Hours: Saturdays 11-4, Sunday 1-4 through September 1


Announcement-- Changes coming!

We will be closing the RailsWest Railroad Museum for the season.

The last day of regular hours is Sunday, September 1st, but we will be open for Railroad Days on September 21st.

We are planning to take this upcoming season to work on revamping the museum. After much discussion internally and with outside sources, we have come to the decision that we can better serve Council Bluffs and the community as a local history museum that includes railroad history and the story of our community. We are very serious about making this change and it starts with moving things around and redoing our displays. We will post updates and behind the scenes photos of the project as we make the changes. 

We look forward to reopening Spring 2025 with the start of our new museum!

Admission:

Historical Society of Pottawattamie County members: Free

Adults: $10.00; Seniors (60 and over) and students: $8.00

Ages 6 - 18: $5.00; Ages 5 and under free.

1512 S. Main Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa




Learn more about the depot.

RailsWest Museum.

The 1899 depot was built for the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RailRoad and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Learn more about the rail cars.

Rail Car Display.

Here’s your chance to exerpience real rolling stock up close and personal. Reach out and touch a club car, engines, railway post office, and cabooses.

Learn more about the model railroad.

Model Railroad.

Get a bird’s eye view of Council Bluffs’ bustling rail yards as model trains depict the city’s train system, complete with roundhouses and switching.

Visit our Facebook Community!

Interact with other Rail Fans on the Society’s Facebook Page.

”Like” and “Follow” the Historical Society’s railroad Facebook page for photos and tales from the archives. It’s a great place to share memories and historical tidbits and tales with others and stay up-to-date with happenings at the museum.