Illinois "Beer Tasting" Train Rides

Published: April 12, 2026

Set among the farm fields and small towns of McHenry County, the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) in Union is the kind of place where the past isn’t behind glass—it moves. On any given operating day you can watch a steam locomotive simmer at the depot, climb aboard a diesel-hauled coach train, and then hop onto an electric streetcar that feels like it rolled in straight from Chicago’s traction era. IRM bills itself as the largest railway museum in the United States, and the scope backs it up: a campus-scale collection, multiple operating lines, and enough barns and shop space to keep restoration teams busy for decades.

From interurban rescue to “museum in motion”

IRM’s roots trace to the early preservation movement, when enthusiasts realized that “everyday” equipment—especially electric interurbans and streetcars—was vanishing fast. The museum began formally in 1953, launched by a small group determined to preserve key pieces of Midwestern rail history. Over time, its mission widened beyond electrics into steam, diesel, rapid transit, and the broader story of how railroads shaped communities and industry.

What makes IRM stand out isn’t only that it has artifacts—it’s that it can operate them. The museum’s developed property has expanded to roughly 100 acres, with a main line stretching to nearly five miles of former right-of-way, plus extensive covered storage (a huge deal in the Midwest climate). The collection has grown to 500+ pieces of railway and transit equipment—everything from locomotives and coaches to streetcars, freight cars, and more.

Visiting IRM

A first trip to IRM can feel like visiting several museums at once:

The mainline railroad: Classic railroad operations with steam and/or diesel power depending on the day and season. You get the rhythm of a real railroad—depot boarding, whistle signals, and rolling countryside beyond the museum core.
The streetcar and rapid transit side: Electric traction is a hallmark here. Instead of being static displays, many cars rotate into operation, giving you that distinct hum and acceleration you only get with electric equipment.
Barns and exhibits: IRM’s storage barns and display areas let you walk through eras—varnished passenger cars, commuter equipment, freight hardware, and restoration projects in various stages.

Hops Aboard: Beer Festival Meets Operating Railway

Among IRM’s newer special events, Hops Aboard is designed for adults who want the museum’s moving-train atmosphere paired with a curated craft beer experience. According to IRM, the event debuted as the first annual Hops Aboard on Saturday, September 13, 2025 (6:00 PM–9:00 PM), explicitly framed as an adults-only beer festival celebrating local breweries and “beer’s long history with the railroad.”

The basic format

Hops Aboard isn’t just “beer tents in a parking lot.” It’s structured so you can sample brews while exploring the grounds—and crucially, ride equipment during the event window. IRM notes that electric and steam or diesel trains operate during the evening. The last train is scheduled for 8:00 PM, which is a useful detail for planning your pours and your photo stops.

Event hours and re-entry flow: IRM states the museum closes after general admission hours (closing at 4:00 PM) and then reopens at 6:00 PM specifically for Hops Aboard, with ID checks at the entrance.

Breweries and pours

For the inaugural event, IRM describes the tasting experience as tickets used at brewery tents, where each ticket is good for a 5 oz. pour. The IRM event page highlights nine different brewery tents, while an external festival listing notes 18 tickets per person and references 20 different brewery tents—the takeaway for visitors is that the experience is built around multiple stations and small-format samples, ideal for variety.

Participating breweries listed by IRM include names like:

Scorched Earth Brewing (Algonquin)
Sew Hop’d Brewery (Huntley)
Tighthead Brewing Company (Mundelein)
Phase Three Brewing (Lake Zurich)

The signature hook: a collaborative beer inspired by a locomotive

Here’s where IRM leans into what no ordinary beer festival can do. The museum notes a special collaborative brew from Scorched Earth Brewing, inspired by IRM’s Chicago Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) locomotive No. 504—and adds a genuinely railfan-friendly perk: you can enjoy that tasting aboard a coach train pulled by CB&Q 504 itself.

More than beer: exhibit, food, and live music

Hops Aboard is intentionally “festival complete,” not just tastings:

A Beer Line-themed exhibit from the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, focusing on how railroads helped grow Milwaukee’s beer industry.
Food trucks, including Uncle Cam’s noted on IRM’s event page.
Live music, listed for 2025 as rock band Yhprum.

So your evening can naturally rotate: pour → train ride → exhibit/photo stop → bite to eat → another loop.

Final Thoughts

Railroads and beer share a surprisingly deep history—grain shipments, brewery distribution networks, refrigerated transport, and the rise of regional brands tied to rail corridors. Hops Aboard takes that big idea and makes it tangible: you’re literally sampling while surrounded by the machines and infrastructure that made mass distribution possible. Add live operations—steam, diesel, and electric—and you get an event that feels less like a generic tasting and more like a night inside a working transportation time capsule. To learn more about this event and when it will run in 2026 please click here to visit the IRM website.

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