Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum

Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum Welcome to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum. Diesel, steam, and electric equipment, and a 9,000 sq. ft. museum.
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We are a division of the Iowa Railroad Historical Society, a non-profit 501(c)(3) operating railroad museum located in Boone, Iowa.

The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, Sept...
09/04/2026

The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

All of us wish you a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

All aboard for Labor Day Thomas savings!Celebrate the holiday weekend by saving $4 OFF every Day Out With Thomas ticket ...
09/04/2026

All aboard for Labor Day Thomas savings!

Celebrate the holiday weekend by saving $4 OFF every Day Out With Thomas ticket at Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad!

Bring the whole family to enjoy an interactive ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, live music, fun activities, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Event Dates: September 12–13 & 18–20 (All dates & Thomas train times included!)
Promo Code: LABORDAY26
Where to Book: www.TicketWeb.com

Sale Window: Friday, Sept 4 (12:01 AM) – Monday, Sept 7 (11:59 PM)

Lock in your family's seats before tickets sell out!
www.TicketWeb.com

*Use code LABORDAY26 at checkout on TicketWeb.com. Offer valid Sept 4 at 12:01 AM – Sept 7 at 11:59 PM for Day Out With Thomas train rides on Sept 12–13 & 18–20. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid for any other trains (Fraser Train, Wolf Train, etc.). Subject to modification or cancellation by Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad.

09/03/2026

Do you have your tickets to spend a Day Out with Thomas at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad? Join us for a rockin’ good time — a celebration packed with music, fun, and family memories!

Where: 225 10th Street, Boone, Iowa
When: September 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20
What’s in store for your little engineers:
A real train ride with a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine™
Music-based activities, live entertainment, and games
Access to the railroad museum and the Music Corner
Trolley rides + so much more!

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: Save $2 OFF per ticket when you use promo code BSVRR26 at checkout!

Don't miss out—tickets sell fast! Grab yours today at TICKETWEBDOWT.COM

Welcome to another at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Today, we travel back to 1985 for a look at activity around ...
09/03/2026

Welcome to another at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Today, we travel back to 1985 for a look at activity around our depot during that year’s Pufferbilly Days festivities. This year’s event takes place from Friday, September 18, through Sunday, September 20 (also the second weekend of our Day Out With Thomas event). For more information on Boone’s Pufferbilly Days, visit https://boonecountychamber.com/pufferbilly-days/.

08/27/2026

Welcome to another at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. This week, we emerge from the vault with a few seconds of video from an ad for one of our first Day Out With Thomas events. This year’s Day Out With Thomas event is only a few days away, and tickets for select departure times are going fast. Get your tickets now at ticketwebdowt.com.

FLASH SALE: Motorcar Excursions for Just $100!You’ve ridden our trains and pedaled with Rail Explorers—now it’s time to ...
08/25/2026

FLASH SALE: Motorcar Excursions for Just $100!

You’ve ridden our trains and pedaled with Rail Explorers—now it’s time to experience the rails like track crews did in the golden age of railroading! Ride our open-air motorcars across the breathtaking 156-foot tall Bass Point Creek High Bridge and through the scenic Des Moines River Valley.

The Deal:
• Special Price: $100 (Normally $165 — Save $65!)
• Deadline: Reserve now through Thursday, August 27th
• Spots are limited for these Saturday runs!

📞 Call 515.432.4249 today to lock in your savings before this deal rolls out of the station!

Welcome to at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Today, we're heading back to the mid 1980s as we take a look at a fe...
08/20/2026

Welcome to at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Today, we're heading back to the mid 1980s as we take a look at a few of our early volunteers. Some of these shots were taken at volunteer dinners, some in the offices, and some out on the line. Some familiar faces include Dean Briley, Lloyd Nelson, Walter Jipp, Charlotte Clagett, Betty Winkelpleck, Dorothy Goldsworth, Beefy Holmes, and many more.

Welcome to another ! Today, we are going back in time to 1998 for a look at photos from our second Day Out With Thomas ...
08/13/2026

Welcome to another ! Today, we are going back in time to 1998 for a look at photos from our second Day Out With Thomas event.

Fast-forward to 2026, and you can spend a Day Out With Thomas at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad on September 12, 13, 18, 19, or 20. Take a ride with a full-size Thomas, listen to live music, take part in games and activities, visit the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum, hop aboard a beautifully restored 1915 electric trolley, and more. Get your tickets at www.ticketwebdowt.com.

Before highways connected our communities, Inter-Urban electric trains zipped across the Iowa landscape—linking Des Moin...
08/11/2026

Before highways connected our communities, Inter-Urban electric trains zipped across the Iowa landscape—linking Des Moines, Colfax, Perry, and Woodward.

Author Ron Sims takes us back on a journey detailing the life of this once vital electric short line railroad.

At the turn of the 20th century in Central Iowa, there was an electric railway that was recognized as a leader in the new field of interurban transit. Originating from the Des Moines streetcar system, the line utilized fast, efficient electric cars to move people and freight between Des Moines and the communities of Perry, Woodward, and Colfax.

An early proponent of carload freight transport, the Inter-Urban Railway used electric locomotives to pull cars of freight to interchange with the steam railroads in Des Moines. This relationship ultimately allowed the line to survive after most electric railways had been abandoned, until it was purchased by the Chicago and North Western Railway.

The history in this book comes from the lifelong interest and research of Des Moines native, Ronald D. Sims and contains maps, rosters, and photos from his massive railroadiana collection. It traces the early history of the first electric lines through the heyday of electric transit, to the end of passenger service in the 1940s, and through the adoption of diesel locomotives as a freight-only short line railroad. Through mergers and purchases, part of the line is still operated today as part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

• 210 Pages
• 243 Images
• 13 Blueline maps
• Perfect bound book with laminated cover

Cost is only $50 or $60 with S&H and can be ordered from:

NRHS-Iowa Chapter
P.O. Box 4
Ames, IA 50010

Iowa Railroad Historical Society
225 10th St.
P.O. Box 603
Boone, IA 50036

Sponsored by the NRHS Iowa Chapter and the Iowa Railroad Historical Society

08/07/2026

Can you believe that, in a little more than a month, it will be Thomas time at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad? Join us for a rockin’ good time — a celebration packed with music, fun, and family memories!

Where: 225 10th Street, Boone, IA
When: September 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20

What’s in store for your little engineers:
A real train ride with a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine™
Music-based activities, live entertainment, and games
Access to the railroad museum and the Music Corner
Trolley rides + so much more!

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: Save $2 OFF per ticket when you use promo code BSVRR26 at checkout!

Don't miss out—tickets sell fast! Grab yours today at TICKETWEBDOWT.COM

Address

225 10th Street
Boone, IA
50036

Opening Hours

Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15154324249

Website

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