really going somewhere!
PLUSES: LOTS to see and explore (miniature trains in display
cases makes you want to root out those trains in the garage
and set them up again.
We made several journeys there when our son was in his trainaholic
stage. Even at the age of two, we had a hard time pulling him away
from the museum.
If you decide to "train-it up" you can ride Amtrak from Emeryville
and San Jose (and elsewhere) to within a block of the museum.
It'll land you right smack dab in the middle of Sacramento Old Town
too!
MINUSES: Can create a HUGE whole in your heart thinking about
those cool, cool train cars with the elegant bedrooms and beyond classy dining rooms with silver and china settings for a fabulous
dinner. Where are they now? I want one .....please
NOTE: We've had a friend or two say this museum was just "okay"
at which point I start to think these folks are from a different universe!
Train fans will love this museum....regular folks may be converted!
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World class. A must see!
OK, so going here was my Dad's idea and he had more fun than anyone. I must say that I was actually impressed. I liked the fact that you could go inside the old railroad cars and see what they were like. The US mailcar was interesting and there was a volunteer inside to explain things to us.
The history was fasinating. I thought this place was going to be boring and I was wrong.
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My child could not POSSIBLY love this place more!! I almost dread taking him there, because it's SO hard to get him to leave! But, we have a great time every time we go. You can take the Amtrak from Oakland and literally walk to Old town Sac, which is RIGHT where the Railroad Museum is. It is a fun day for parents and kids. There are TONS of HUGE trains, tons of models, 2 different Thomas set ups, and a gift shop. Plus Old Town Sac itself! You can't beat a day like that. If your wife or daughter's not interested in any of that, there is also a HUGE mall within walking distance. A great day for everybody no matter how you plan it!
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Choo choo! I don't know much about railroad museums, but this gets 5 stars. Situated next to the vast Sacramento Locomotive Workshop, and Amtrak, this is railroad central.
The museum has several historical locos, wagons and a large toy train set. The sleeper carriage from Canada shakes while you're on it, to simulate motion while the guide explains about travel the good old fashioned way. We had to split up so we could cover as much ground as possible in the time we had.
Go to this museum, it was fantastic.
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Extremely cool. Lots of history and lots of really huge engines and carriages in this place. They've done it up quite nicely.
They also offer tours every hour or so, which gives a good introduction.
The carriages are done up quite well, and they have put up a lot of sign age that helps understand stuff better. They also have a few old folks, dressed up in uniform, at various locations, that explain the specialty of the engine, or the carriage, or the place where they are located
The top floor is a delight for train toy collectors!
Go if you are kid, or have one inside you!
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I know there are tons of train museums... but this w as the first one that I went too when I was a wee-little-thing. Trains trains!!! history on trains, trains you can walk through, small trains, big trains... all kinda trains!
Something to do in sac... Sac is kinda one of those places where it's good for a weekend trip.. .. and this is a place to hit up for the dosage of educational.
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Visiting Sac for a day and we were debating whether to check this out and we were glad we did! We expected to be bored from reading about the history and seeing old photos, but lo and behold there are actually life-size trains and you can walk through most of the exhibits and more!
So much fun, so informative, and very historical! Seeing all these old trains is one of the coolest experiences I've ever had, and the museum staff seemed genuinely excited when my boyfriend and I asked them questions about the old locomotives and the historical period surrounding when the locomotives were built. This is a very, very cool museum experience and it's definitely place where adults can have fun as well as kids.
We didn't actually go into the museum but we did take a ride on the steam train. Only $8 for a 40 minute ride. We couldn't pass it up! The tracks are right along the Sac River so it was a nice, scenic (but bumpy) ride. Next time, we'll bring the kids =)
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First of all, I am not all that interested in railroads, but I seem to be the hour and a half I spend in here. This place has an awesome layout with cars and engines from many different eras that you can actually go onto. Some of the old dining cars have authentic decor and china from the era you are visiting on that particular car. I loved this place as a kid and it has only gotten better. I still feel like a kid when I go here.
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This museum is inexpensive ($8 for an adult) and very cool. The sleeper and dining cars were my favorite, although we did go on a day during spring break and someone's rowdy children were disturbing me. But, that is not the museum's fault, but the parent's fault, and I thought the museum was very nice and very interesting. As Craig W. said, it is very, very well done.
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WOW! Great family activity, What an unexpected delight! We enjoyed a few hours out of the Sacramento heat, exploring the great history of the railroad beginings. My toddler even sat long enough to watch the short documentary as well as follow along as the docent told of great tradegy and persistance. My husband and I were in awe to learn so much history about Sacramento and walked through so many cars displaying their original features.
Last wekeend we went back for the Spooky Train ride accross the way in Old Sacramento and our little one had a blast! She finally got the full train experience with her first train ride in the open air car!
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I visited this museum for the second time a few weeks ago. If you like trains, especially steam trains, and railroad history you shouldn't miss this place. The engines and rolling stock are in excellent condition, and they have docents who can help you re-experience (if you're old enough) some of what it was like to travel by train in the days of steam. There are deisel engines, too, but the main attraction for me was the steam locomotives. Definitely worth the admission, even the trip to Sacramento if you don't live too far.
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A fantabulous place to take the kids, especially toddlers enamored of "Thomas the Train". On a rainy day like today (read: no chance to go to the park), it was the perfect spot to let my 2 y.o. let off some steam and run around. He loves the huge train displays, especially the locomotives. I love that there are lots of kindly train volunteers who love kids and always make my wee ones feel special with warm hellos. Best of all, there's a fantastic Thomas the Train interactive train play area upstairs where my son would while away all the hours of the day if he could. The gift shop is very dangerous... especially with a train buff in tow - he literally wanted everything he set his eyes on. Lots of fun!
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Sweet museum. Especially nice to check out when it is so blistering hot outside. I totally dig the old menus of what food you could get served in the dining car back in the day. People really lived a lot different back then!
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I was kidnapped by my two bro's army of kids here. The visit wasn't that bad for me, yet alittle interesting. At least my nephews had fun i guess.
Conveniently located in Old Town Sacramento, this museum will appeal to train enthusiasts of all ages. There are presentations, interpretive exhibits and reconstructed railroad cars. My younger children were fascinated walking in the many life-size cars on display and playing with the miniature toy train collections upstairs.
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