Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Trains and Toddlers
2026-01-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Join us for story time and a toddler friendly craft from 10:00am -11:30am.
1/2 price admission $7/adults, $4/kids (3-13)
This event is free for members and children 2 and under.
We are a participating member of a program called Museums for All that enables us to offer free admission to Trains and Toddlers to SNAP recipients.

See you soon at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum!

Railroads & ...Skiing
2026-02-05 17:00 - 19:00
FREE EVENT
Join us for our first Hot Stove Night of 2026 on Thursday February 5, 2026.
It will be the last night of the Union Pacific Railroad traveling display Discovered! Winter Sports Under a Summer Sun, The Railroad and Sun Valley

5:00pm – Social Time with snacks, coffee and soft drinks
6:00pm – Ken Buehler on the creation of Sun Valley and the invention of the chairlift
6:30pm – Tony Dierckins presents Jumping in Norseman’s Shoes: Historic Ski Jumping in Duluth, MN

Please enter through Northshore Scenic ticket office doors on track level at the back of the St. Louis County Depot.

Trains and Toddlers
2026-02-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Join us for story time and a toddler friendly craft from 10:00am -11:30am.
We will be painting with toy trains so please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting washable paint on.
1/2 price admission $7/adults, $4/kids (3-13)
This event is free for members and children 2 and under.
We are a participating member of a program called Museums for All that enables us to offer free admission to Trains and Toddlers to SNAP recipients.

See you soon at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum!

Murder Mystery in the Museum
2026-02-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Looking for a unique event to attend with your Valentine? How about an interactive 1920’s murder mystery in a museum on Friday the 13th? A murder most foul has been discovered and with train cars to explore, many suspicious passengers, and a missing weapon you must channel your inner detective to crack the case. Enjoy snacks, drinks, and conversations as you try and unravel the mystery hidden amidst railroad-themed elegance. Join the fun at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum on Friday, February 13th, 2026 from 7-9pm. Prizes will go to the top 3 sleuths!
1920’s inspired costumes are welcome and encouraged. On the night of the event participants will receive a top secret packet with character information, starting clues, and the rules of the game. This game is brought to you by Ivy Bee Productions in partnership with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. This event is for ages 16+. It is not a train ride, but a train themed event inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.
THIS EVENT IS FULL / SOLD OUT AND IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Tickets are on sale now through February 1st, 2026.
Non-member tickets: $60/person
LSRM member tickets: $55/person
Each ticket includes one free drink ticket that can be redeemed at the cash bar.
Contact Katie Witzig with questions katie.witzig@lsrm.org.

Trains and Toddlers
2026-03-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Join us for story time and a toddler friendly craft from 10:00am -11:30am.
Wear your favorite pajamas to our Pajama Party!
We will be reading Good Night Train by June Sobel and Moon Choo Choo by Mona Voelkel.
1/2 price admission $7/adults, $4/kids (3-13)
This event is free for members and children 2 and under.
We are a participating member of a program called Museums for All that enables us to offer free admission to Trains and Toddlers to SNAP recipients.

See you soon at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum!

Hot Stove Night - Clinton Jones, Jr. (1944-2024)Exhibit Opening
2026-03-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Our second Hot Stove night will center around the exhibit we have on loan from The Lake States Railway Historical Association, Clinton Jones, Jr. (1944-2024): An Upper Midwest Icon of Short Line Railroading. It is a display of railroad photos taken and collected by Clint Jones featuring the railroads operating in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the 1960s and 70s. Clint worked for several railroads in the UP and always carried a camera with him.
5:30pm – Social Time with appetizers, coffee, and a full bar
6:00pm – Paul Swanson – Director of the Lake States Railway Historical Association

The Twin Ports Rail to Sail Connection
2026-04-08 18:00 - 19:00
Zenith City Press and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum present “The Twin Ports Rail-to-Sail Connection,” an illustrated history presentation featuring Duluth historian Tony Dierckins. Adapted from Dierckins’s book, “Twin Ports Trains: The Historic Railroads of Duluth and Superior,” this talk traces the rise and decline of the “Head of the Lakes” as a vital commercial shipping center and illustrates the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental impact that railroads, Great Lakes freighters, and the industries they served had on the region.
5:30pm – Social Time with appetizers and a cash bar
6:00pm – Tony Dierckins

Trains and Toddlers
2026-04-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Story time is cancelled due to construction noise.

The Museum will remain open and offer half price admission to families. If you would still like to visit us, please follow the pink signs and enter through the side entrance under the canopy.

An owl puppet craft inspired by the book, “Owl and Officer Smitty: The Case of the Missing Train” by Carrie Heflin, will be available at the ticket office to take home with you.

Hope to see you next month on May 11th!

National Train Day
2026-05-09 10:00 - 15:00
Saturday May 9th 10am to 3pm

Celebrate the 157th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum will be hosting special events to celebrate this annual holiday. Open from 10am-5pm, most events will wrap up by 3pm, so come early!
Tentative Activities included (subject to change):

Maintenance Shop open for tours
Speedercar rides
Model Railroad demos
Engine cab tours
Kids crafts
Special exhibits open for tours
Tables from various area attractions and other railroad organizations
Special concession stand snacks

Admission FREE! This day only for the special event
In collaboration with the St. Louis County Depot’s STEAM Fest in the Great Hall, the museum will be hosting additional organizations and activities that celebrate STEAM and National Train Day.

Interested in setting up a table, activity, or becoming a vendor? email reece@duluthtrains.com for more information

Trains and Toddlers
2026-05-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Join us for story time and a toddler friendly craft from 10:00am -11:30am.
We will be reading Pete the Cat’s Train Trip by Kimberly and James Dean and Choo Choo School by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
1/2 price admission $7/adults, $4/kids (3-13)
Due to construction, please follow the pink signs and enter through the side entrance under the canopy.
This event is free for members and children 2 and under.
We are a participating member of a program called Museums for All that enables us to offer free admission to Trains and Toddlers to SNAP recipients.

See you soon at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum!

Summer BBQ Train
2026-05-15 17:30 - 20:30
An evening 2.5 hour excursion in the dining car with Famous Dave’s BBQ dinner included. Enjoy the first class Dome Car on the way back! Weekends in May and July! Tickets available at www.DuluthTrains.com. Reservations required.

Minnesota Free-mo Modelers & Train Expo/Model Railroad Flea Market
2026-05-16 - 2026-05-17 | The Duluth Depot, 506 West Superior Street, Duluth, MN, 55802, United States
The largest HO Scale model railroad comes to town and sets up in The Depot’s Great Hall. In the railroad museum, additional expo booths, flea market of model railroad merchandise and railroad memorabilia. Free to view, with admission required for the Railroad Museum downstairs.
The model railroad in the Great Hall will run Saturday 5/16 from 10-5pm, and Sunday from 10am until about 3pm (some sections might end early).
We call it the “largest” because this is a modular club that travels all around the area. Each person builds their own “module” – which are sections of the railroad, usually about 4 feet in length, and then they’re all assembled like a big puzzle. Then the trains run on a one-of-a-kind layout until they re-arrange it at another event in the future.
Our Transportation Club will be hosting a flea market inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum (level 1) on Saturday, May 16th with model railroad equipment for sale.
Trains on the North Shore Scenic Railroad will also be operating this weekend too! Learn more here.

Model Railroad Flea Market
2026-05-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
The Lake Superior Transportation Club will be hosting a model railroad flea market at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in conjunction with the Free-mo exhibit in the Depot Great Hall on Saturday, May 16th from 10am – 4 pm.
A variety of model railroad and railroad related items will be for sale. Admission to the flea market area is free. Museum passes will be required to explore the entire Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

Northern Pacific model train engine

Dylan Fest Music at the Museum
2026-05-21 19:00 - 22:00
Cowboy Angel Blue
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
506 West Superior Street, Duluth
7:00-10:00 PM |Tickets $12 advance; $15 door
More info & tickets here: https://duluthdylanfest.com/

Lilac Festival Love Train
2026-06-12 17:30 - 20:00
June 12 th &13 th , 5:30pm departure
Take a seat in the SkyView Domecar, and enjoy a delicious meal of “heavy hors d'oeuvres” paired with
Vikre gin samplings while you ride in style on the North Shore Scenic Railroad for this 2.5 hour
excursion up the shore and back. This is a dinner train like no other, at the peak of Lilac season, during
the longest daylight days of the summer. Enjoy delicious food, a cash bar, and plenty of scents of flowers
long the way. Learn more at www.DuluthTrains.com

Grandmas Marathon First Class Viewing Train
2026-06-20 05:30 - 09:00
Saturday, June 20 th , 5:45am
Enjoy breakfast and drinks while watching Grandmas Marathon.
Tickets available at www.DuluthTrains.com

Fathers Day BBQ Lunch Train
2026-06-21 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday, June 21 st – 11am or 1pm
Enjoy some delicious BBQ with Dad on a train excursion. Seating in our dining car, with a dome-lounge
available after lunch to enjoy the return trip. Two trips this day, a shorter trip in the morning, or a longer
ride in the afternoon. Same menu on both.
Tickets available at www.DuluthTrains.com

Murder Mystery Express
2026-08-13 17:30 - 20:00
August 13-30, Thursday – Sunday, 5:30pm-8:00pm
We need your help to find out “who dunnit” on this one-of-a-kind elegant dinner train show.
Tickets available at www.DuluthTrains.com

The Great Pumpkin Train
2026-10-15 - 2026-10-18 | Lake Superior Railroad Museum
October 15-18, 3-departures each day.
Ride the train to the pumpkin patch & return to the train museum for even more fun.
Tickets available at www.DuluthTrains.com
