Photo by Ammodramus, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Fairbury Rock Island Railroad Depot Museum. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
About Fairbury Rock Island Railroad Depot Museum
Rock Island Railroad Depot Museum – Fairbury.com Menu Businesses Professional Services Shopping Auto Dining/Bars Health Real Estate Apartments in Fairbury Lodging in Fairbury Senior Housing in Fairbury Area Churches Local Government Agendas Jefferson County Courthouse Sheriffs Of
History
Fairbury's fortunes were bound to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific from the moment the railroad arrived in 1886; sitting at the junction of the Rock Island's north-south and east-west lines, the city was chosen as headquarters of the railroad's Western Division and gained an extensive yard with shops, switching facilities, and an 18-stall roundhouse. To handle traffic that peaked at fourteen daily passenger trains in the 1910s-20s, the railroad began a grand Renaissance Revival passenger station in 1913, opening it on February 10, 1914, with the Western Division offices occupying its second story. Trains including the Rocky Mountain Rocket, the Rock Island's Chicago-Colorado Springs-Denver streamliner, called here until the division offices relocated to Des Moines in 1965 and passenger service ended with the Rocket's discontinuation in the mid-1960s. The adjacent metal freight house, built in 1940, served the railroad until 1963. Both buildings joined the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1996, as the Fairbury Rock Island Depot and Freight House, and the passenger station now houses a museum dedicated to the Rock Island's history.
Nearby
Fairbury, the Jefferson County seat in southeastern Nebraska, is a town of about 4,000 whose identity was forged by railroading — the Rock Island's Western Division called it home for nearly 80 years, and Union Pacific trains still pass through. A ten-block stretch of downtown around the courthouse square, anchored by the 1892 Romanesque Revival county courthouse, is on the National Register. Southeast of town, Rock Creek Station State Historical Park preserves an Oregon-California Trail and Pony Express stop where wagon ruts remain visible and a young Wild Bill Hickok had his first gunfight in 1861.
Where to Stay
Bookings made through this map support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
Compare rentals on Discover Cars →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Book tours & activities nearby
Pre-book guided tours and things to do around the area.
Bookings made through these links support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
More in Nebraska
All train rides in Nebraska →Reviews
0✍ Write a Review
Get Event Alerts
Never miss an event at Fairbury Rock Island Railroad Depot Museum.