Save-the-Date: Halloween at the Roundhouse, Saturday Oct. 26th from Noon until 4:00 PM.

 Our FREE ADMISSION event of the year is nearly here!  This is far and above the most anticipated event we have each year. Last year over 6,300 family members came out for a great afternoon of family bonding and fun. We have some new and exciting additions this year that are sure to please our visitors.

In the past two years we introduced our Haunted Caboose attraction which became an instant hit with our guests. Unfortunately this past year we restored this caboose back to its original glory (that sounds weird doesn’t it … we unfortunately did good?!?!?) so the caboose can no longer be haunted. Fret not because we have not only found a new location but we have expanded its size also. Our haunted offering can be found in the Car Shops building for more frightful chills and fun.

We have also added an apple slingshot area where you can fling 3 apples for $1.00 with our slingshots and if you hit any of the targets that we have set up then you can win a prize also.  Here is a rundown of some of the activities that will be available.

Pumpkin Carving demonstration and Auction

Haunted Car Shops

Apple Slingshot  **

Scavenger Hunt

Motor car rides **

Model Railroad Exhibit

Petting Zoo **
Pony Rides **
Pumpkin Bowling
Screaming Contest
Fishing Game
Soda Pop Ring Toss
Make your own Crafts
     Spider crafts
    Pumpkin Sock Puppets
     Skeleton Crafts

Food Vendors  **

Hay rack Rides
Trick or Treating

** additional fees apply

Late breaking news:  Two special VIPS will be dropping in to help out with the activities. Sir Topham Hatt and the Conductor are arriving from the Island of Sodar at 12:45 PM!!

For some of the games and contests there will be pumpkin prizes awarded to our winners (while supplies last). Also, our full cast of Hobo’s, witches, goblins, ghouls, and railroad characters will be on hand to interact with and play with our quests. 

Come on down to The Railroad Museum, Sioux City and join in the fun. Come in costume or not, but plan on having a great family afternoon. We can’t wait to see you!

 

The 2013 Rock ‘n’ Rail Festival announces Music Headliners

Organizers of the Rock ‘n’ Rail Festival today announced the bands for the 2013 Festival, which will be held on Saturday, September 14, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City, Iowa.

This year’s headlining bands are Premium Draft, The Kelly Quinn Band, and The Emily Johnson Band.

The 2^nd Annual Rock ‘n’ Rail Festival is family-friendly rock-oriented music event hosted on the historic grounds of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City.

The musical performances will take place in a grassy area surrounded by the historic railroad buildings and rail cars. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets, or sheets for seating; and may bring their own beverages/coolers. Local vendors will host food and beverage concessions.

While attending the music festivals, visitors will have an opportunity to tour the Railroad Museum, enjoy motor car rides, and view the public display of Sioux City’s landmark steam locomotive and other railroad equipment displays. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own digital cameras and devices for snapping photo opportunities with children and family.

Adult admission is $5 at the gate; child admission for ages 6 to 18 is $3; and young children under age 5 will be admitted free with paid adult admissions. Proceeds from the music festival will benefit the operational costs associated with developing the Railroad Museum.

For information, contact the Railroad Museum at 712-233-6996 or e-mail shra@cableone.net.

Built in 1917, the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is one of the largest remaining steam locomotive-servicing facilities in the Midwest. The 31.5-acre site consists of a roundhouse with turntable, machine/blacksmith shop building, car/carpenter shop building, sand drying house with wood sand tower, engineer’s tool shed and a water closet building. This historic site also contains eighteen other historical remnants, including foundations of the water tower, boiler house and coaling tower.

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is located adjacent to the Big Sioux River and Loess Hills National Scenic Byway in Sioux City’s north Riverside area; approximately 2 miles south of Stone State Park on State Highway 12.  

AG RAIL HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2013 - THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 17th & 18th

Come on down to The Railroad Museum, Sioux City this weekend and help us celebrate the working relationship between the railroads and the great American farmers. Lots of displays will be set up for you learn about or teach your kids about the "good ole days". Live music, awesome food, trains, tractors, kids activities, operating model railroads, live antique threshers in operation, an antique tractor pull, petting zoo, pony rides and see an actual railroad roundhouse turntable in operation! There are lots of cool things to see and do at the AG Rail Heritage Festival. See the list below for times and more information about what is going on. We can't wait to see you!

Special admission fees for this event are:

• $6 for adults
• $4 for kids 12-18 years old
• Free for kids 0-11 with the paid admission of an accompanying adult.

Kids Activities – All Day

Motorcar Rides – All Day

Tractor Parade – 11:00am

Kids Pedal Tractor Pull – 1pm

Antique Tractor Pull – 2pm

Petting Zoo – All Day

Pony Rides – All Day

Turntable Demonstrations

(Saturday 10:30am, Noon, 2pm, 4pm, 5:30pm)

(Sunday 10:30am, Noon, 2pm, 3:30pm)

Music – All Day

Food  - All Day

Beverage Garden – Opens at Noon

Model Trains – All Day

Hay Rides – All Day

Ugliest Truck Contest

Noon – 4pm (Saturday Only)

Antique  Farming Demonstrations

West Field (threshing, plowing, shelling)

Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 gets a 100th Brirthday Present - New Paint!

With the help of a $1,000.00 grant from Security National Bank in Sioux City, Iowa. Volunteers of The Railroad Museum, Sioux City have been busy over the past 5 months saving another piece of American History. Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 was built in 1913 at the Tacoma, WA shops of the Northern Pacific Railway Company. This 24 foot wood caboose needed quite a bit of love to help restore it. One entire wall was severely rotted and required the wall supports to be jacked up so the wood and structural supports could be replaced. Two bunks and a table were also reinstalled to meet the original blueprint designs. Many external pieces of wood also needed to be replaced and new windows installed throughout. Although the restoration is not 100% with the upgrades, paint and repairs the caboose is now physically sound and our visitors will be able to see another beautiful piece of America's past.

This past Saturday, August 3rd, 2013, found our volunteers and volunteers from Security National Bank working side by side repainting the caboose back to it's original colors. Many people may remember this caboose as one the yellow cabooses that used to greet people at the KD Stockyard Station shopping complex that was built in the former Swift pork packing plant in the Sioux City Stockyards. Below are some before and after pictures of the painting party held this past Saturday. If our plans hold together and the weather cooperates the caboose painting will be complete and will be on outside display for all to see and walk through during our 11th Annual Ag/Rail Heritage Festival coming up on August 17th and 18th, Saturday 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday 10 am - 4 pm.

Our wonderful financial supporter and volunteers from Security National Bank. Thank You!

Northern Pacific Caboose #1318 returns back to it's original colors. This wood caboose was built in 1913 at the Northern Pacific Shops in Tacoma, WA. Happy 100th Birthday!

Interior view of the two newly re-installed bunks and folding table with the original two tone paint freshly applied. For those that have been in this caboose recently it was dark and dingy and hard to see. We have actually used it as a haunted caboose the past two years during our Halloween event. It is now bright and cheery.

Here is a look at the cupola area of the caboose. With the new windows and fresh paint it has really brightened up the inside of the caboose. The open area under the cupola seating originally had sliding doors and was used for storage. We intend to leave this area open, enclosed with plexiglass and lighting and house artifacts and other displays in this area in the future.

This is an actual picture of caboose #1318 while still in service. As you can see it was even in pretty rough condition at the time this undated photo was taken.

Here is a clearer photo of a sister caboose # 1324 which may give you a better idea of what the finished appearance of #1318 will look like when completed.

Gilchrist Foundation grant will boost site improvements

The Railroad Museum has been selected by Security National Bank to receive a $37,000 grant award from the Gilchrist Foundation of Sioux City. The funds will be used to transform and furnish the sand drying house as an audio visual theater for speaking and lecture events, film festivals, and other multi-media presentations. Funds are also earmarked to furnish and redevelop the oil house and store house foundation areas as an outdoor amphitheater. The funding is from the Gilchrist Foundation, a family-based foundation with a mission to further the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family in the arts, wildlife, conservation, public broadcasting, medical care and disasters. Security National Bank serves as trustee for the Gilchrist Foundation.

"Cruisin to Sioux City" Car Show , Satuday July 27th from 10 AM - 4 PM

Come attend the 2nd Annual "Cruisin to Sioux City" Car Show at the Railroad

Museum this Saturday from 10 AM - 4 PM.  Come see all the classic 

automobiles, street rods, and specialty vehicles.  Check out the railroad 

exhibits, take a train ride on the motor car, and enjoy all the classic 

cars. There will be food vendors, rock-n-roll music, and lots of fun for 

the whole family. 

All cars are welcome, and dash plaques will be presented to the 

first 100 cars. 

We Need Your Help!! Please Donate.