Railroad Museum Changes and Schedule of Events for 2013

As the spectacular year of 2012 comes to a close and we prepare for an even busier 2013 the Board of Directors have made some changes that I would like to pass on to all of our valued friends, guests and volunteers.

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District and Railroad Museum will be closed from December 22^nd through January 8^th to all personnel.  After the busy and hectic year we had we thought our volunteers and staff could use some well-deserved down time from the railroad museum operations and enjoy the holidays with family and friends as they should be. Thank you to all of our volunteers and staff, our success this year could only have happen because of you. Your dedication, hard work and playfulness with our visitors gives them the fun, educational family experience that keeps them coming back for repeat visits. You are all outstanding people and we are so lucky to be working with you all.

Changes for 2013

A Time to Build New Exhibits – The Railroad Museum complex will be closed to the public from December 22, 2012 through February 28, 2013. The museum will be open to volunteers and staff from January 9, 2013 through February 28, 2013. This time will be used so that we can build new exhibits, work on old exhibits and catch up on maintenance and housekeeping. Parking for volunteers and staff will be allowed in-side the Historic District fence during this time frame.

Hours of Operation – We will maintain our 6 day work week that we started this year, however we are changing the day we are closed. To put us in line with the other museums and tourist attractions in town we are changing our closed date from Tuesday to Monday.

Beginning March 1^st                                                                        

Monday – CLOSED

Tuesday – Saturday – 10 am - 4 pm

Sunday – Noon – 4 pm

Major Holidays - CLOSED

Admission Rates

Adults -$5

Seniors - $4

Students (6-18) - $3

Kids 5 and younger - Free

Family Package (2 Adults and 3 or more childern) $20.00

New for 2013: Each admission ticket will include a free motor car ride ticket. (Additional motor car rides can be purchased for only $2 each)

Please contact us for special rates on tour groups, birthday parties and special events (weddings, family reunions, business meetings, etc..)

2013 Schedule of Events

• Founders Day – Saturday, March 2^nd (Spring Time Reopening)
• Easter at the Roundhouse – Saturday, March 23^rd (1^st Annual Easter Event) – This event has been scheduled due to numerous visitor inquiries and requests.
• National Train Day (Sioux City Historic Preservation Week) – Saturday, May 11^th 
• Ironhorse Day – Saturday, June 8^th  (moved from October and combined with Trains, Tripods and Snapshots Day)
• Ag/Rail Heritage Festival – Saturday and Sunday, August 17^th  and 18^th 
• Rock-n-Rail Music Festival – Saturday, September 14^th 
• Smithsonian Day- Saturday, September 21st 
• Halloween at the Roundhouse – Saturday, October 26^th 
• National Model Railroad Month Event – Saturday, November 16^th 
• Santa’s Whistle Stop Tour – Saturdays – December 7^th, 14^th, and 21^st

 Web site updates will be occurring in January with new information and updated photos of events. Please return to this Blog or check us out on Facebook and You Tube for the latest updates and information.  

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your time. We have really enjoyed meeting each and everyone of you this past year. We wish and your family's the best for the new year and hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

SANTA’S WHISTLE STOP TOUR 2012 - FINALE - SATURDAY, DEC 15TH

Have you heard all the noise coming out of the north Riverside part of Sioux City the past two Saturdays? It’s all the excited children yelling and screaming as Santa arrives on our caboose. Santa has been so thrilled at the 1,600 people he has been able to visit with over the last two Saturdays that he has told us how excited he is to come back for one last visit this Saturday, Dec 15^th at 1:15 PM.

All of our visitors have been very happy with the way we have the old rail yard and all the buildings decorated. We take great pride in offering a true family experience and our volunteers are honestly excited and happy to meet and greet each and every one that comes out. If  you have been to the event you know what I say is true, if you haven’t been out …. You’re really missing out on a wonderful time.  Santa’s is only here from 1:15 until 3:30 so make your plans and bring your family and friends. Be sure to arrive early so you can welcome Santa and the Polar Express Conductor when they arrive.

There are lot's of other activities going on at eh Railroad Museum also so take your time and take a look around and see everything that we have to offer. Admission is FREE!

Also, don't forget about our Bake Sale of holiday goodies. Home cooked with lots of TLC and very fresh. If you have an office function or a church/family get together coming up ..... let us do the baking for you. Not to mention, 100% of the sales for these items will go directly to our bathroom fund raising campaign.

For more detail about this event and other future events please visit our website at www.milwaukeerailroadshops.org for directions and other information and our Blog site at http://www.gn1355.blogspot.com  for the latest in up-to-date information. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Milwaukee-Railroad-Shops-Sioux-City/341261424245 to see pictures and comments from our volunteers and friends or on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/SHRA1355 for some interesting video of the railroad museum complex.

Happy Holidays to All!

Santa’s Whistle Stop Tour – UPDATE!

Santa’s first of three visits to the Railroad Museum is just a couple days away and the volunteers and staff have been busy little elves getting everything set-up for his arrival. He and his special guest will spend a couple hours at our location visiting with anyone that would like to see him during the next three Saturdays on Dec 1^st, 8^th and 15^th. Admission to the museum complex will be FREE on these days.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Santa and his special guest the Conductor from the North Poles most famous train the Polar Express will arrive via caboose at 1:15 PM each day. 
•  He will meet with all of our visitors in the Machine/Blacksmiths Shop building located just south of the roundhouse. 
•  Pictures can be taken with your youngster and Santa or purchased for $5.00. ** 
•  Kids’ games and activities will be held in the back room of the Civil Engineering Exhibit Hall which also houses the famous 75’ x 18’ HO scale Nebraska Central Model Railroad. Children are asked to bring a donation of a nonperishable food item or paper product such as paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. to participate in these activities. ** 
• Complementary refreshments will be available in the Preservation Gallery located next to the gift shop in Bay 1 of the roundhouse. 
• Also located in the same room will be seasonal decorated baked goods for sale that are made by our volunteers. Individual items and some packaged assortments will be available making it a great treat or gift for someone. 100% of all the money raised through these sales will go directly to our fundraising campaign to install modern bathroom facilities on the museum grounds. 
•  Railroad and Charles Dickens characters will be on hand to interact with the guests and sing Christmas songs. 
•  The Polar Express Conductor will conduct special readings of the book the Polar Express at 1:30 and 2:30. 
•  Motor Car rides will also be available for only $1.00 each. This is a special 50% discount from normal pricing just for this event. 
•  Hay rack rides will also be available for your families’ enjoyment. A suggested $1.00 donation on boarding is requested.
•  Santa and the Conductor will depart via caboose at approximately 3:30 PM.

** Funds from the $5 picture sales and donated items used to participate in the children's activities will go toward the Kristen Polley Scholarship program and Hurricane Sandy relief.

Make your plans and come on down to The Railroad Museum located at 3400 Sioux River Road, Sioux City, Iowa. We can’t wait to see you!

ALL ABOARD! Santa's Whistle Stop Tour is coming to the Roundhouse.

Funds from the $5 picture sales and donated items used to participate in the children's activities will go toward the Kristen Polley Scholarship program and Hurricane Sandy relief.

We will also be sponsoring a bake sale during each of the event days. 100% of the bake sale funds will go directly toward our bathroom fundraising program currently in-progress. So, if you were thinking of baking some goodies to take to work, friends, relatives or church why don't you take a break and let us do the cooking and baking for you.

Save the date(s) and make your plans. Dress warm and have a good old fashioned family Christmas outing. We can't wait to see you!

Halloween at the Roundhouse 2012 is a Record Breaker!

Holy cow Batman! Did you see all those people at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District on Saturday? We had a spectacular turnout and would like to thank each and everyone of our visitors for coming out and enjoying a fun family "play day" with us.

Last years record crowd of 5,100 was crushed this year by over 1,100 new visitors. That's right, the 2012 official count for this wonderful 4 hour event came in at 6,266! We had so much fun entertaining our quests this year it was absolutely fantastic.

We would like to send out a very special and heart felt THANK YOU to all our excellent volunteers. We had 56 member/volunteers working this event. Some came from as far away as Dilworth, MN and Manhattan, KS to help out. You know, we (Sioux City) really must have something special when folks are willing and happy to drive 5-6 hours to VOLUNTEER for one of our events.

Also, we had an additional group of 10 amazing young men and women travel from Vinton, Iowa as part of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to volunteer with us as part of National Make a Difference Day. We truly appreciate their community service and we really would have been hard pressed to pull off this record setting event without them. This special crew of young adults came together from California, Nevada, New York, Indiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois and I apologize for not remembering the other states. They blended in with our volunteers, fought off the chilly weather and provided us with excellent customer interaction and much needed assistance. What a fantastic program this is and we appreciated your help very much.

And finally a big HUGE THANK YOU to our awesome corporate sponsors for this event. Knife Rive Inc, L & L Builders, Palmer Candies, Wal-Mart, Target, and Perkins Restaurant’s. These wonderful corporate sponsors made it possible to allow for the FREE admission, FREE motor car rides, FREE Trick-or-Treat Bags and all the candy, prizes and other special goodies that were handed out to all of the kids of all ages that came out to enjoy our event.

If you had fun at this event and would like to become part of our volunteer family we would love to have you. All you need to do is stop out to the roundhouse and fill out a short Volunteer Application and we will contact you. It's that easy. Bring your kids with you and teach them the importance of giving back to the community. For many of our volunteers this is not just a personal choice but a family experience. So please have your family join ours and together WE can help raise the quality of life in Sioux City and Siouxland and make this a tourist destination must see attraction that will benifit us all as a community.

Thank you all once again and don't forget to check out our other big events the rest of the year or just stop out for a more leisurely stroll through the museum complex and learn more about Siouxlands rich railroading past and future.

Halloween at the Roundhouse 2012 – Schedule of Events

Children are invited to come dressed in costume, particularly in railroad-themed or hobo-themed costumes, and receive Halloween treats while learning about the region’s railroad heritage.  However, because this is a former railroad yard, appropriate shoes and costume lengths for long periods of walking are encouraged; and no masks will be allowed.

When:  Saturday, October 27th

Museum Hours:  10 AM – 4 PM

Event Hours:  Noon – 4 PM

Admission:  FREE!

Noon-12:30    Box Car Hobos   (In the C&NW Boxcar)

                       Ghost Stories in the Boxcar (In the C&NW Boxcar)

                       Witches in the Woods Casting Spells (between Coal Tower foundation & Sand House)

12:30 – 1:00   Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Conductor arrive on Millie the diesel engine

                       Turntable Demonstration

                       (Main Entrance and Roundhouse Turntable)

                               

1:00 –  1:30    Witches in the Woods/Pumpkin Caroling

(between Coal Tower foundation & Sand house)

1:30 - ????      Soda Ring Toss/ Fishing Games (South end of Machine/Blacksmith Shop)

                        Note: while prize supplies last

2:30 – 3:00     Screaming Contest  (Semi-trailer stage near Car Shops)

3:30 – 4:00     Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Conductor depart on Millie the diesel engine

                       Turntable Demonstration

                       (Main Entrance and Roundhouse Turntable)

Noon – 4:00   Scavenger Hunt

                       Pumpkin Bowling (behind Bay 1 of the Roundhouse)    

                       Pumpkin and Pumpkin Sock Puppet Decorating Crafts (Car Shops)

                       Coloring Contest (Preservation Gallery, Bay 1 of Roundhouse)

                       Face Painting (Preservation Gallery, Bay 1 of Roundhouse)

                       Haunted Caboose (Bay 3 of Roundhouse)

                       Ring GN1355’s bell (Bay 4 of Roundhouse)

                       Lady Hatt’s Bake Shop & Popcorn 

                       (Tent near C&NW Boxcar and Main entrance sidewalk)

                       Food Vendors  (Bay 2 of Roundhouse & near Milwaukee Road Passenger Cars)

           Operating Model Railroads – Civil Engineering Building (HO scale) & 

                                                           Milwaukee (orange) caboose near Car Shops (O Scale)

                       Hay-rack Rides  (Behind Bay 4 of the Roundhouse)

                       Petting Zoo (south of Machine/Blacksmith Shop)

                       Pony Carousel  (south of Machine/Blacksmith Shop)

                       Motor Car Rides  (Behind the C&NW caboose near the Main Entrance Sidewalk)

    FREE!! – Thanks to a wonderful sponsorship by Knife River Inc.  

Trick or Treat (candy distribution) Areas

                                                GN1355 Cab                                        Gift Shop

                                                HO Scale Model Railroad              Haunted Caboose

                                                Milwaukee Caboose                      Hobo Boxcar

                                                Preservation Gallery (Coloring Contest area)

                                                Guest Services                                  Admissions Gate

We wish to give a special thank you to all of this year’s corporate sponsors that have stepped up to help make this a GREAT FAMILY EVENT that EVERYBODY can enjoy.

Knife River Inc. - L & L Builders – Palmer Candies – Wal-Mart – Target – Perkins Restaurant’s

Railroad Museum Volunteers

Are you ready to have some great FAMILY fun? We can’t wait to see you!

It’s almost here! Halloween at the Roundhouse – Saturday Oct 27th – Noon to 4 PM

Our favorite event of the year is almost here! Pass the word and let everybody know. Halloween at the Roundhouse on Saturday October 27^th from Noon to 4 PM. Last year this fun-filled event drew over 5,100 people! You don’t want to get left out of this one make sure you mark your calendars and schedule it in your cellphone day planners. 

One important change to note is that in the past events we have partnered with area pumpkin growers and some of our volunteers have grown lots of pumpkins for us to give away to all the kids. This year however, due to the harsh summer growing season the local pumpkin crops did not survive well and we will not be able to supply pumpkins to the kids as we have in the past. We have created some new fun kids games to try to fill that void so there will still be fun to be had by all.

Also, we have a new parking overflow plan to allow for more parking for the tremendous turnout we have been getting for this event. Last year some folks couldn’t participate due to a lack of parking, this year we hope to eliminate that problem so everybody can enjoy the fun.

Here is list of what you can expect this year:

Admission: FREE! - Motor Car Rides: FREE! - Scream Contest - Rotten Pair Throwing Contest -     Pumpkin Sock Puppet Decorating - Fishing Game - Ring Toss Game - Prizes to be Won -       Coloring Contest - Pumpkin Bowling - Face Painting - Hayrack Rides - Petting Zoo -
Food Vendors - Pony Rides - Scavenger Hunt - Haunted Caboose - Trick or Treating for the Kids

Operating O & HO scale Model Railroads - Hobo Ghost Stories in the Box Car -

Witches Encampment - Turntable Demonstrations  -  and more …………

Our full cast of rail yard characters will be on hand to interact and play with the visitors to include hobos’, witches, engineers, ghouls and goblins. Also, a few VIP’s are scheduled to attend the event. These very important people are the Conductor from the North Poles most famous train the Polar Express and from the Island of Sodor, Thomas the Tank Engines bosses, Mr. Conductor and Sir Topham Hatt.  

We are also very honored this year to have Sir Topham Hatt’s wife, Mrs. Jane “Lady” Hatt, attend this year’s event. She and the other Ladies of Sodor have heard of our plight and struggle to raise funds to install proper bathrooms at the railroad museum. She and her friends have decided that the ladies of the roundhouse and their guests need proper restrooms and to that end will be hosting a bake sale. LADY HATT’S BAKED GOODS will be selling all sorts of yummy goodies with 100% of all the sales and donations going toward the matching funds needed to access grant money already awarded to complete the restroom project.

Come early and stay for the whole event you’ll be glad you did and your kids will be too. This is the best family event of the year in the tri-state area. Come on down. We’re making tracks to the future. We can’t wait to meet you.