2015 Schedule of Events - Season Opening Sat. Feb 28th

Hello everybody! This weekend is Opening Weekend for the 2015 season and oh boy howdy do we have quite the busy schedule laid out for this year. This will be the busiest and most exciting year in our history when it comes to building restoration. This year we are having new permeant bathrooms installed just to the south of the Machine/Blacksmith Shop Building. Although they won’t be operational until we get water plumbed into the complex they will be ready to use as soon as we can get the water connected. These will be nice flushable water bathrooms so our days of relying solely on Port-a-Potties are nearing an end.

We also have 4 buildings that will be undergoing restoration work this year;

- The Car Shops building: Will receive new windows, doors, floor repair, lighting, Heat and Air Conditioning (HVAC). This building will be a Railroad Marketing Display Hall as well as useable as rental space for parties, business get-togethers, or other events.

- Engineers Tool Shed – After it’s restoration and the addition of electrical power, lighting and adding HVAC this building will act as our permeant visitor entrance and Information center.

- Sand Drying House – This building will get a full blown rework of walls, roof, interior, electrical, HVAC, lighting, doors and windows. This building will be converted into a multi-media display hall where we can show slideshows and short movies of the history of the railroads in the upper Midwest and it will also be able to be used as rental space for business meetings and small weddings.

- South End Water Closet – this building will be restored and re-purposed to be used for storage.

All of the construction is slated to begin this Spring and be complete by Mid-October. We will remain open during the construction, but some areas may not be accessible during the work phases of these buildings.

 Also, a new and very exciting addition that we have to show off is our new Grand Scale Train. Designed to operate on 15” wide tracks this 3” scale train will soon be providing transportation as a people mover around the museum complex. Fundraising is currently underway to purchase 1.5 miles of track, screws, bolts, ties, brackets and ballast so we can get started with laying the track to get this train running. The train will run around inside the fenced in area of the railyard complex and there will be 3 station stops to help people get around the complex easier and have more fun. The stops will be at the main gate (Engineers Tool Shed), in-between the Machine/Blacksmith shop and the Roundhouse, and near the Sand Drying House and Railroad Civil Engineering Display Hall (model railroads). The actual train is currently on display in between Bay 2 & 3 of the roundhouse for you to see. The total consist will have an F7 replica diesel locomotive and two passenger coaches (one of which will be ADA capable to handle a couple wheel chairs) and one passenger observation coach.  Currently the engine and one coach are on hand. The other ADA coach and the observation coach will be picked up in the near future. The passenger train is painted up to look like the old Milwaukee Hiawatha trains that once serviced Sioux City.

 

New Admission Rates for 2015: 

Daily Single Person  $5  

Daily Family Pass     $10  (up to 2 Adults and their dependent children – or - 2 Grandparents and
                                             up to 4 grand kids)

Friends of the Railroad Museum Annual Pass:           Single $25           Family $50

Annual Pass Includes: Free admission for one year from date of purchase, newsletters, Friends only special event invitations, 10% discount on all gift shop items, and a copy of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Walking Tour Book. This Pass is Non-transferable.

 New for 2015 - One free motor car ride for each guest is included in the Daily Admission price. Additional motor car rides can be purchased for $1 each. Also included is one copy of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Walking Tour Book per Single Admission or Family Admission.

2015 UPCOMING EVENTS

Season Grand Opening– Sat. Feb 28^th 10am – 4 pm & Sun. Mar 1st Noon – 4 pm

 

Touch a Truck or Train Day – Sat May 9th  10 am – 4 pm – Normal Daily Admission Rates Apply

Come explore some of the coolest big vehicles in the area. We will have fire trucks, ambulances, Police vehicles, construction equipment, Military vehicles and more. Sit in the seats and blow the horns or turn on the sirens. Climb into the cab of our steam locomotive Great Northern #1355, Old Ironhorse, and pretend you are the engineer or fireman and ring the bell. Come inside our 45 ton switcher diesel locomotive and feel it running underneath your feet, then ring the bell and blow the horn. Lots of great photo opportunities so bring the camera. This is a huge hit with kids of all ages.

Ag Rail Heritage Festival – Canceled this year due to building restoration construction.

 Halloween at the Roundhouse – Sat. Oct 24^th and Sat Oct. 31^st     10 am – 4 pm.

ADMISSION: FREEWILL DONATION

This has become the communities must attend and best family event of the year. Last year we had over 12,000 visitors attend this event. 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!

Santa’s Whistle Stop Tour – Sat. Dec 5^th and Sat Dec 12^th  Noon-4pm  Santa arrives at 12:30 and departs at 3:45 – ADMISSION: FREEWILL DONATION

Come see Santa at the roundhouse! Santa will arrive via caboose at 12:30 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 perfect winter time family event you've been waiting for!

 This is going to be an exciting year, we can't wait to see you!