1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
Hours: The train museum is only opened on the second weekend of every month (except in May)
- Saturday-Sunday (10 AM-5 PM) Monday-Friday (Closed)
Overview
The RailGiants Train Museum, located at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, is a phenomenal museum that train lovers of all ages are sure to enjoy. The museum is home to numerous locomotives and freight and passenger cars. Some but not all of these are available for visitors to climb into or to walk through. Visiting the museum can be a little tough, as it is only open to the general public on the second weekend of each month.
For those train lovers that make the point of coming, they surely won’t be disappointed. Visitors will also be able to see the historic Arcadia Depot and the museum gift shop located next to it. Doubling a visit to the RailGiants Museum with a visit to the Fairplex Garden Model Train exhibit, which is just across the street, will make for a delightful day for those eager to learn about and experience some trains.
What You Will See at the RailGiants Train Museum
Santa Fe Station from Arcadia, CA
- The Arcadia Depot was built in 1887 and is one of the first things visitors will encounter upon entering the museum. The depot was donated to The RailGiants in 1969 and was moved to its current location in 1989.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3450
Union Pacific “Centennial” 6915
Outer Harbor Terminal Railway No. 2
Nickel Plate Business Car No. 3
Union Pacific SD40-2C No. 3105
Union Pacific Caboose No. 24567
Fruit Growers Supply Co. No. 3
United States Potash Co. No. 3
Ice Cooled Refrigerator Car URTX 67806
Scout’s Story
Visiting different outdoor train rides and museums has been a constant theme for our family throughout our daughter Scout’s cancer treatment. We had attempted to visit the Fairplex Garden Model Train Exhibit and the RailGiants Museum on multiple occasions but the timing of it only being open on the second weekend of each month never worked out. Scout was either in active treatment or admitted to the hospital or it was raining and closed and just recently Scout underwent surgery to remove her cancerous tumors, which put her down for a few weeks.
Finally, everything lined up and we would make an early morning trip to Pomona with Scout. Scout has absolutely been obsessed with trains since her diagnosis last year. Any outdoor, train themed activity that we could find, we have taken Scout to do. Scout is now 2 and her enthusiasm for trains doesn’t seem to be letting up. We couldn’t wait to spend the morning letting Scout indulge in one of her favorite things. So many things have been going on recently, but Scout’s can was recently placed into remission. Our minds have been a little bit preoccupied as the anniversary of Scout’s diagnosis is only three days away. This morning would be a good reprieve for my wife and I to clear our minds and just relish in the happiness of the day with Scout.
Scout’s Day at the RailGiants Train Museum
After spending over an hour letting Scout walk around the Fairplex Garden Model Train Exhibit, we made the short walk across the street to the RailGiants Museum. The first thing we noticed as we walked up, was the historic Santa Fe Station Depot from Arcadia.
There are a couple of other buildings to walk through as well, including one with sand sifting stations that kids like Scout will enjoy and a fire station as well.
As we made our way down the row of locomotives and train cars our first stop would be to allow Scout to sit in the front of a locomotive and to blow the whistle.
A few other train cars were opened for us to walk through and to explore. Eventually a volunteer approached us and asked if we wanted to go into one of the passenger cars which had been locked. He grabbed the keys and let us in to show us around. The inside was beautiful and walking through it gave us a great idea of what riding on one of these back in the day must have been like. Scout’s face lit up with a smile at every turn. It was a little tough trying to keep her from playing on everything as she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Finally, the yawns started and we knew all the excitement of the morning had worn Scout down. We let her ring another bell on one of the other trains and then watched as she waved goodbye to all the trains.
This was such a fun morning and we thoroughly enjoyed the museum. Most of all, we enjoyed watching Scout be so mesmerized by the trains, as her face was filled with continuous smiles and joy.
August 13, 2023
Getting to the Rail Giants Museum
1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is there a fee to enter the RailGiants Train Museum?
- No, there is no fee to enter the RailGiants Museum
Are there restrooms available?
- There are two separate restroom areas just outside of the Rail Giants Museum
