A red Great Northern caboose on display at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum in Reardan

Inland Northwest Rail Museum

Photo: Jon Svereika via Google Maps

The Inland Northwest Rail Museum spreads across 30 acres near Reardan, right where Highway 2 meets State Route 231, about 12 miles west of Fairchild Air Force Base. It is an all volunteer operation that receives no state funding, and what those volunteers have built is a working rail yard full of locomotives, passenger cars and railroad equipment from Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Western Montana.

This is a museum you climb into, not just look at. Visitors walk through restored train cars, and the museum runs rides on the Reardan Rocket, a two foot gauge train that loops the grounds. If you are driving Highway 2 between Spokane and central Washington, it makes an easy and memorable stop, especially with kids in the car.

What You’ll See

Visit Spokane counts more than 30 rail cars and locomotives in the collection. A few to look for:

  • Union Pacific steam locomotive 3206. The engine the founding group restored in Spokane in 1970, and still one of the stars of the collection.
  • Spokane streetcar 140. A 1906 Brill streetcar from Washington Water Power and Spokane United Railways, which Visit Spokane describes as the last existing Spokane streetcar.
  • Restored passenger cars. Walk through a Union Pacific dining car, a Northern Pacific coach, a Great Northern cafe coach and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle sleeper buffet lounge car Mt. St. Helens.
  • Diesels and heavy equipment. Northern Pacific GP9 317, a Great Northern SD9, a 250 ton Northern Pacific wrecking crane, a Union Pacific turntable, speeders and a handcar.
  • Two floors of exhibits. The museum building holds displays and model railroads, and the restoration center is where volunteers bring old equipment back to life.

The Story Behind It

The museum traces back to 1967, when a group of railroad enthusiasts formed the Inland Empire Railway Historical Society as a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Many were former railroad employees. In 1970 they restored Union Pacific 3206 in Spokane, and in 1978 the locomotive moved to the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, where the group displayed its growing collection for years.

An eviction notice in 2002 sent the society looking for a new home, and it landed on 30 acres near Reardan. Volunteers laid track and installed the Union Pacific turntable between 2010 and 2012, then finished the first phase of construction, a conservation and restoration building plus visitor center. The museum held its grand opening at the Reardan site on August 27, 2016.

Tips for Your Visit

  • The museum building, gift shop and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, and an elevator serves both floors. The path out to the small train is gravel, which can be hard going for wheelchairs, and the museum keeps a special wheelchair available on request.
  • Kids get the most out of the train ride and the monthly scavenger hunts, which come with prizes.
  • Full size train rides in the restored cars are offered on special occasions such as Easter and Christmas, so check the website if you want to ride the big train.
  • School groups can visit by reservation, and the museum also hosts birthday parties.
  • The two foot gauge ride has recently been under repair; check the website for ride status before you go.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 27300 Sprinkle Rd N, Reardan, WA 99029
Phone: 509.796.3377
Website: inlandnwrailmuseum.com
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps