Green Bay's National Railroad Museum

For train enthusiasts from all over the world, the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay is worth the visit. A wonderful collection of vintage rolling stock including the Dwight D. Eisenhower car, the Aerotrain, and a variety of passenger and freight cars are all on display here.

Many of the trains including sleeper cars, dining cars, mail cars, and multiple engines can be walked through while on your self-guided tour here.  Visitors seemingly are taken back through time while covering the expansive collection.  Many of the cars are under roof so this museum is a good option even on rainy days.

Tickets are cheap --- about $9.00 for adults or $10.00 if you want to actually go for a ride on the train.

The museum is open year round, but hours are limited to 5pm in winter months.  It is almost never crowded here unless as special event is occurring.  I spent about 3 hours here the last time and I breezed through the indoor exhibits.  Walking is easy, but wheelchairs would have more of a challenge as visitors access the outdoor exhibit by walking on grass and gravel to approach the trains and the interior of trains are virtually inaccessible to those unable to walk.

Visiting the museum is self-guided only. I did not see an option for a guided tour or for wearing headphones.

In 2012 the Dwight D. Eisenhower engine was transported to England on loan for a two year stay and restoration project of this huge locomotive valued around $5,000,000 before the preservation work began. The Eisenhower was displayed along with the four other remaining engines in existence to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the steam engine history in England.  It is the only one of it's kind in the United States.

USA Today reports that the Green Bay Museum was sent a check for $1,000,000 by an donor in England in an effort to keep the train in Europe.  The offer was refused by the curator so the engine will return to Green Bay in Summer of 2014 and remain there. 

The Aerotrain is one more rare exhibit. Only two trains exist. They were put into service in 1955 and finished by 1966. They were the industry's attempt to revitalize passenger interest in train travel when competing against the automobile. Designed by GM, it even looked like the cars of that time period. Built lighter and aerodynamic, the trains produced a rough ride at it's top speed of 100 mph, so passengers just weren't interested in long travel with it.  Green Bay's train was only one of 2 built of this prototype, QUITE rare! The other is in St. Louis.

Also most certainly worth seeing is the largest collection of engine drumheads on display.  A former executive from Detroit who collected the drumheads over his lifetime gifted them to the museum. At the time he chose Green Bay as the benefactor, the Smithsonian in Washington DC was lobbying to buy the collection.  We are fortunate that they ended up here.