Last updated: 7/6/2011
1921 Avenue F
Rosenberg, TX 77471
PO Box 369
Rosenberg, TX 77471
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 5 PM
$5.00 for adults
$4.00 for senior citizens (55+)
$3.00 for children ages 1 - 14
|
Rae Taylor
phone: 281-723-5559
|
Railroad Museum in Fort Bend County Texas. There is an eight-minute film that gives an overview of the eight railroads that once traversed Fort Bend County. Artifacts and photos from these railroads are exhibited there, as well as historic photos from the area. There are some great images of the December 1924 snowfall, and an image of a train literally blown off the tracks by the 1900 hurricane. There are objects used by employees in the depots, in the railyards, and along the tracks, as well as job titles and descriptions of many long-gone occupations. We also have photographs of nearly every depot that served Fort Bend County. There are also buttons, badges, tools, lamps, lanterns, china and flatware, locks and keys, brochures and timetables - and so much more.
Birthday parties at the Rosenberg Railroad Museum are designed with children from 2-8 years old in mind. We offer three packages & several extras for you to choose from. Call for details.
We also have a nice gift shop, where you can pick up that special item for yourself, or the perfect gift! When you complete your gallery tour, there's much more to see - Tower 17, the Quebec railcar, a Garden Railroad, and the HO layout at Education Station. Have a look at the additional web pages to get a peek.
Years after the grand opening mile marker was passed, the Rosenberg Railroad Museum continues to grow in fulfillment of its mission to present the railroad heritage of Fort Bend County. Other pages on our website tell the continuing story of growth and acquisitions, and please view them for more details. We could not have come this far without the dedication of many members, volunteers, and sponsors throughout the years, and the continued support of our membership and the public at large.
A group first met in 1990 with the idea for a railroad museum. In late 1992, an exploratory committee met to determine the feasibility of establishing museum to emphasize the railroad history of Fort Bend County. Rosenberg was the largest city in the county that was named for a railroad official, was actually platted by a railroad company - the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe, and is centrally located, so it became the primary focus as a location for the museum.
In 1993, committee chairman and County Court-at-Law Judge Larry Wagenbach convinced the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway Company to donate 1.47 acres of land on the west side of 3rd Street and north of Avenue F in downtown Rosenberg to the Rosenberg Revitalization Association [which was the parent organization for the museum committee, and had the 501(c)3 tax status required to accept the land as a gift]. In July of that year, the railroad museum acquired its first artifacts from an auction at the George Ranch - the largest being the 1879 business car "Quebec".
Much of the time between 1993 and 1996 was spent on fundraising, and trying to get ISTEA money from the state of Texas to build a replica of one of the depots in Rosenberg. None of the original railroad structures in town had survived, and Tower 17 was still in service, so there was a need to construct a building that would house the exhibits. By the end of 1998, enough money had been secured to begin construction of the museum gallery so another groundbreaking event was held in December of that year.
The Roy Ekstrum Lantern Collection is in the gallery. Come and see an extensive collection of both oil burning and early battery lanterns used on the railroads.
The complex which has become the Mayde Waddel Butler EDUCATION STATION was formerly the water department for the City of Rosenberg. The city donated the property to RRM in 2004, and it has become the focus for our summer camps, Super Science Saturdays, and the RRM Hamburger Suppers throughout the month of July. There is a large HO train layout in a separate room, which was disassembled, relocated, and reassembled by Master Model Railroader Russell Straw. In November, during Model Railroad Month, Russell and the Fort Bend Model RR Club set up their giant N-scale layout of Fort Bend County. Russell's N-scale Imperial Sugar plant is not to be missed!
Gift Shop
Online Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Group Tours
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is
provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as
to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc.
and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such
use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.