Photo by Milorad Dimic MD, Nis, Serbia, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Winnipeg Railway 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 Winnipeg Railway Museum
Tucked onto two disused platform tracks inside Winnipeg's Union Station, this volunteer-run museum tells the story of prairie railroading around the Countess of Dufferin, the first locomotive on the Canadian prairies, joined by vintage railcars, cabooses, a 1911 Jordan spreader, Hudson Bay Railway artifacts and an HO scale model layout. The museum has been closed since late 2021 for major renovations, so confirm reopening status before planning a visit.
History
The Winnipeg Railway Museum was operated by volunteers of the Midwestern Rail Association, a non-profit founded in 1975, and occupied tracks 1 and 2 inside the Via Rail-run Union Station, with visitors reaching the exhibit hall by the same staircase that once served the active platform. Its mission was to explore the railway history of Winnipeg and Manitoba — from the artifacts of building the Hudson Bay Railway to Churchill, to the Countess of Dufferin, to Winnipeg's last wooden streetcar, Car 356, whose restoration began in 2015. The museum closed at the end of 2021 ahead of needed renovations; in November 2022 the association signed a new 25-year lease with Via Rail, owner of Union Station, predicated on addressing fire-code issues. By May 2024 the organization had completed upgrades to the roof, windows, skylights and lighting and was fundraising for replacement walls plus upgraded electrical and fire-safety systems, hoping to reopen in November 2025. The city's long-term intention to use the space for a rapid transit hub still leaves the museum's future home uncertain.
Nearby
The museum's home is Union Station, a grand beaux-arts railway landmark near The Forks in downtown Winnipeg, capital of Manitoba and a city built where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. Long nicknamed the Gateway to the West for its railway-hub role, Winnipeg pairs that heritage with big-city attractions: the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Manitoba Museum with its full-size Nonsuch ship replica, the Manitoba Children's Museum at The Forks, and a festival calendar running from Festival du Voyageur to Folklorama.
Where to Stay
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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 nearby
Pre-book guided tours and things to do around the area.
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