Orange Empire Railway Museum

The Orange Empire Railway Museum is an outdoor collection of rail vehicles in Southern California. The grounds display streetcars, steam locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars gathered over many decades.

The museum started in 1956 as a collection in Los Angeles and moved to Perris a few years later. A major merger with another railroad museum in 2019 made it one of the most complete collections.

The place tells the story of rail travel through vehicles visitors can touch and experience firsthand. You can sit inside original streetcars and trains to understand how people moved around in earlier times.

The museum sits on a large property that you can explore on foot, with plenty of parking for visitors. Many vehicles are walkable inside, and there are both free areas and paid rides on operating trains.

The museum holds the world's largest collection of Pacific Electric Railway vehicles, many of which were rescued from being scrapped in the 1960s. This rescue effort made the difference between loss and preservation for many important historical vehicles.

Location: Perris

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00-17:00

GPS coordinates: 33.76220,-117.23246

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:00