Southern California Railway Museum
Google lists this as temporarily closed. Check the official site before you go — we surface this the day Google reports it, but we have not re-verified it ourselves.
Perris, CA
Grounds free; ride tickets ~$8–13
By Simir Shah
★★★★★4.6(2,242 Google reviews)
What parents say
AI summary of 5 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
Trolley and train rides run on site and are the draw for kids. Reviewers warn the museum spreads across a large outdoor property: expect a lot of walking, dust, uneven ground and insects. It is volunteer-run and can feel understaffed. Guided tours are described as cheap.
California's largest railway museum (formerly Orange Empire) — admission and parking are free, and weekends you can ride real trolleys all day.
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2201 S A St, Perris, CA 92570, USA
Map
What visitors say
- Cody Curtin★★★★★
This is an awesome Railroad Museum! My family and I visited to ride the trolley and Bicentennial diesel engine. Loved every moment! The staff were friendly and provided answers to all our questions. An amazing experience!
2 months ago
- Jacob 'JayJaman' Allen★★★★★
This historic location is steeped in importance for Perris, and carries a lot of important rolling stock related to Los Angeles and SoCal's railway heritage. However, I must be honest and mention that because the museum is volunteer operated, it can feel a little understaffed and slightly barren. For me this wasn't an issue, and frankly for what its worth, the staff on hand was incredibly knowledgabe, spirited, and dedicated to the museums mission. Outside of the museum, near the entrance from the parking lot, sit two Ticket booths that were originally used at Disneyland in the 1980s till roughly 2000, when they were retired prior to the completion of Disney's California Adventure. This was a major draw, and the two booth are kept in pristine condition. During my trip I visited a few of the barns housing rolling stock for multiple streetcar lines around the SoCal area, and took a round trip ride on an old LA electric Streetcar. The ride itself was a little creaky and bumpy, but these vehicles are over 100 years old and while they've been kept in amazingly pristine condition, age still affects these magnificent cars. Overally the experience was unique and interesting, however, I would warn casual visiters that the location isn't as contained as say a theme park. Because the museum is spread across a large outdoor property, you should expect considerable walking, uneven or dusty areas, and the usual insects found around vegetation and standing water. But other than that, the experience was unique and is definetely a reason to visit Perris.
2 months ago
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