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Siouxland Historical Railroad Museum – Sioux City, Iowa

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Milwaukee Railroad RoundhouseSiouxland Historical Railroad Museum – Sioux City, Iowa 

This museum in Sioux City is located at the historic Milwaukee Railroad roundhouse site. It details the history of the area’s over one hundred thirty-year-old railroad industry through the use of photographs, artifacts, and a large HO-scale model. Its gift shop has a great deal of railroad merchandise.
Originally built in 1917  by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway Company, more commonly known as The Milwaukee Roadthe complex has a great history of the world of the rail, the people that were working with the railroad and how the life of everyone was impacted by the 2nd largest shop complex  in the Milwaukee’s system behind their home shops in Milwaukee, WI.
Originally the site had over 50 acres of land and 25 buildings including a 30 stall roundhouse, machine/blacksmith shop, car/carpenter shop, steam power plant, water softener plant, stores warehouse, sand drying house and two wooden sand towers, a 300 ton capacity wood coal tower and more. The complex also included over 10 miles of track and employed over 500 people.
In 1981 the railroad went bankrupt and the yard was closed.  As happens in situations such as this the area went into disrepair .  In 1995 the city of Sioux City awarded the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association a grant to purchase the complex and clean-up/restoration work has been on going ever since on the 31.5 acre grounds and its six remaining buildings.
Today the yard is a place that you really want to visit if you have interest in the railroad and its history.

Winter Hours
(begin in November)
10 am – 4 pm Saturdays
Weather permitting

Summer Hours
(Memorial Day – Labor Day)
10 am – 4 pm Friday & Saturday
Noon – 4 pm Sunday

Fall and Spring Hours
(begin March and Labor Day)
10 am – 4 pm Saturdays

Adults…………………………………………….$4.00
Seniors (age 50 and up)………………..$3.00
Students (age 6-18)……………………….$2.00

Age 5 and under — Free with paid adult
Special Rates for Tour Groups

A portion of all admission fees is earmarked for historic preservation work on the buildings, locomotives and rolling stock.

3400 Sioux River Road
IA Hwy 12 North
Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
Sioux City, Iowa

Mailing Address:
Siouxland Historical Railroad Association
PO Box 1355
Sioux City, Iowa  51102
(712) 233-6996

Email Address:
contact@milwaukeerailroadshops.org

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Comments

  1. hans katzenmeier says:
    May 31, 2010 at 10:53 am

    We visited this place today. Wow! What a great place! A treasure for the area. You can see an actual roundhouse tuntable and kids can ring the bell on a meticulously restored steam engine. An awesome experience!

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