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About The Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Located in historic downtown Council Bluffs, Iowa, we're a great place for friends and family to come and learn about the Union Pacific Railroad.
History
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum occupies the former Council Bluffs Free Public Library, a Carnegie library building at Pearl Street and Willow Avenue in historic downtown Council Bluffs, Iowa — one of three local museums commemorating the city's strong ties to the railroad industry. The setting is fitting: the original Union Pacific Rail Road was incorporated on July 1, 1862 under the Pacific Railroad Act, which President Abraham Lincoln had approved, and its track was built westward from Council Bluffs to meet the Central Pacific line coming east from Sacramento. The two railroads were joined at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869, creating the first transcontinental railroad in North America, later known as the Overland Route. Over the following century Union Pacific absorbed the Missouri Pacific, Western Pacific, Missouri–Kansas–Texas, and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroads, and today the Class I carrier it interprets is headquartered just across the Missouri River at the Union Pacific Center in Omaha.
Nearby
Where to Stay
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More Railroading Nearby
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.
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Book tours & activities near Council Bluffs
Pre-book guided tours and things to do around the area.
Bookings made through these links support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
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