Galesburg Railroad Museum

The Galesburg Railroad Museum is a collection of railroad artifacts housed in the city's former station building. It displays a CB&Q 4-6-4 locomotive, a Pullman passenger car, and a Railway Express mail and baggage car that reveal how trains operated daily.

This institution was founded in 1982 to preserve the railway heritage of Western Illinois. Photographs, documents, and equipment donated by railroad workers form the foundation of this collection.

Railroad construction shaped how Galesburg grew and remains central to understanding the city today. Visitors can see through exhibits how rail transport changed daily life and the local economy.

The museum sits next to the Amtrak depot and is easy to reach on foot from downtown. Plan to spend a couple of hours walking through all the exhibits and examining the vehicles up close.

The RPO car on display is a rare look at how mail was sorted and processed while trains moved. Walking inside this car lets you see the small workspace where postal workers handled correspondence during runs across the country.

Location: Illinois

Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access

Phone: +13093429400

Website: http://galesburgrailroadmuseum.org

GPS coordinates: 40.94490,-90.36370

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:44