Barretts Tunnels

Barretts Tunnels are two parallel rail passages carved through limestone ridges in St. Louis County using explosives and hand tools. The eastern tunnel now sits empty, while the western one stores historic railroad equipment for a local museum.

Completed in 1853 under James Kirkwood's supervision, these were the first railroad tunnels built west of the Mississippi River. They opened a new chapter in American rail expansion and westward growth.

These passages show how rail transport transformed American commerce and settlement during the 1800s. Walking through or viewing them helps visitors understand the scale of effort needed to push railroad lines westward.

You can view the tunnels from outside and walk around the limestone formations that frame them. Visiting during daylight gives you the best sense of how the passages were cut through the natural rock face.

Construction faced serious obstacles from cholera outbreaks and worker unrest that slowed progress significantly. The limestone excavated from the tunnels was recycled and used to build and surface nearby roads.