The IRM is a fantastic place. The Thomas The Train is a wonderful time of course, but you MUST visit and see all the amazing Steam, Diesel and Electric Streetcars on display, being restored and running. When you ride an electric streetcar, you have to wonder why they are not still used! With the same (or greater) capacity as a modern bus and with no vehicle emissions, they are just great. The Illinois Railway Museum is a Must See.
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What our visitors are saying about their experience
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So much fun for our little boys! They love riding the trains and they have so many old restored trains. Some of their restoration jobs are fantastic and really capture the feel of the height of rail travel. I don’t know of any other place quite like this. It’s a great educational experience even if you don’t love trains.
Andrew Ryan -
The largest railway museum in the USA – and they run demonstrations of many working trains. The trains vary from 1800s steam engines to the recently retired CTA Red Line trains. They have old Pullman cars which are nicely displayed.
Lenore Ettinger -
In The News
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14 Jan
IRM Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Read moreThe Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2023 with a number of special and expanded events throughout the year. Many of
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10 Nov
IRM Acquires SD50
Read moreThe Illinois Railway Museum, the largest museum of its kind in North America, continues to set the pace in diesel locomotive preservation by acquiring a
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30 Dec
Matching Donation for Diesel Preservation Offered
Read moreWe are excited to announce that a matching donation opportunity has been offered to the Illinois Railway Museum. This offer goes toward raising money for
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