Epic Rail Train museum located in Bowling Green, KY at the historic (1925) L&N Depot. We were looking for something to check out while we visited Bowling Green, and trains are always a good idea. The Good: *Admission is $16 ($14 seniors and vets) for the museum and tour or $8 for just the museum. *Some nice displays in the museum of historic rail antiquities. *Friendly staff *Touring the rail cars is always fascinating, and they've done a great job refurbishing and keeping them in good shape. The Meh: *Smallish souvenir shop to pick up a few gifts and/or souvenirs for train lovers. The Ugly: *Touring the rail car in the summer is just a downright awful experience. I mean, they try their best to cool off the trains with AC, but it's like spitting into the wind. I was schvitzing more than a turkey in November. TLDR: Not the best train museum I've ever visited--and I've visited a LOT--but it was a good way to kill a few hours and didn't break the bank. read more

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The building itself and the inside lobby walls are the best thing about this place. Way overpriced for what you get to see.

My son loves trains and the throughly loved everything about this visit. He was captured by the tour inside the train and he can not stop talking about this experience. The museum and the trains are so informative and preserved so well. read more

Historic RailPark & Train Museum - Museums Near Me - Bowling Green, Kentucky

Don't waste your time coming to this Museum. The displays are great, the people not so much. Bunch of rules regarding taking a picture with your car and the trains in the background. Just a place to get gouged, not worth the hassle coming to this Museum. read more

Located in Bowling Green, my partner, his family and I had a 2pm train tour last Monday at the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad Station. If you love trains and history, then this is your place! There is a large model railroad just off the gift shop. Most of the information is upstairs with lots of displays and nostalgia pieces. There is even a section on hobos. Our guide was Tristan and at times very amusing. Walking thru several actual cars took us back in time. We saw a variety of cars from the engine, the mail car, a dining car, an economy class Pullman, and ended with a presidential or VIP car. One of the museum's current projects is restoring former the U. S. Army hospital car. Overall this is a great little museum for those train enthusiasts. read more

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I stopped here on my road trip because I like the train thing and it was along my trip. I was super excited when I saw the L&N E unit with the heavy weight cars that I might get a ride on. As I got close to the train I noticed a commercial ac unit under the cars and permanent piping from the ground into the train, dam it's a static display train and doesn't move at all. Basically it's a walk through tour train in a nice setting to spend some time. The station has the museum and shares the space with other businesses/offices. The museum has a gift shop, huge model railroad layout with smaller layouts under it. As far as a railroad museum it's pretty small, an easy walk through which will not take up a lot of time because I was done in an 1/2 hour. read more

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My husband and I have lived in Bowling Green for a year and a half now but never made it to the Railpark until recently. We live on a tight budget but I happened to see a great Groupon deal for half off tickets so we got them! The railpark is pretty much downtown but has it's own parking lot. You go around back of the building, near the train you can see from the road, and there's a large gift shop with a neat model train set up inside! It was pretty entertaining to watch the tiny train travel around a miniature version of Bowling Green. There is a museum that you can walk through which is what we did while waiting for the next tour of the real train outdoors. The museum has a lot of info about how trains affected economics and the history of commerce between Kentucky and Tennessee. The upstairs area has more cool things too as well as a short film you can watch. The tour of the train itself was awesome! They have an old postal service car with all the tiny boxes and big sacks for mail sorting. Our tour guide seemed to love trains and did a wonderful job telling the history of it. We got to go in the engine, too, which is always exciting. The rest of the train was just as interesting and we learned that Duncan Hines (of cake mix fame) rode on similar trains which is how he got involved in biscuit mixes. It's quite a great story with ties to Bowling Green and if your tour guide doesn't mention it, you should ask! The old train station building is worth exploring after the tour. There is an office in half of the building which was a little bit confusing but we didn't have any problems. There are a few empty rooms near the front that you can look in with absolutely beautiful floors and design. I was very impressed with the lovely architecture and the tour. I'm glad we finally made it and I do recommend it if you like trains or just want a fun experience to learn more about Bowling Green! read more

Opened in October of 1925, this is Bowling Green"s 3rd train depot to exist. The depot lobby is magnificent in itself as it has 1925 architect. If you just want to see the museum like I did and not the train tour, you pay just half price which was $6. However, I now wished I had paid $12 to see the rail car guided tour. You can also see a film in here on the second floor of the museum in the theatre. It's short and has plenty of seats. Features: it has interactive exhibits where you push buttons to make it come on. They have real passenger cars and one was involved in a light accident. They have a great gift shop just as you walk in with an attendant. They also have a model rail road layout exhibit. It has a button you push and a model train starts going around the track. As I understand it, it has a group of volunteers that meet here and they art building it. It has unbelievable details. This train depot was operational up to 1979. It stayed vacant until the 1990's when they decided to restore it. In 1995 it was a library but finally now is a rail road museum, Once in here, don't for get to check out the train depot lobby. Just open the doors and walk in. You can picture it being busy back in the day. There's no telling who came thru there long ago. read more

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Saturday, April 12, 2014, Tony and I visited the Historic Rail Park Train Museum and L & N Depot. They were going to have a wedding reception there, so we were limited to what we could see. I was able to take a few pictures outside of the trains and the depot. Admission is $12 per adult..and $10 per kid...I think it was a little high.. too costly for me and they don't offer any AAA discounts. The Historic Railpark and Train Museum, formerly the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Station in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is located in the historic railroad station. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1979. Opened in 1925, the standing depot is the third Louisville & Nashville Railroad depot that served Bowling Green. The first Bowling Green railroad depot was built in 1858 prior to the L&N's rails reaching Bowling Green. The first Louisville & Nashville station in Bowling Green was a brick (sic, no photos or descriptions exist) building. The line from Nashville reached Bowling Green on August 10, 1859. The line between Louisville and Nashville was complete on October 18, 1859, and was celebrated by 10,000 Nashvillians. During the Civil War, the young L&N found itself to be a point of contention between the North and South. Kentucky was integral to the war and President Lincoln summed up the situation in this manner: "I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game". Bowling Green was critical to both sides with its proximity to the Confederate state of Tennessee. The L&N branched just south of Bowling Green with routes to Clarksville, TN, and the line to Memphis, TN, opening the path to the Western war plans. By 1863 the L&N was the only railroad to cross both Union and Confederate Territories. The actions of L&N President James Gutherie resulted in a contentious relationship with the U.S. War Department, after the Battle of Perryville sealed Kentucky's alliance, but saved the L&N's future. When the Confederates were forced to retreat from the city in February 1862, they burned downtown and all the supplies they could not carry, as well as the depot and trains. The Union troops occupying the city set about building a new depot. It was a wooden building and served the railroad and people of Bowling Green into the 20th century. In 1878 malaria broke out from New Orleans to Memphis, Tennessee. Residents of Memphis wishing to escape the epidemic boarded the L&N trains, but residents from other towns refused to let them leave the train at their towns. Bowling Green's station was the first place they could leave the train, but enormous bonfires were built in order to deter infection. The evacuation of Memphis lasted a few days, until Memphis was quarantined read more

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Visited on a Saturday of a holiday weekend. It wasn't too busy. Took the guided tour of the rail cars which was amazing especially if you have never taken a ride on a passenger train. There was the engine, postal car, dining car, and 2 passenger cars. Also, toured the museum which has so much history that I never knew or even heard about. We had a Groupon which saved for 2 adult admissions but they have several discounts available--military, senior etc. The only reason i could give 5 stars is some of the exhibits were not functioning for the audio or video component. Also, the train display only had 3 working trains although it had numerous tracks and buttons "push to turn on the train". The staff was very friendly and open to questions. The parking was easily accessible to the museum. I would go again to see the WWII hospital railcar when it is complete and the Jim Crow car--these were under restoration at the time of our visit. read more

Friendly staff! Great museum. My son and I had to wait about an hour before getting our tour of the train, however they have a two story museum and they have a train display that was a whole hour of fun for Drew. If you're looking for something for the whole family, go visit this museum. There's also a $2 off coupon in one of the brochures for bowling green, however it was only $12 for adults. read more

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If you want the best tour guide in the world who is so into what he does and it completely shows in his tours, then please go to L&N Historic Railpark and get a tour from Ed Schwab. I guarantee you'll leave happy and filled with knowledge about the trains from the era. Ed said he has been there from the day they opened 7 years ago and he still loves it! Yelper Melissa B. wrote a lot about the history so I won't. However, she said that a AAA discount is not available. It is...there is a sticker on the window and also one on a sign by the registers where you pay. You get 10% off which I used. L&NHR has some completely refurbished railcars that were all done by volunteer work. The facility is air conditioned and so are some of the railcars but not all. There's the engine, Pullman car, dining car, Presidential car, Duncan Hines car (not what you're thinking!), mail car (fascinating), and Ed gives you such a vision of what it was like to be on each. He answered all questions, and even went at least 1/2 hour over his "allotted" time...he was on OT for his volunteer shift! And this would have been very bad for the timing of the trains back in the day. But for my family and one other, it was so much pleasure listening to Ed. L&NHR is presently trying to refurbish an Army Medical Car, a Jim Crow Car, and a couple of others. As Ed said, they may not be the biggest train museum, they cannot offer rides, but they do offer the most precise refurbished cars. And with a tour guide like Ed who cares so much for the facility and trains and their future it did not matter to me about the other things he said they did not have. If you're in the area and like trains, you want to come and see L&N Historic Railpark. You'll spend a few quality hours here. read more

This is a great place to see some L & N history. i road the train form Louisville to Bowling Green when I was a kid. So to come here and see the old engine and cars was quite a thrill and a treat.There is a great model train exhibit and a gift shop inside the depot. They offer tours although on the day we went we did not take the tour. It is a marvelous experience that you should not miss. read more

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Visited the railpark and paid for a guided tour. The admission price is not too bad for a family of 4 adults and 2 kids. We paid about $45. We spent approximately 2 hours at the museum. When you walk in, you enter through the gift shop and get to see a giant model train set. Don't rush by this elaborate set! It is magnificent. There are lots to see. Be prepared to lift the kids up a little. For adults, the elevated set is quite a sight. The museum has exhibits that place the importance of trains in the historical context of Bowling Green. They really have gone the extra mile to focus on the little details. Upstairs you will learn about the evolution of the modern train, the amenities, the employees, and the hobos. The tour was outstanding. The train cars were interesting. We were with a large tour group and I felt a little rushed. However, it was worth the extra money, and I would pay to see the train again. The cars are unique... mail car, sleeper cars, dining cars, and private suite car. I loved it! Don't forget to check out the cab where the engineer stares out at the open track. Kids might get bored, so keep them engaged and ask them questions about what they're seeing. read more

Historic RailPark & Train Museum - View in the cab of locomotive. Go! It's awesome. - Museums Near Me - Bowling Green, Kentucky

Do not miss this museum. Very nice and highly recommend. The tour of the trains and main museum feature a critical, in-depth look at a very important part of the history of this Country. read more

I have newly relocated to Bowling Green and have just fallen in love with this museum and the rail park! The tour guides are volunteers but have EXTENSIVE knowledge about the trains and the history of the railway. There is a lovely little gift shoppe and even a very impressive model train that the kids will love! read more

Had my daughter's Second birthday here, it was a great experience. The staff were friendly and helped us get everything set up in the train car where we had the party. It was in a good location, just next to the ballpark. The train car is not handicap accessible, so if you are throwing a party in the train car, take this in mind. I wouldn't recommend having the party when it is warm. The air conditioning doesn't work well. All in all a wonderful experience. read more

This was a nice place to visit. Toured an old train and learned a lot in the museum. If you like trains it's definitely a place to visit. Some areas are a little run down in the train. They could use funds to refurbish I think. The young people that work there sure are nice! read more

Not a good place to experience an escape game. Poorly put together. We had to pretend to be handcuffed and blindfolded. The handcuffs were in a box in plain sight??? Lame. The story and activities do not clearly tie together. Go to a franchise those games are so much better! read more

Great way to spend several hours, and learn a lot about the history of train travel. Well done museum, though the indoor part was a little small. The tour of the rail cars was definitely worth it, SO interesting and informative. We got to see a postal service car and see where mail was sorted, tour a dining car, sit in the drivers seat of the locomotive, even see a wooden private presidential car! The tour guides are all volunteers, and ours was knowledgable and clearly passionate about what he does. The actual tour was a bit long for our young ones though, lasting about an hour and a half. The gift shop is very kid friendly with several places for them to sit and play. read more

Nice little train museum. It was neat to go through the trains and the museum section. Have a few train cars that are still being restored so couldn't go through them yet. One was a WWII medical car so curious to see how it will turn out. Nice stop if like trains and history. read more

The restored cars--especially the mail car and cooking portion of the dining car were fantastic. I loved seeing the compact areas and considering what it might have been like to work in those cars so many years ago. Our tour guide, Bob Barnes, was a wonderful story teller and great guide and shared the history with colorful commentary. And if the cost for that alone had been six bucks or so, I'd give it a solid 5 for value on the dollar. Alas, the tickets are $12 each which for a 30 minute narrated tour and family was more than it deserved. The tour included miniature trains (pretty cool) and an exhibit upstairs that consisted primarily of narrated videos and reading material. I'm a buff for artifacts of the time, and they were lacking. They are in the proces of restoring a hospital car and caboose, and I think this will add to an already stellar set of rail cars. I'd love to see them restore piece by piece (so as not to disrupt the exhibit) the dining car of the once might yL&M CEO (who swore he'd bar Bowling Green from a future RR depot) to its original mahogany. I'd also love to see a more equitable price. I'm giving it a four, but for the price, it's a hard rating to give. If I compare this to yesterday's tour of The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home, at $19 each, this doesn't compare. I spent 3 1/2 hours or more and loved every minute of it. So, it's still worth a peek, but I'd try to negotiate the price. read more

Fantastic! It is a blast into the past. Note: Be sure to come around near Halloween to see Haunted Lantern tours. They are original, fun, and family friendly! read more

My wife and I enjoyed the museum and the guided tour of the rail cars. Worth the money, easy acess , and a great tour guide.

I can not, in good faith, recommend this place to anyone. The outside of the building looks nice and it has several train cars outside but do not go out of your way to tour this place like we did. We do our research and go out of our way to introduce our kids to these "Iron Horses" but even though we arrived at 3:30 pm and the sign clearly states that they close at 5:00 pm, they apparently take the last tour before 3:30pm. There was no offer of apologies even try to accommodate us in anyway. If you do decide to go out of your way to visit this museum, don't say that you weren't warned. read more

Very interesting and well done. Easy to find. Highly recommend for a stop. Tours run hourly and must be taken to walk through the train cars. read more