RailsWest History Museum

10/23/2026

Check out this recent podcast we were featured on! Big thanks to Loess Hills Media and Podcasts for inviting us on and chatting with us about our Flashlight Tours and other upcoming events at the Historical Society!

10/20/2026

Council Bluffs’ extensive railroad network made it a crossroads for travelers—including hobos, the itinerants who crisscrossed the country by hopping freight trains. One man elected “King of the Hobos” three times spent plenty of time in Council Bluffs—much of it behind bars. This 60-second video tells his story.

10/19/2026

10/18/2026

10/16/2026

Autumn brings colorful foliage and politicians to Council Bluffs. The city has had its share of sitting presidents, presidents-to-be, and vice-presidents pay a visit, perhaps even more than its share, due to dominance as a rail center which required many to pass through just to get somewhere else. In the fall of ‘52 presidential candidate Dwight Eisenhower arrived at Council Bluffs’ Rock Island depot. He was actually in the Metro for a presentation at Ak-Sar-ben Coliseum but locals swarmed the depot for a peak at the famous general.

10/10/2026

Our Flashlight Tours at the Squirrel Cage Jail have returned for October! If you like history and spooky experiences, join us Fridays and Saturdays in October for a tour of the Squirrel Cage Jail, after dark!

Fridays and Saturdays, October 2nd-30th from 8pm-10:30pm. Tickets are $15 and can be paid at the door.

09/26/2026

At long last, Council Bluffs—the town with the richest history west of Chicago (that's us!)—has a history book created especially for kids! The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County teamed up with children’s author Wendy Kaupa to bring our community’s stories to life through Kane, a curious black squirrel who discovers the people, places and events that make Council Bluffs history so much fun. Come celebrate the book’s debut and meet the author at a special book signing Saturday, September 26, at 3:30 p.m. at the RailsWest History Museum.
Admission to the museum is free for the event, and books will be available for $11. Bring the kids, meet Wendy—and discover just how super cool Council Bluffs history really is!

09/26/2026

Have you ever wanted to meet a real archaeologist? Come down to the RailsWest History Museum in Council Bluffs! Kids can excavate acorn “artifacts”, talk to our archaeology friends from the University of Indianapolis, and participate in other hands-on programs! It’s happening now until 7:30pm!

$10 for Adults
$5 for kids
Kids under 5 are free

09/26/2026

145 years ago today (September 26, 1881) the city’s Rock Island railroad depot made a rather sudden and dramatic exit. An explosion replaced the one-time rail station with a twelve foot deep crater. A box car loaded with dynamite sitting a short distance from the depot was likely ignited by a small fire started from sparks of a passing steam engine resulting in what was perhaps the biggest explosion in the city’s history. The resultant blast shattered windows downtown more than a mile away including the elegant stained glass windows on the Congregational church, and the depot was a total loss, as well as fifty rail cars and several nearby houses. Amazingly there were no immediate fatalities, though a 20-year-old man suffered a serious head injury from a flying piece of a train wheel. The explosion occurred just as a crowd was leaving a memorial service for President Garfield in Bayliss Park, causing many to head south toward blast, expecting to see that the city gas works had blown up. The RailsWest Railroad Museum occupies the site today.

09/23/2026

Historian Dick Miller talked about Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Council Bluffs at a Historical Society event yesterday, and Kane, our hometown curious black squirrel is all set to tell that same tale to your kids and grandkids. Join us Saturday, September 26, 3:30 pm at the RailsWest History Museum as we introduce a brand new local history book for kids. Children’s author Wenda Kaupa will be on hand to chat with and to sign copies of the book. The book is targeted toward children around third and fourth grade, but younger kids will enjoy the pictures and pick up on the story if someone reads it to them. The books will be available for $11, but no purchase is necessary.