Illinois Railway Museum

Category: Museum

The Illinois Railway Museum is located northwest of Chicago in Union, Illinois. Its mission is to demonstrate the vital role railroads have played in the growth of the Chicago area as well as the United States through the preservation and operation of railroad and mass transit rolling stock and the display of related artifacts in a realistic setting. These exhibits provide an interactive, educational experience for visitors of all ages.

The Illinois Railway Museum is a Museum in Motion. Watch as a little red streetcar clangs across Depot Street on the car line, or as the thundering steam train whistles past on the mainline, or perhaps as the gleaming streamliner simply whispers by. These artifacts don't just sit there, they move!

The Museum's operating demonstration railroad consists of two distinct divisions: the 5-mile long mainline, and the mile-long streetcar loop. Generally, steam, diesel and heavy electric trains run on the mainline, while streetcars run on the streetcar line. Interurban and elevated trains may operate on either division. The streetcar curves are too sharp for conventional railroad equipment, and the streetcars are too slow for mainline service. The hybrid interurbans and "L" cars can operate in either environment.

Note that the Illinois Railway Museum has been used in commercials and films such as "A League of Their Own" and "The Babe".