Arkansas Railroad Museum, Railroad museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States

The Arkansas Railroad Museum occupies the former St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) shops on Port Road in Pine Bluff, the road's main heavy repair and erection shop in the steam era. The building holds pits, massive overhead cranes and tools for servicing large locomotives, with most of the collection housed inside. An operable transfer table on the east side moves exhibits between tracks.

The museum began in the 1980s when local enthusiasts started restoring a steam locomotive that was built in the 1940s. This restoration project formed the foundation for the museum as it exists today with its growing collection.

The exhibits show how railroads shaped life in this region and how workers and their families experienced this era. You can see personal items, photographs, and objects that tell the everyday story of people connected to the rail industry.

The best way to explore is to move at a comfortable pace from one display to the next, taking time to examine details. Check at the entrance for current visiting times and whether guided tours are available on your day of visit.

The facility has a working rail transfer system that moves exhibits between different tracks across the grounds. This operating machinery is a functional piece of railway history that visitors can see in action.