railswest railroad museum & ho model display

This museum has a large model scale railroad that is wonderful. There is a train car set up as a passenger car that kids love to sit in.There exhibits of train memorebilia.

This has some great old trains and engines that you can board and see how train travel really was. Lots of newspaper clippings and RR memorabilia. See Johhny Cash's letter about his visit to CB.

This small museum is not easy to find and disappointing when you get there. The railcars, on display, are run down and deteriorating and the H-O layout is mediocre. The museum area is dark and dingy. We felt that the admission price was high considering our overall experience which was uninspiring. We did not feel that this attraction was worth our time or the price paid and would not recommend you bothering with it.

Our kids loved this place. They picked it out as a place they wanted to see. They loved watching the trains come by the old station and got a birds eye view of them. They enjoyed playing on the trains and cars and ringing the bell. When you see this museum with the Squirrel Cage Jail you get discounted ticket prices.

First I would like to say the trains are not as pretty as in the cover photo. They are worn down and exposed to the elements. The ends of the cars are open so I am sure critters and rain get in. That being said, my boys liked that they could walk through the rail cars. No ropes here! They can pull the levers on the steam engines. The museum was small and smelled musty. Not sure how I feel about the reception...a sock footed young man with a puppy. Different I guess. Took maybe 45 minutes. Thought it cost more than it was worth. Kids liked it though.

Our kids love coming here. There is a neat model train setup upstairs. The trains that they can walk through are a great experience. Very cool.

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.

Any Railway Museum, specially one which features a model railroad will always get my interest and vote and I was not disappointed with this one although I did have to dodge the showers for the outdoor exhibits, but there is also interest within those as well.

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.

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!

Great to climb on, scenery is beautiful, trains well maintained, and price is excellent. nice place to pull off and explore the trains!

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.

Nice facility, but the outside exhibt is very weathered. All but the UP engine need repainted. The Omaha Club car is in sad condition and could be restored for parties, etc.

We stopped by the Union Pacific Museum too, but don't pass this by when you are in the area. This small museum lets you walk around, touch and even go through some historic trains that are on display outside.

Interesting selection of historic trains and engines.