Located on Green Bay’s west side, the National Railroad Museum can’t be stopped, at least when it comes to creating a bit of industry inspired awe. Even in the dead of winter, with the frigid air hastening the outdoor portion experience, there’s a ton to enjoy at this grade A museum.
The museum starts off with two small sections. The first pays homage to Milwaukee, highighting how the beer companies took advantage of the rail system, bringing parties to many parts of the USA.
If the railroads were like veins, ones bringing vitality across a budding industrial superpower, then beer brought spirit to that national body…I definitely hope these beers aren’t for the train’s engineer.
Moving on to the second exhibit, we’ve got many a caboose drum head, which advertised its individual train.
I think this would have been more fitting at the tail end of the museum. Get it? Tail end…’cause, I just mean…you know…cabooses…end….bad joke? Yeah, well, I’m trying to keep this lively.
After that, we come to the big show
…and I do mean big,
as in Union Pacific Big Boy.
Celebrating the first African American labor union, there’s this Pullman passenger car.
If I had been a member of that union, I would have asked for more workspace…check out how narrow these aisles are.
And staying with a narrow hall, this one being of a more stately nature, where military minds’ steam billowed through the corridor, we have Dwight D. Eisenhower’s European theater train.
I find it ironic that this former president’s train is here,
only because Ike was instrumental in creating the interstate system. After that, instead of heading off to the nearest depot, buying a ticket and waiting for your train, one simply packed up the car, hopped behind the wheel and drove to where they wanted to go.
Anyways, plowing right along, I discovered this curious contraption.
and bringing up the rear in my big show display …yeah, you got it.
But the museum isn’t finished. Outside, amongst the snow and ice,
I find a barn full of locomotives, boxcars, passenger cars, cabooses…I think you get the point.
And at times, just not right now, I think you can ride these fun engines.
In closing, I don’t know, is eleven dollars too much for adult admission? I really don’t think so. Add the premium quality of the main exhibits, and it’s a quality hour, maybe two, who knows, maybe you could spend more time. If you figure fifty dollars for a family, especially one with a few boys, the learning opportunities, the awe factor and simple entertainment value is there.
Safe Travels!
Chris Writing Anything 