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What to Expect

Sensory bags (with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and more) are available at both the Museum front desk and the Passenger Station ticketing office. You’ll also find sensory signage throughout our spaces, identifying headphone zones and quiet areas for sensory breaks

Visiting with kids? Or a big kid at heart?

You are in luck! The California State Railroad Museum is a great place for visitors of all ages.

Throughout the Museum we have stations where visitors are prompted to share their thoughts or ideas on paper or a sticky note. We encourage all responses, from scribbles from a 2-year-old to thoughtful designs from a 102-year-old, and everyone in between!

Going inside some of the railcars can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We encourage you to go through as many cars as you can, and talk to the docents for their insight and stories. The Cab Forward locomotive and Railway Post Office car have opportunities to get hands-on with history!

The small mezzanine second floor has opportunities to build and design with a rigamajig, chalkboard, and keva blocks.

The third floor houses our small trains and visitors can engage with a full-size toy train layout and explore the world of model trains. Make sure to look for any hidden figures and seasonal displays in the small model layout! Our Jr. Engineer Zone is also located on the third floor. This play area is perfect for the toddlers and preschoolers. But please, this area is for children 5 and younger only.

Activity Center

Activity Center

Looking for more ways to learn with the Museum, whether at home or during a visit? Check out our Jr. Ranger guides, STEM activity sheets, and more!

Accessibility

One of the core values at California State Parks is cultural diversity and accessibility. Read more about accessibility in State Parks.

Visiting the Museum

The California State Railroad Museum stives to be accessible to all visitors. Wherever possible, access to exhibits are facilitated by wheelchair lifts with the assistance of our friendly staff. This include the Refrigerated Car, Railway Post Office Car, and the viewing platform for The Gold Coast. Certain exhibits and programs have limited accessibility, due to factors such as narrow, historic stairways and door openings on railroad passenger cars. These include the St. Hyacinth sleeper car, Cochiti dining car, and Cab Forward locomotive.

For accessibility questions regarding your Museum visit, please contact our Group Desk at [email protected] or (916) 323-9274, or talk to our Visitor Services department at the front desk.

Riding an Excursion Train Ride

For excursion train rides, our Central Pacific Passenger Station is also wheelchair accessible. Due to the historic nature of the coaches, all passengers must be able to climb a narrow set of stairs to board the coaches. Due to limited aisle widths, wheelchairs, mobility devices, and strollers are not permitted on the coaches. Temporary storage for devices is provided at the passenger station.

For any questions regarding accessibility on the trains, please call the Membership office at [email protected] or (916) 445-5995, or talk to the Membership counter at the Museum or Passenger Station.

Sensory Inclusion

The Museum has achieved sensory-inclusive certification from KultureCity® as part of our ongoing efforts to be a more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment for visitors. Many staff and volunteers at the California State Railroad Museum and California State Railroad Museum Foundation have been trained on how to recognize those visitors with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation.

Sensory bags (with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and more) are available at both the Museum front desk and the Passenger Station ticketing office. You’ll also find sensory signage throughout our spaces, identifying headphone zones and quiet areas for sensory breaks.

Social Narratives

To help prepare for your visit to the California State Railroad Museum and our Excursion Train Rides, individuals or families can view our social narratives. You can download the PDF or view our entries on the KultureCity app.

Download Museum PDF
Download Train Ride PDF
View Museum on KultureCity
View Train Rides on KultureCity

Weekly Programs

These programs are free with admission to the Museum! While we strive to make sure these happen every week, there may be times where a program needs to be cancelled. Please call the Museum on the same day as your visit to confirm.

All Aboard for Story Time - Mondays at 11am

Join us every Monday for a story time that is geared towards toddlers and preschoolers. Enjoy a railroad-themed story followed by a related activity. All are welcome!

Live Toy Train Repairs - Fridays between 10am-12pm

Stop by the 3rd floor's toy train layout to learn how our staff and volunteers maintain the toy trains. Ask questions and see the repairs in action!

Huntington Hopkins Hardware Store - Fridays between 10am-1pm

Just outside the Museum is our replica hardware store where you can learn about woodworking and other historic tools. This space is hands-on and does not require admission to the Museum!

Activity Pop-Ups - variable schedule

At a few places throughout the Museum there are activities led by staff or volunteers that our visitors can be a part of. Come back and see if you can try them all!