Reviews of Winnipeg Railway Museum (Museum)

Jack Klark

Big lover of trains. They could stand to try a bit harder to keep it clean, but the exhibits are about up to par for a city that was built on railways. The models paint a detailed visual journey through history, making for a great educational opportunity for visitors of all ages.

subodh iykkara

It's a must see place. Costing less than 10 CAD. You can walk to the history of Canadian railways. You may be the solo visitor as you cannot find much people around during off seasons. The staff was really friendly. The roof top is not fully covered so don't expect warm temperatures. The entrance is from inside the railway station.

Stephen Gilbert

Really neat! A great way to spend an hour downtown. Only complaint is that some of the glass displays are getting mold inside them, that's a shame.

lilhockeypuck

Loved it great history and amazing that you can go in certain trains would go again

Tom Lane

Fun, educational and highly under rated go and check it out

Aurora Mcnab

Great learning experience.

Brittany Reid

Cool place but needs to be updated.

M____ N____

Unique place to explore and learn...

Kevin Yaschyshyn

Was impressed by the amount of access being able to see the inside of a caboose, steam engine, and a diesel train is pretty awesome the model trains are cool too

Danny Couch

My girlfriend and I visited this museum in 2015. It has a fine collection of historic trains and is very informative. You can climb upon the engines, get a close up look, and even move the levers, etc. The staff were knowledge and friendly; a fun place to visit. I recommend it for children AND adults.

tyler connon

Very small but for train lovers a great place

Pedro Fernando Pereira Bogado

Very interesting place. Learned a lot about trains from talking with the staff. And my kids enjoyed going on the different trains.

T I

Heads ups if your looking to take the kids somewhere fun in the winter just know this place is "inside" as in a roof but same temperature as outside. Not sure if it worth braving the cold we skipped this one -40 is no time to be crawling around iron horses

Clark Moeller

Trains. Enough said.

Emily CPY

This is a neat gem hidden in the heart of the city. You walk in and suddenly feel like your in a small rural town. The place is run 100% by volunteers who are really friendly and passionate. There's a bunch of train cars you can actually climb and play with the levers and buttons and stuff. The Winnipeg Model train club has a huge set up display there too they're working on - it's neat to watch them build it and pretty fun to watch the little trains go around. Admission is five bucks for adults and three for kids.

Andrew Bachmann

This museum turned out to be better than I expected with a full steam locomotive and an interesting snow plow locomotive. Also a model train set that the kids enjoyed. They started selling small mishmash HO train sets for a low price. I almost picked one up. A nice place to bring the kids while waiting for the train, if it is open...

Dmytro Malyk

Just a great place for a visit to lean Railway history!

Petre Ene

A great collection. One of the best in Western Canada. if you are a rail fun, you may want to check this place out

satnam bumrah

I got my citizenship here I will never forget this place

Trevor

Lots of cool stuff in here, a hidden gem in Winnipeg. An easy way to get here is to use the free parking at the forks and walk here. The train station is kind of cool, but inside, there is a small sign pointing up stairs to a museum. If you look up the stairs in looks like a tiny hallway with some garbage upstairs. Walk up the stairs and be amazed. The museum spans the entire building north to south. The museum is quite run down, broken windows, no heat, etc. But the exhibits are amazing. A must see.

Uncle Stan

Great museum! I loved being able to go inside the GMDD1 and the CN caboose. Gift shop in the the rail car has got some model trains for sale. I had a great time here!

Jm G

(Translated) Museum located in the station itself to see also for those not passionate about the old train, the whole history of the development of Canadian rail is told there. 7 dollars per person count 1 hour visit (Original) Musée situé dans la gare elle même à voir aussi pour les non passionnés de vieux train, toute l'histoire du développement du rail canadien y est racontée. 7 dollars par personne compter 1 heure de visite

Sam V

Great place

Peter Akers

Compact museum, but very interesting.

Leigh C.

It's okay if you stay on the platform, but to get to the level of the tracks there was an unstable, severely wobbly step that I nearly fell off of. The south end of the museum there was a putrid smell of turpentine that never really left you until you were out of the museum. The place didn't look finished at all. But for the very generous admission price that you can't find anywhere else, anymore, unless you have a time machine, it was an interesting visit. I just wished there was a safer way to get closer to the locomotives that were on display.

E H

Great place to visit!

Candace Candace

Nice small muse, learned some interesting facts about our railway system and saw some old train models and learned the history behind them. Very friendly staff. Just a bit too expensive in my opinion for how small the museum is. Would suggest as a one time thing.

Mark Mardehaev

Nice museum. Great for kids.

Timur W

my baby's favourite place. in need of good insulation and lighting

rob ellis

Interesting displays of Manitoba railway history

Kal

Lots of information and quite fascinating.

Albert Riezebos

Well worth the admission. Better to visit in the summer because it is drafty and cold in the winter. It's not really a building, more like what used to be covered railway tracks with the ends closed off. Seeing the Countess of Dufferin steam engine is worth the $5 alone but lots of other stuff too, along with model trains.

P W

Great little museum about Winnipeg's railway history. There are plenty of old engines, railway cars, and other artifacts such as signaling equipment and other railway vehicles. There are volunteer interpreters that are quite knowledgeable about the equipment and friendly. The museum could be thoroughly experienced inside of 2-3 hours so it's not an entire day's worth of content, but it is a great augment to a visit to the Forks.

Gabriel Blaquiere

Nice stuff but old looking place

Andrew Olson

An extremely good value for the ticket price. Hands-On exhibits, informational displays, and the ability to climb in some very old trains. I learned a lot!

Vijaya Chitnis

It is best place to take kids and show them railway history in Canada.

Michelle Mariela Varas Padilla

(Translated) In winter season they should be warmly dressed (Original) En temporada de invierno deben ir bien abrigados

Jill Boese

Great and patient tour guide.

Photo Tasticbloom

A small but great museum with a nice variety of history all packed in the train station. It makes it very convenient when you're waiting for a train. The gift shop has a great variety of products to sell too.

Allan Espiritu

Brings you back to a time where locomotives rule the transport system.

Daniel Strang

Staff/volunteers were very friendly and knowledgeable. The museum itself has some very interesting exhibits but the facility as a whole is very run down and dingy.

Pam Martin

The place is awesome but the director is a total dick to kids. You might as well duct tape the kids hands to their sides. You can clearly tell he doesn't like kids. Other than the directors grumpiness My 3 year old loves the train! Would have gotten a full 5 stars if it wasn't for the grumpy old man.

Twin Fun

I loved I went to see the steam locos and some models! LOVED IT

Ron B

Nice place, lots of relics, old trucks and interesting information. But don't go in the summer. Really friggin hot in there. No AC whatsoever. Worth seeing if you can take the heat.????

Scott Saedal

Very cool little museum tucked away in the middle of the terminal!

DA DOO

Was closed for renovations.

Ken and Alicia Lund

Beautiful transportation building with good access to the Forks.

Donoven Simpson-Elie

Absolutely gorgeous! Went with Aaron from sightlines photography, and the photos are simply phenomenal. Now, is give 5 starts but it was deathly cold in there, which did in the end limit the time we spent.

Bruce Waldie

Excellent visit. Don't make them leave!!!

Walter Krawec

Great little railway museum with a variety of static exhibits including the historically significant Countess of Dufferin, a classic GMD-1 locomotive and plenty of other interesting rolling stock and artifacts. There is an interesting model railroad display as well. The museum is sheltered but not heated, so dress appropriately if you're going on a cold day.

Brad Beardmore

Great little museum show casing great railway moments from this countries past. A good place to go for education on the railroad.

Denis Pardonche

(Translated) A warm museum by its side "in its own juice" quite impressive by the number of machines. (Original) Un musée chaleureux par son côté "dans son jus" assez impressionnant par le nombre de machines.

Matt Capper

Had a great time. Hope it reopens after the 31st!

Eric Friesen

Awesome! Great experience for all ages. Volunteers really care about the place.

Kristin Smotrytskaya

small museum with a lot of trains my kid really enjoyed the access to seats and inside of trains

Charlene B

This is a hidden gem (well maybe it was only me - an out-of-towner - who didn't know it existed) in Winnipeg. We brought our two train-crazy kids and they were amazed. A wonderful collections of historic engines, equipment and artifacts. To go through every single thing and read all the history would take you hours! Especially loved the Countess of Dufferin steam engine and the railway club's huge model train display.

David Brown

Amazing collection and a cool model railway.

Tristan Osler

Wonderful little museum! Go watch them restore an old street car!

T Lage

More in the than expected. Reasonably priced

Trevor Ens

Fun spot for kids. No heating/cooling so dress for the weather.

Gayan Amaradasa

This place is not bad, but not good compared to Sri Lankan railway collections. If you are a train lover who stay in Winnipeg, you should visit this place. They have clearly described how railway system was being going to develop in Winnipeg and present condition of that. The collection of their museum does not have a good variety. But it feels that they have tried their maximum to develop this small tiny museum. It took total two and half hours to visit the whole museum. Specially, their old signal system equipment collection is very good. If you are interested in signal and communication system history of railway system this is a good place. In addition to that, they have a small shop which you can buy railway related stuff. I really enjoyed the place, specially that was my second time inside the locomotive cab.

Caroline Coates

Wow! 2 hours was not enough time! Wonderful, fascinating, highly recommended!

Dragos Nina

It's very affordable for a little family trip. They have a great diversity of historic trains,classic trucks and cars cars. The kids and us were very excited to go on the trains and check out old lugagge, telegraphs, type writters, and other interesting artifacts. The staff there is all volunteers and they are super friendly.

pete buckley

Well worth visiting and take in the station en trance too

Camilo Sarmiento

Great place, lovely staff and a great showcase of Canadian railways history

John Bagnas

A wide variety of different trains and you can go on board most of them. Wear a warm jacket if it's cold out cause it can get chilly.

Tejaswini Nayak

Located a few minutes away from The Forks and the human rights museum, I recommend this to everyone who likes trains. It is a cosy place with lots to see and enjoy. Spend a couple of hours in this unique place.

Colin Stepney

Amazing railway museum! Make sure you visit the gift shop!

Sean McSeanson

It’s basically open-air so it’s freezing in there, especially for the kids. Dimly lit. $7 adult $5 kids over 2 years old.

Dan McCaig

Super cool!

Alexander Trauzzi

Unfortunately, due to a change in the building code that was triggered by some recent renovations, they have to close permanently. December 31st is their last day, so if you want to see the space one last time, do it quickly. I did ask and they're going to get a new location eventually, although it didn't sound like they had concrete plans as of yet.

z wise

Wonderful look into the transportation history of Winnipeg!!!!

Betty La

Great train museum with lots of older train cars to explore and learn about.

Flat Lander

Very cool collection.

Mark Shymanski

They have added a number of new displays since our last visit.

André Pelletier

They have an amazing collection worth seeing. Unfortunately, the building seems to be in a fairly dilapidated state, reflective of the country's current state of railways in general.

Seren Christ

It's not really big, but for kids or railroad enthusiasts it's a very nice visit.

Jadhiel Santos

Excellent to visit alone or with family and friends.

Pablo Listingart

Pros: really nice museum. If you have small kids, they will love it. Cons: it's small. You can do the whole tour in 45 minutes. Been there 3 times and my son always loves it

Natasha Evans

Very informative!

Leigh C.

It's okay if you stay on the platform, but to get to the level of the tracks there was an unstable, severely wobbly step that I nearly fell off of. The south end of the museum there was a putrid smell of turpentine that never really left you until you were out of the museum. The place didn't look finished at all. But for the very generous admission price that you can't find anywhere else, anymore, unless you have a time machine, it was an interesting visit. I just wished there was a safer way to get closer to the locomotives that were on display.

Jonathon Bahrychuk

It has a lot of cool artifacts. It's pretty old stuff and not super interactive. I took my 4 year old and my 2.5 year old. They loved it. Worth the price for a quick visit.

Kyle B.

Very dangerous for little kids...lots of sharp edges. However still a great place to visit and tons of information and old trains to see.

Han van der sterre

(Translated) Just a steam locomotive and for the rest and hope (Original) Alleen maar een stoomlocomotief en voor de rest en hoop

Andres Perez Gianoli

(Translated) The place as a museum is not very big. While it tells the story, it could be better cared for and lit. The facilities have a lot of opportunity since the heritage is juicy. (Original) El lugar como museo no es muy grande. Si bien cuenta la historia, podría estar mejor cuidado e iluminado. Las instalaciones tienen mucha oportunidad ya que el patrimonio es jugoso.

Rachel Davies

A great little museam full of plenty of trains and associated historical railway items. Lots of detailed information but plenty of trains and carriages to explore which really makes this place special. A real gem for those intetested in the Canadian railways.

Dylan Joachim

Fantastic exhibit with lots of Railway equipment. Plenty to look at and very cool to interact with. You can't go wrong for the price either. There's also a gift shop incase you want to buy some railroad merchandise.

Ian Kissell

Some cool stuff. Worth the stop if you are waiting on a train, but don't go out of your way.

oMykhajlo K

An unexpected amazing place for history buffs - be it aficionados of the railway or Canada's yesteryear. The exhibits are delightfully hands-on and crawl-all-over.

Paul Rebstock

Visited on my cross country train trip. Very buetiful station and excellent service.

Isaac Tamblyn

Wonderful setup. Neat way to see history

Al Sawatzky

Fun and wonderful experience. If you're into trains, it's a must see.

Rod N

Great fun!

Mar'yan Babyk

Your kind of place if you like trains

Jeanette Isaac

It's not heated so we should have had warmer clothes

Biól. Adalberto GR

(Translated) Good display A little neglected place, being a museum should have it clean and in better condition. It rains outside and inside the museum, even inside some wagons. (Original) Buena exhibición. Un poco descuidado el lugar, siendo un museo deberían de tenerlo limpio y en mejores condiciones. Llueve afuera y adentro del museo, incluso dentro de algunos vagones.

John Delaney

It's a good place to visit your friend John Boy Idaho

Teresa K.

Sad the museum is closing. But good to know they will be looking for new home in Winnipeg.

Brad Forrester

If you're a history buff, this place has more than you could possibly go through in a full day. If you have kids it also has a lot they can climb on/into, just keep an eye on them.

Jenelle Hollinger

Great place to take anyone who loves trains. Toddler absolutely loved it. Lots of hands on. Not stroller friendly as it's on second floor but price and experience made up for that. Was there for an hour and toddler was engaged the entire time.

Francisco Olvera

(Translated) Very interesting and excellent attention from the girl at the entrance (Original) Muy interesante y excelente atención de la chica que está en la entrada

richard beasley

Its railway history

Rhonda Johnson

Very cool to visit under Union Station - so much to see, passionate and knowledgeable guides were available for Doors Open, not sure about other times. Seems to be pretty much run by volunteers, thank you to them for maintaining this important part of local history!

Mike Kennedy

Lobe it

John Clarke

Great place great people great location

Northlander

Lots of fun if you like trains

Eric Johns

My 4 year old had a great time despite the fact it's not heated in the winter. We toured it quickly plan to go back again once the weather is nicer.

Derek Palson

A Winnipeg Treasure. Can't wait to see the new place.

Vance Masters

Excellent place to visit, especially for kids

Thiayaka Rajan Muthusami

Museum that has some cool stuff on the history of railway development in Canada

Susan Maheux

Really well kept, clean

Jason

Great displays. Informative. Not overly busy. Close to The Forks.

Alex Arnason

Was never here damn google keeps asking about it 1 star because of this

Gurpreet Kaur

Nicely maintained and easy to reach place. Typical Railway loving people enjoy here.

Chuck Surgeoner

A must place to visit in Winnipeg.

Chris H.

The museum doesn't use its full potential. Dimly lit and way too short explanations on the rolling stock. I'm really sorry about awarding just three stars because I work in a museum as well and I like trains, but they could and should make more of it.

Jon Kulesza

Our child loves this place. We go frequently, even in the cold weather. (Fair warning, it's not heated.)

Michelle Zinn

have not been in years loved what they have added

Diana MacKenzie

Great set up,lots of history.

Normand Boivin

(Translated) Declared open but rather closed. (Original) Déclaré ouvert mais plutôt fermé.

Paul Hillman

Had 1 day in town to explore and was disappointed that the museum was scheduled to close at 4pm on a Tuesday. Since our hotel was across the street, we thought we would go look at whatever we could in a half hour before they closed. By the time we found an employee, she was turning off lights and telling us that we had to leave so she could catch her bus. She kept telling us we had to go. There were some fellows in an enclosed room where there was a model train layout and I asked if I could go chat with them. She said 'no' and that we needed to go, and so did she. So, out we went, and she followed us out and ran out the door at 3:45pm. Extremely disappointing to learn of the early closing time, but even more disappointing was her attitude towards guests that likely will never be in this city again.

Andrew Pickerl

Great for kids who love trains. They have a large model train in the middle of the museum run by some hobbyists. The rest of the museum is old trains, most of which you can go into and view what they were like inside. The kids love to and are encouraged to ring the bell. This museum is not heated, so if you plan to go in Winter, dress warm!

Ray Watson

If you have interest in trains, you'll love it here. Kinda cold and damp but you quickly forget that when you start walking around.

Scott “Skeeters”

Lots of great Manitoba history.

Mike Pigden

Loved it. So much to see. Had a nice old feel to it. Nice gift shop. Selling some model RR gear at great prices. Young man staffing the place by the name of William was great to talk to. Highly recommend especially if you have young children. They can watch the model trains operating.

Mike Pigden

Loved it. So much to see. Had a nice old feel to it. Nice gift shop. Selling some model RR gear at great prices. Young man staffing the place by the name of William was great to talk to. Highly recommend especially if you have young children. They can watch the model trains operating.

Candace Kostusik

Great Family experience

Brad Beardmore

Great little museum show casing great railway moments from this countries past. A good place to go for education on the railroad.

Joe Baldes

Lots of exhibits, many interactive. The girl working the counter was very friendly and helpful. That said, the covered shack housing all of this has no heat in the winter. The lighting is fairly useless for pictures and if you are asthmatic, beware as the air quality is bad and some of the displays gave me lots of trouble.

Robert Martin

Great work on the restorations.

Ben White

The interpreters were extremely knowledgeable, and the displays were interesting. A great way to learn the history of Manitoba rail.

LEIGH M

People must be prepared to dress warm if going during the winter. It is up stairs where it is covered out of the wind but not heated. Many items to see and read informative of historical railway to present, worth taking a look if you like railway!!! ????????

Ashley Ann

It was a very interesting and intriguing place to visit with my family. I am glad we went. Definitely an experience I am glad I was able to have.

Chris Andreakos

Looks abandoned. I don't think they clean or upkeep at all. Technically inside but basically outside. The monitors are off and they have no tour guides. Anything that was once interactive no longer is. Quite the disappointment.

Lynn Dobbins

Such an amazing place. Thanks.

Chase Krier

Very informative

Rose Park

great place to tour, very reasonably priced!

Minesh Mehta

Small but beautiful. Need steam engine too.

Will P

People are so friendly. Guard Mr Moore's is a very nice Gentleman

Greg Carlos

Very friendly staff!

Chaminda Senanayake

Wow! What a collection in a tight corner.

Rick Harrison

The current home of The Countess of Dufferin. (the first locomotive in Manitoba) This is a nice little museum inside Union Station on Main Street. Well worth an hour or two of your time.

Charles F

Very authentic railway museum. Hidden gem.

Elian Berger

(Translated) Well documented and easy to access. To have.. (Original) Bien documenté et facile d'accès. À voir..

Brendan Matt

Was lucky to be shown around this museum by Norm, one of the volunteers. His passion for trains made my visit to the museum a memorable one. I enjoyed the museum a lot. It displayed many treasures from Canada's extensive train network. It's well worth a visit, you really learn the importance of trains in Canada, as well as how they shaped Winnipeg's history.

Max Friend

My 2, 5 and 8 year olds nearly lost their minds with excitement. Really neat old trains with great access and presentation. It's pretty cold in there, as the building is an old railway shed. Consider a family membership if you're going to be buying 4+ tickets that day anyway. I'll be back soon!

Liam Baskerville

Recomend going here if you are a trian geek like me

Zachary Parker

Cool collection of trains, it is not heated so if you're going in Winter make sure you wear a jacket!

Brant Field

Awesome place

Joe

Great

James Friesen

one of my favorite spots. so much history packed into one location!

Bart Barton

Always enjoy a good railroad museum. This one was great.

Diane Crotty

It was interesting. I like that it is inexpensive. We enjoyed it.

Robert Anderson

Lots of history and lots to see.

Reggie Rabaya

Great

Caron Whitlaw

Very disappointed! I brought my 91 year old client in a wheelchair to see the railway museum today! But we could not! No elevator or any way to get her up the many stairs!! Her father worked for the railway his entire life! She was so excited to be able to see the museum! And we were so very disappointed we could not!

Bach Zurdz

A fantastic place.

Yas Stone

Fantastic! Signage needs revamping, but I suspect they are short of funds. One needs a few hours to do the museum justice, but I was able to tske in a fair amount in one hour, and saw things I did not know existed. I was very disaapointed to see only one woman other than myself among visitors. Please make efforts to encourage girls and women to visit. The museum also has a good section on the history of women in Canadian Railways.

Rachelle Kobes

The coolest part of my trip to Winnipeg! Absolutely loved it!

Ab Ryan

Nice

Silvia Veldkamp

Was just lovely to see the past history.

Shane Jordan

A fantastic little museum showing the history of rail in Winnipeg and across Canada. Very hands on with lots of rail cars and engines to walk into and the placement right at Union Station is perfect for train enthusiasts. Also the volunteer staff is great, friendly and knowledgeable, always happy to answer any questions.

Helena N

As many reviews have already said: it is unfortunately the temperature of outside. My number one issue with this place is their online presence. The web site doesn't seem to work. I couldn't figure out the cost of admission or hours of operation using anything other than google, and Google isn't always correct. I think this place could be pretty cool if it was treated well, at all. When we arrived a lady came out of her heated room to collect our money to enter and basically didn't say or explain anything, told us to start one way and walk around, not helpful. The train set wasn't on and I know my kid would have loved it. This should either be free or the person working should have a passion for trains. I felt like on a slow day like the day we went (not a single other person) she could have come out of her booth and given us a tour!

Lord Valencia

Am an immigrant. A great museum for people like me and teach my children to appreciate and honor those who came before us and built this wonder with their own sweat and blood.

Ryan Watson

Could have spent days in here. Unreal.

A Harasym

Great history. Glad we got to see it, hear it closed due to repairs it needs. I agree it needs a bit of upkeep. Building is very old and many displays are very dirty and weathered as building is just an old warehouse, not weather tight. Still worth the trip though.

Bernie Lloyd

Great History! Took our grandson who loves trains. Very interesting display.

jagannath wijekoon

Not enough exhibits for a museum. But for a ticket price of $6 you can't expect a lot.

Krista Tellier

Fabulous railway museum! It's a hidden gem in Winnipeg. There is so much to see! Location is great, and even if you aren't overly interested in trains / the railway, it is an excellent indoor location for photography lovers. William, the current staff member working weekends, is very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a great visit and I look forward to returning again. Side note: Although the museum is indoors, it is right on the tracks with no insulation. Dress for the weather as it can be quite chilly in winter.

Allie Windsor

A truly disappointing experience compare to the other train museum we have visited despite this is the biggest one out of them all. From the website it looks like it is indoor, however there are broken windows that the wind still blow in and the building is in the shadow which makes it colder than outside. We all had out snow suit on but it is still very cold ( and no this is not the snow storm day. It's only -4 in Winnipeg. So warm winterday). Then the only running train was in the window access only by exclusive club members ( also heated room). The rest of visitor can just stare from the outside. No children activity like coloring or video ( there are many tv screens but none of them are playing video, they are just black and off.) There are only pieces of wooden tracks and 3 little cars and NO TRAIN for the children to play ( in a train museum?) Our two year old was quite disappointed after going through all the pieces of track on the table he started to cry because he loves train not so much cars (and after seen all the people in the exclusive club playing with train that we told him he is not allow in). There are no feedback system for the museum to improve. Our attendant found a piece of blank sheets and say that was it ( he was nice but told us there is nothing he can do).

Matthew Ching

interesting place to go

Ken Francisco

My 2 kids absolutely loved the museum. I did not know this museum existed until a few days ago. Railway club is located here, neat model trains.

Greg Lafrance

I expected more restored train cars, but it did a good job explaining the rich history that Winnipeg had with the railroad. Not bad.