IT’S OPENING WEEKEND!

I know with the single digit high temperatures and all the snow that is expected this weekend it’s a pretty tough sell to think that spring will ever arrive this year. However, I can guarantee that it will eventually show up and that’s because The Railroad Museum, Sioux City is re-opening its doors for the 2014 season starting this Saturday, March 1st.

Also in town this weekend at Emma’s Event Center is the Sioux City Model Railroad Show supporting the Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club. We will have two tables set-up at the train show with information about our 31 acre museum complex and we will also have many of our gift shop items available for sale.

This year we are also introducing a new annual membership program which many of you may be interested in. A single membership is $25 and a family membership which includes 2 adults and 2 children is $50. The membership includes a business card sized membership card, free admission to the museum for one year, 10% discount in our gift shop, and receipt of our newly developed quarterly newsletter. These memberships can be purchased at the Train Show this weekend or by stopping by the Railroad Museum anytime we are open.

As a special Grand Opening Weekend gift to our wonderful visitors we are cancelling our admission rates for this weekend March 1^st and 2^nd and are opening our doors for a free will donation only. Come on out and visit Old Ironhorse our 1909 built Great Northern 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive. After visiting the Train Show stop out and see our 75’ x 16’ HO scale Nebraska Central operating model railroad. Pick up a schedule of our upcoming events for the year and start to mark your calendars and plan your family outings for the year. We have a lot of exciting plans for this year and are very excited to kick off this new season.

Our hours of operation for the year are:
Tuesday – Saturday:  10:00AM– 4:00PM
Sunday:  Noon – 4:00PM
Mondays and Major Holidays:  Closed

For more information please visit our web site: www.milwaukeerailroadshops.org

You can also find user friendly links on our home page to visit our other social media locations on Facebook, You Tube and Twitter.

The Railroad Museum, Sioux City will participate in upcoming Model Train Shows

For those of you interested in model railroading or seeing operating model trains of all sizes. The Railroad Museum, Sioux City will be participating in two upcoming train shows.

Great Train Expo - Saturday & Sunday, February 8^th & 9^th from 10 AM to 4 PM each day at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, IA.  For more information click on the link below:
http://www.greattrainexpo.com/shows/2014CouncilBluffs.html

Sioux City Train Show - Saturday & Sunday, March 1^st from 9 AM to 4 PM and March 2^nd from 10 AM to 4 PM at Emma’s Event Center in Sioux City, IA.  For more information click on the link below:

http://www.modeltrainshows.com/2009/03/iowa-train-shows.html

If you attend one of these shows please be sure to stop by and say hello. We love visiting with our wonderful friends. We will have two tables set up at each train show location. We will be showing a slideshow about the rail yard & museum complex and a video of our 75’ X 16’ HO scale Nebraska Central Railroad. We will be available to answer questions about the museum, our upcoming projects or just plain talking trains. We will also have some of our gift shop merchandise available for you to get that special someone in your family and our new Annual Membership Packages will be available to purchase before we open for the 2014 season on March 1^st.

 Thank you for all of your support and we can’t wait to see you!

The Railroad Musuem Annouces it's 2014 Events Schedule

Here it is. The 2014 Event Schedule for The Railroad Museum, Sioux City. Save the dates and pass on the schedule to all of your family and friends. This is going to be a very exciting year and we can not wait to get started and meet everyone after the long winter. We are currently closed for the winter but, will re-open for the year coming up on Saturday, March 1st! National Train Day   May 10th Saturday 10am - 4pm Admission $6.00 Come celebrate Sioux City Historic Preservation week and America’s Railroads with us. The long winter is over and spring has arrived it’s time to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. What can you expect? Steam locomotive GN1355 will be on outside display on the turntable for your picture taking enjoyment. Classic cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display. Costumed rail yard characters will be on hand to interact with and special photo ops set up throughout the 31 acre complex for you shutterbugs to find that unique and special one of a kind picture for you or your family. Also, live rock-n-roll will fill the air from some of the region’s best and award winning bands. This is the perfect day to get all of the family together for some fun, food, and music and maybe even learn a thing or two about Sioux Cities strong and proud railroad past, present and future.

Ag Rail Heritage Festival August 16th10am - 4pm August 17th Noon - 4pm Saturday & SundayAdmission $6.00 Summer is almost over and school is starting up. This is the last best chance to do something as a family unit before the school madness and separations start for the school, social, and recreational activities and sports begin to rule the roost. Take a step back and relax. Enjoy the family and learn about our past, present and future. Come play and interact with our rail yard characters, take a relaxing motor car ride, checkout some crafts, and dance to the live country bands that will be filling air with some great music.

Halloween at the Roundhouse October 18th & 25th Saturdays 10am - 4pm Freewill Donation This has become the communities must attend and best family event of the year. Last year we had over 7,100 visitors in our 4 hour event. Because of the huge success of this event, this year we are expanding the event to two Saturdays and 6 hours of fun each day. Come in costume or not but come to have fun. Trick or treating, motor car rides, scavenger hunt, apple/pumpkin slingshots, screaming contest, coloring contest, haunted diner car, Hobo ghosts, witches, goblins, ghouls and more!   - Zombie Prom - Saturday evening October 25th - 6:30 pm – 10 pm Introducing a brand new twist for our Halloween event; a twilight event that will be sure to please. What’s not spooky about an old rail yard at twilight, lots of trees, and zombies staggering around in mass? Take a ride into the wild forest on the haunted motor car. Oh yes this is a Prom so there has to be music and dancing. If you are embarrassed about your dance skills let me remind you that everyone there will be a zombie…. How well can a dead person dance anyway? We don’t care! Stagger about the grounds, moan to the beat of the music, and stare at everybody having a blast. This may be the first time you actually get to see a zombie smile….beware!

Santa's Whistle Stop Tour Dec. 6th, 13th & 20th Saturdays Noon - 4pm Freewill Donation Come see Santa at the roundhouse! Santa will arrive via caboose at 1:15 and leave at 3:45. Trains and Christmas are a natural holiday coupling. Bring out the kids to see and talk to Santa and get your pictures taken. Santa will bring a special guest with him also. The Conductor from the North Poles world famous train The Polar Express will also arrive with Santa and will do special story book readings of the Polar Express. Dress warm and take a nice winter time motor car ride, it's our version of a Christmas time horse and sleigh ride. Bundle up and get into a big family cuddle as this is the winter time family event you've been waiting for!