Nevada Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

Published: October 14, 2026

Nevada’s railroad museums are three state and company collections, plus the depot the Virginia & Truckee still uses. Carson City holds the Virginia & Truckee locomotives and the Glenbrook. Boulder City runs the Nevada Southern over the old branch toward Hoover Dam, and its visitor center opened in September 2026. East Ely is the Nevada Northern, a 1906 yard that still sends steam and diesel on a 90-minute trip. Virginia City boards its train at the original 1870 depot on F Street.

Virginia & Truckee 2-4-0 21 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City

Virginia & Truckee 2-4-0 #21, named the "J.W. Bowker" preserved at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City. It was originally built by Baldwin in February 1875 (builder number 3689) and is the sole surviving example of a Baldwin 2-4-0 locomotive in the United States. Museum photo.

Ride dates change with the month. They are on the Nevada scenic-train guide. American-Rails does not sell tickets. Confirm the doors, and which engine is in steam, before you drive.

On this page: At a glance · Nevada railroads · Carson City · Boulder City · East Ely · Virginia City · Related reading

At a glance

Place	Town	What it is known for	Site
Nevada State Railroad Museum	Carson City	Opened 1980. Virginia & Truckee collection, including the Inyo. Glenbrook, the Carson & Tahoe lumber engine, is here too	carsonrailroadmuseum.org · collection profile · 2180 South Carson Street
Nevada State Railroad Museum	Boulder City	Nevada Southern, from 1991. About seven miles, a 45-minute round trip. Visitor center opened September 19, 2026. Union Pacific GP30 No. 844	boulderrailroadmuseum.org · 1000 Boulder City Parkway
Nevada Northern Railway Museum	East Ely	From 1906. Kennecott donation. First museum steam trip, Memorial Day weekend 1987, behind No. 40. East Ely Yard, National Historic Landmark, 2006	nnry.com · railroad profile · 1100 Avenue A
Virginia & Truckee depot	Virginia City	Original 1870 depot. The short Gold Hill ride boards here. No. 27 is at the Comstock History Center	Virginia & Truckee · 166 F Street

Nevada railroads

The Central Pacific reached Reno on June 18, 1868, and the state has lived on that transcontinental line ever since. Mileage peaked at 2,160 in 1920. The 2020 figure is 1,193. Union Pacific is the freight railroad. BNSF has trackage rights, and Nevada Industrial Switch is the other freight carrier. The Southern Pacific was the heir of the Central Pacific on this map. The Virginia & Truckee ran its last common-carrier train on May 31, 1950. The state account is the Nevada railroads page. Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops at Elko, Winnemucca, and Reno.

Carson City

The Nevada State Railroad Museum at 2180 South Carson Street opened in 1980. Its collection is the Virginia & Truckee’s, including No. 22, the Inyo. The full account, and the specifications, are on the Carson City museum profile and the Virginia & Truckee page. Glenbrook is the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company engine, a sister of Nevada County Narrow Gauge No. 5, and it is kept here.

Steam runs on named days, on the museum grounds. Those dates, and the locomotive posted for each of them, are on the scenic guide.

Boulder City

The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City is a separate museum, at 1000 Boulder City Parkway. Nevada took the Boulder City branch from Union Pacific in the mid-1980s, about seven miles of the line that had helped build Hoover Dam. The museum dates from 1991, and 2026 is its 35th year. Excursions on the Nevada Southern began in 2002. The trip is about seven miles and about 45 minutes round trip. Union Pacific GP30 No. 844 is among the locomotives that work the train.

A visitor center of about 9,000 square feet opened on September 19, 2026. It is the museum’s first indoor exhibition space. On March 2, 2026, the museum announced that Western Rail had donated former Amtrak F40PHR No. 315, without a prime mover, for a static Amtrak exhibit. Confirm whether that unit has arrived. Weekend rides, the Halloween Express, and the Christmas trains are on the scenic guide and the Nevada Christmas trains page. The March announcement is the note on No. 315.

East Ely

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is the old East Ely yard at 1100 Avenue A. The railroad dates from 1906, and 2026 is its 120th year. The company’s history puts the last Steptoe Valley Flyer on July 31, 1941, behind No. 40, and a 50th-anniversary use of that engine in September 1956. The last train before the museum era ran in 1983. The museum was formed from the Kennecott donation. The first museum steam excursion left on Memorial Day weekend 1987, again behind No. 40. No. 93’s first passenger excursion was in 1993. The East Ely Yard was named a National Historic Landmark in 2006. No. 81’s first passenger excursion was in 2021.

The excursion is about 90 minutes, behind steam or diesel. The railroad’s own page is the Nevada Northern profile, and the 2026 visitor’s account is the East Ely guide. Hours and the day’s locomotive are on the railroad’s site. The trip calendar stays on the scenic guide.

Virginia City

The Virginia & Truckee is an operating railroad, and its Virginia City home is the original 1870 depot at 166 F Street. The train sold from that platform is the short trip to Gold Hill. Times and power are on the scenic guide. Virginia & Truckee No. 27, a Baldwin of 1913, is at the Comstock History Center in Virginia City. The railroad’s story is the Virginia & Truckee page.

Sources

Nevada State Railroad Museum, Carson City, carsonrailroadmuseum.org, 2180 South Carson Street. Opened 1980. Virginia & Truckee collection, including No. 22, the Inyo. Specifications stay on the Carson City profile and the Virginia & Truckee page. Glenbrook is the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company engine, a sister of Nevada County Narrow Gauge No. 5. Steam days are named events on the scenic guide.
Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City, boulderrailroadmuseum.org, 1000 Boulder City Parkway. Branch acquired from Union Pacific in the mid-1980s. Museum from 1991, the 35th year in 2026. Excursions from 2002. About seven miles and a 45-minute round trip, matching the March 2, 2026 American-Rails note. Union Pacific GP30 No. 844. Visitor center of about 9,000 square feet opened September 19, 2026, the first indoor exhibition space. F40PHR No. 315 was announced that March, donated by Western Rail without a prime mover, for a static exhibit. Confirm arrival. Ride dates stay on the scenic guide and the Nevada Christmas trains page.
Nevada Northern Railway Museum, nnry.com, 1100 Avenue A, East Ely. Railroad from 1906, the 120th year in 2026. Last Steptoe Valley Flyer, July 31, 1941, behind No. 40. Fiftieth-anniversary use of No. 40 in September 1956. Last pre-museum train, 1983. Museum from the Kennecott donation. First museum steam excursion, Memorial Day weekend 1987, behind No. 40. No. 93’s first passenger excursion, 1993. East Ely Yard, National Historic Landmark, 2006. No. 81’s first passenger excursion, 2021. Excursion about 90 minutes, steam or diesel. Hours follow the railroad. The company profile and the East Ely guide carry the longer account.
Virginia & Truckee, 166 F Street, Virginia City. Original depot, 1870. The short Gold Hill ride is on the scenic guide. No. 27, Baldwin 1913, is at the Comstock History Center. The railroad page is the company history. Last common-carrier train, May 31, 1950.
Central Pacific at Reno, June 18, 1868. Peak mileage 2,160 in 1920. Current mileage 1,193 in 2020. Union Pacific freight, BNSF trackage rights, Nevada Industrial Switch. Those figures match the Nevada railroads page. California Zephyr stops: Elko, Winnemucca, and Reno.

Confirm hours and which locomotive is on the property before you travel.

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