Northwest Railway Museum

Photo: Roger Clarke via Google Maps

The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie is two experiences in one: a historic depot in the middle of downtown and a working railroad that carries you along the original 1880s line to the top of Snoqualmie Falls. Add a big indoor exhibit hall full of locomotives and passenger cars, and you have one of the easiest family outings east of Seattle.

Start at the 1890 Snoqualmie Depot on SE King Street. The museum bills it as the longest continuously operating train depot in Washington, and it is free to visit, with exhibits inside, train cars displayed outside and a bookstore. From there the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad runs seasonal excursions, and the Railway History Campus a short distance away holds the museum’s main exhibits.

What You’ll See

• Snoqualmie Depot: Built in 1890 by the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, the Victorian depot has a bay window where the telegrapher worked and a distinctive rounded north end. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
• The train ride: Excursions cover 5.5 miles of the original line, running from Snoqualmie or North Bend to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, a sacred site of the Snoqualmie People, with views across the Snoqualmie River valley.
• Train Shed Exhibit Hall: A 25,000 square foot building at the Railway History Campus filled with locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars and maintenance equipment, plus exhibits on how railroads shaped settlement, trade, industry and recreation in the Northwest, including Wellington Remembered and The Railroad Built the Pacific Northwest.
• Chapel Car 5, Messenger of Peace: Built in 1898 for the American Baptist Publication Society, this rolling church served communities in at least eleven states, appeared at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis and stayed in service until 1948. It is now displayed in the Train Shed.

The Story Behind It

The museum began in 1957 as the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association and took its current name in 1999. Its mission is to develop and operate a nationally significant railway museum that shows how railroads shaped the Pacific Northwest. Over the decades the collection has grown to include passenger cars built between 1881 and 1998, steam and diesel locomotives and a research library of about 3,000 volumes, now housed in the Railway Education Center along with the archive.

The museum added a Conservation and Restoration Workshop in 2006, where volunteers restore historic equipment, and later the Train Shed Exhibit Hall, which keeps much of the collection under cover. Regular excursions are pulled by two Baldwin Lima Hamilton diesel switching locomotives, numbers 4012 and 4024, which have been running on the line for 25 years.

Tips for Your Visit

• The round trip train ride takes just under two hours, including a 30 minute stop at the Railway History Campus to see the exhibits and use the restrooms.
• You can board at either the Snoqualmie Depot or the North Bend Depot at 205 E McClellan Street.
• The train has a chair lift for passengers who need help boarding, and Coach 272 has doors that work with it. Most historic coaches have narrow doors and aisles, so the museum recommends calling ahead.
• Train rides are seasonal, with special trains around Halloween and the holidays; check the website before you go.
• The Railway History Campus is at 9320 Stone Quarry Road in Snoqualmie if you want to visit the Train Shed on its own.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 38625 SE King Street, Snoqualmie, WA 98065
Phone: 425.888.3030
Website: trainmuseum.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps