Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow: Photos, Reviews & Location

Nostalgic museum showcasing historic train cars & memorabilia of the Pacific Southwest railways.

At a glance

#4 of 8 Tourist attractions in Barstow

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.50

0.7 km from the center of Barstow

Rating breakdown

5 ★65%
4 ★22%
3 ★8%
2 ★1%
1 ★3%

685 N 1st Ave, Barstow, CA 92311

radiomuseum.org

(760) 256-9276

Photos of Western America Railroad Museum (48)

View all

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 1

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 2

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 3

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 4

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 5

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 6

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 7

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 8

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 9

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 10

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 11

Western America Railroad Museum, Barstow – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Western America Railroad Museum?: Western America Railroad Museum is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 362 reviews.
How does Western America Railroad Museum rank in Barstow?: Western America Railroad Museum is #4 of 8 Tourist attractions in Barstow by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Western America Railroad Museum located?: 685 N 1st Ave, Barstow, CA 92311 — 0.7 km from the center of Barstow.
How can I contact Western America Railroad Museum?: Phone: (760) 256-9276 · Website: radiomuseum.org

Reviews (10)

Carl Abrams 2023 Dec 11

Tucked out of the way but worthy of your time searching for it. The staff are local and very knowledgeable as most have lived there all their lives. Great exhibit room for the numbered nails and why, where etc., It's a shame the area has lost so much of the track but you can still see where it all was and allow your imagination to wander.

TheLallykat 2023 Dec 03

Cool ! 🚂🚃🚃🚃 ( close to the Route 66 Museum and Calico the Ghost Town)

Yeticus Rex 2023 Nov 06

Took my son to check out the locomotives and cabooses. You can climb on them and look inside. Easy parking. Will go back to go inside the museum another time.

Freedomat51Rock 2023 Oct 21

Cool free museum, the volunteer worked 40 years in the train business and showed me how driving a train it was pretty fun.

Ben W 2023 Jul 20

No admission and some cool train engines and cars.

Wilevaldo Benitez Jr. 2023 Jul 03

This place is amazing. The museum is free and you get to check out a cool piece of American history. Great place for everyone of all ages. And the best part is how you can view passing trains coming along. Do bring water and a hat to combat the heat. Great stop if you are on a road trip.

Jason Moore 2023 May 30

We still love it here! Stopped by for our fifth time in 14yrs. The museum is small but packed full of interesting artifacts and knowledge. The best part is entrance is donation only. Give what you can. Souvenirs are with variety, high quality and best of all pre-COVID prices. What a relief.
The outside grounds are clean and well kept. Lots of photo opportunities.
Catching an active train running along the back tracks is a huge bonus!

Federico Salvati 2023 Jan 30

Barstow train station features an open-air exposition of several rail road wagons: locomotives, carriages and caboose are on display just across 1st Avenue bridge.
If you have some time while driving on Route 66, stop here because it's worth it!
Plus, it's free!

Derek Ewell 2022 Sep 30

Really disappointing support from the staff / docents there, I tried visiting as part of a road trip, but was delayed along the way by road closures and rerouting; eventually I was there about 10 - 15 mins before the reported closure time. I saw the staff walking out and I asked if I could just have a quick glance in since I won't be able to come back again.. and just got a gruff "we're closed" as they got into their cars. Not even a single bit of empathy or slowing down of pace.
Was only able to take photos outside. Train cars are locked up and some have graffiti on the outside.

Visit was in Dec 2021

Brendan Kiely 2022 Feb 08

The Western American Railroad Museum in Barstow is a cool place to visit. There are a few permanently parked historic rail cars outside of the museum which you are able to see 24/7. The indoor museum itself is only open a few days a week, primarily Friday to Sunday. A cool place to visit if you like trains and to see the large Barstow train station.