Tooele Valley Railroad Museum

Come and experience Tooele County?s colorful past at the Tooele Valley railroad and Mining Museum. Opened in 1983, the museum is a repository of artifacts from railroading, smelting and mining. Listed on the State Historical Register, the museum is housed in the former Tooele Valley Railway Station and features a fascinating display of artifacts that tell the story of the area?s colorful early years.

The museum?s centerpiece is Tooele Valley Railway?s Steam Locomotive Number 11. Built in 1910 by the American Locomotive Company in Brooks, NY, the locomotive has been cosmetically restored and converted into an interpretive display. Museum visitors are allowed to go inside the locomotive to truly experience one of mankind?s greatest transportation inventions.

A popular highlight of the museum is a miniature train that encircles the facility grounds and provides rides for children and adults on Saturdays. Miniature train enthusiasts from Utah frequently bring their home-built trains to the museum to use the facility?s tracks and give rides to visitors.

The museum?s collection includes priceless photographs of the railway and the smelter?s construction, operation, and demolition in 1975. The photographs provide a living record of the smelter and life in Tooele Valley during the early 20th Century. Also inside the museum are artifacts from mining operations and other historically significant events. The museum?s tour guides share with visitors firsthand knowledge of the Tooele Valley Railway, and mining operations in nearby Oquirrh Mountains.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm (Beginning Memorial Day to late September)