Arizona Railway Museum

I would never have known about this museum had it not been for another Yelper! It's a bit out of the ways off the major streets and easy to miss if you've never been here. On an only *slightly* hot Sunday, we decided to visit here before they officially close down for the summer. While most of the museum is outdoors, you check in/pay inside where the gift shop is. Admission was fair for our experience I thought, and the nice lady at the counter even gave the toddler a big shiny gold sticker! She is now an official Junior Railroad Conductor! Well, until that sticker peels off and she finds her stash of Ninja Animal stickers at home to unleash upon the world. It was an interesting peek into the past. I loved seeing the different train cars and the interiors throughout the ages were fascinating to see. As a side note, unless there was good air circulation in those cars I can't imagine how hot it must have gotten way back when, riding through AZ in the summer! While most of the trains are exterior tour only, there are a few that you can step inside and are all decked out. We went around 10-10:30 and the high that day was 90ish. It was OK in the shade and a little warm in some of the train cars but it wasn't too bad overall. If you do bring a stroller be aware that most of the museum is on gravel and rocks which aren't the most stroller friendly surface. There were a few areas we couldn't traverse. Details:Hours: Saturday - 10-4pm Sunday - 10-4pmTicket prices: Family:$15   Adult (12+yrs):$5 Child (2-12yrs):$2   Infant (Under 2yrs):Free Active Military:Free (ARM is a Blue Star Museum)2020-2021 Season is from 9/5/20 - 5/30/21

A great stop! Full of history and great information. Make it a point to walk through the train and check out the observation deck and miniature train set up!

Visited here on my trip to Arizona this past April. A wonderful experience for anyone! I learned a lot about the railways in the US. Super cool to see the model train displays as well as the president's train car from back in the day! My boyfriend and I also enjoyed talking to one of the retiree employees, I think his name was John, and listening to his knowledge. We also had fun on the little train that goes around the park. Brought out the inner child in us!

Make sure to visit on Rail Days offered to the public in spring and fall for a fun free family event. The volunteers are passionate about their community and makes it so enjoyable. Make sure to bring water because it's outdoors and inside the cars can be hot and stuffy. They even offer birthday party packages.

Only open weekends 12-4:00 pm Open Sept. 1- to the end of May (closed in the summer due to the heat) Adults- $5, Children 2 to 12- $2, under 2- FREE This is a self-guided tour which begins in their gift shop/admissions room. Our 2-year-old son received a "Junior Conductor" sticker badge which he loved. You then walk through 2 rooms that have some of the smaller and detailed artifacts. You continue outside where you can view the different railcars. Amongst the many railcars, there are 2 lines of passenger cars (I believe 8 cars total) that you can walk through. There are stairs to get in and out of these cars. Meaning they are not handicap or stroller friendly. Walking through the cars, you see kitchens, bathrooms, staterooms, etc. You will also see how they transported equipment and live animals. Along the outside of each of the cars is a placard with detailed information on its history and involvement within the Arizona and Southwest railway systems. They also state when the car was built, what it was used for and when it retired. We saw some cars from the 1940s. There is a "party" car when you first visit the outdoor area. I was told that it can hold around 12-14 children ($75 for 3 hours) and is decorated with kid-friendly items from Thomas the Train amongst others. They also have a passenger car for adult parties or meetings for $300 and holds 20-30 people, but currently doesn't have air conditioning. If you want to bring alcohol, you will need to get a permit from the city. Go check them out one weekend, maybe while you're taking the kids to Arizona Railroad Museum (in view from the playground).

My husband and I stopped here on a Saturday. It would be better to visit in the cooler months. We enjoyed seeing the old train cars, but it's hot inside. They had fans, but none of them were on when we went.

We visited yesterday and enjoyed it very much. Walking through the train cars is like stepping back in time. I love that we can go at our own pace. There are many trains from the 20s and 30s. We also walked through one built in the late 1800s. Much of the interior is exactly as it was originally. The attention to detail is beautiful and it's fun to see the old sleeping cars, dining cars, and cars set up like a living room.

The Arizona Railway Museum is a fun afternoon for kids all ages. That includes those who ask for Senior Citizens discounts!If you have ever been to other railway museums like Union Illinois, the setup here at Arizona Railway Museum is similar, though more modest. They have a very large collection of rolling stock. Along with one of the largest Union Pacific fleets outside of a UP's train yard. It's a very impressive and kids get to have an up close, hands on experience!As I mentioned in my Yelp Tip, admission is a reasonable $2.00 and they're only opened on weekends, from Noon until 4:00 pm. The gift store is also well stocked with train magazines, train whistles, old time engineer hats and other collectibles. What's really nice are all the enthusiasts who volunteer here who are willing to share their love for trains, along with the history of railroading. When you are done, plan to stop at Roy's Train World. http://www.yelp.com/biz/roys-train-world-mesa#hrid:hwZIL_Nby6LbKvw6paeUQw It's just a few short miles up the road, at 1033 S Country Club Drive in Mesa. They carry various HO, O and N gauge models of everything you'll see here BTW, don't forget to bring your camera.Enjoy!

This is the first time here we went on the tour. There are very few trains open the thing that really bugs me is they don't give veterans discounts they give active military, but not veterans!!!, that's a slap in the face I would never go there again.

Such a neat experience! Really takes you back in time to the day when rail travel was king. Now when I watch old classic movies that show rail travel, I'll be able to envision what it must've been like! Really enjoyed this.