This Open Air Train Ride In Illinois Is A Scenic Adventure For The Whole Family

Who doesn't love a good, old-fashioned train ride? The Prairie State is home to the largest locomotive museum in the country, and anyone who has an interest in transportation, Americana, or fun family day trips is sure to love a visit to the Illinois Railway Museum. Here's what you can expect on an open-air train ride in Illinois at the Illinois Railway Museum:

The Illinois Railway Museum is close to Chicago, so it makes for an easy day trip destination for most Illinoisans.

It was founded by 10 train enthusiasts in 1953, and has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since! What started as a single car - the Indiana Railroad interurban car 65 - has become the biggest collection of train-related memorabilia and artifacts in the United States.

The museum was originally called the Illinois Electric Railway Museum and was in North Chicago. By the 1960s, it was renamed and moved to its current location in Union, along the path of the former Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company tracks.

By the late '60s, the collection was rapidly expanding. In 1968, the Illinois Railway Museum purchased and operated their first steam locomotive! In the 1980s, a one-mile loop for streetcars was built and opened.

The museum is the only one in the country that offers regular Trolleybus rides - you'll be able to take a trip on Saturdays of certain holiday weekends - Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. There's also a specific Trolleybus Day in the fall!

The inside of the train is just as old-school and unique as the exterior. Keep an eye out for the museum's special lunch and dinner train events.

Throughout the year, the museum will host special family-friendly events. An Easter Bunny train, a Polar Express train, and a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed ride are all favorites.

You'll also find that this railway museum is one of only two places that operate both electric and diesel trains, too. If you visit in the summer, you may get to experience both.

Electric trains run for the longer season, from April through October. Diesel and steam engines start in May and run through September. More information, including tickets and a full schedule, can be viewed on the Illinois Railway Museum website.

Want a look at all the fun at the Illinois Railway Museum without having to make the trip right now? The Magic Geekdom took this ten-minute video of their visit to the railroad and museum back in 2021.

Visit the Illinois Railway Museum Facebook page to start planning your journey! There's nothing quite like the train rides on a beautiful, vintage open-air train ride in Illinois. If you're planning a longer visit to the area, you can get a relaxing night's sleep at the Best Western Woodstock Inn only a few minutes' drive away.