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CA-70 The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is located less than an hour's drive from Downtown Reno and Lake Tahoe in Portola, California. Located on California Highway 70 at the top of the scenic "Feather River Canyon", regardless of where you're coming from, the drive to Portola is always a scenic one, worth every bit of the trip itself.

Once you arrive in Portola, follow the signs around town to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum.

- From Highway 70, you will turn southeast and cross the Feather River on the Gulling Street bridge.

- Make the first right turn on Commercial Street, heart of downtown Portola.

-Follow the signs to Pacific Street, where you will make a gentle left turn, followed by a right turn on Western Pacific Way.

- As you pass the city's "Equipment Yard", you'll pass through the front gate, and into the museum grounds, where 159 pieces of historic railroad rolling stock awaits you and your family.

Don't worry about the kids; there is a very good reason that if you look around you, seldom will you see a "no climbing" or "Please do not touch" sign. In fact, we encourage our visitors to climb aboard and experience our collection in a truly "Hands-on" way.

Sit in the engineers seat behind the controls of the mighty UP 6946, the largest diesel locomotive EVER built.

Tour vintage passenger cars and see what rail travel was like before the days of Amtrak. Sit in the Conductors seat in one of our many restored cabooses. Marvel at the variety of freight cars and locomotives. And take plenty of pictures to remember your families experience at the West's premier Rail Museum!

Visiting Feather River Country

Flags The Feather River Canyon is beautiful country year round, with plenty to see and do all year. The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is located atop the headwaters of the North Fork of the Feather River in the quaint mountain town of Portola. Lodging, restaurants, and plenty of shopping options are available in Portola, along with many options for family fun and entertainment in and around town. Use the Google map below to help plan your visit.

Museum Admission &
Train Ride Tickets

Museum is closed for the winter except for special events.
We plan to open for 2025 season on 5/1/25.

NOTE: All hours are subject to Weather Conditions. In particular, special events in October and December are WEATHER PERMITTING, as are Run-A-Locomotive availability. If you have a question about operations when weather is questionable, please call 530-832-4131 for the latest information.

Upon entering the museum grounds, please purchase admission wrist bands and train ride tickets in our museum store, located at the entrance to the Diesel Shop.

Museum Admission:
Adults 19 - 64	$10.00
Youth 5 - 18	$6.00
Children 4 and under	free
Senior (65 and up) and Active Military	$8.00
Family Pass *	$25.00
*Family Pass - 2 Adults and any related children 18 and under.

Group rate information HERE

Train Ride Tickets:
(Train rides weekends: Memorial Day~Labor Day)
Adults 19 - 64	$5.00
Youth 5 - 18	$3.00
Children 4 and under	free
Senior (65 and up) and Active Military	$5.00
Family Pass *	$14.00
*Family Pass - 2 Adults and any related children 18 and under.
Locomotive Cab Rides: **
Adults 19 - 64	$20.00
Youth 4 - 18	12.00
Senior (65 and up) and Active Military	$20.00
** Price good for one cab ride with the engineer. Riders must be seated at all times while locomotive is moving. Riders must give their signed liability releases to the engineer prior to departure.

~ Museum Tour Guides ~

To help you enjoy your visit and learn more about our collection, we have two resources available for your use:

For your safety...click HERE for important information.

Make a weekend out of your trip...

Portola is only an hour's drive from Reno, Lake Tahoe, Truckee & Carson City. We're a scenic 3 hour drive from Sacramento & the Central Valley, and a 4 and a half hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. Come on up and make a weekend getaway out of your museum visit! There are plenty of accommodations & local attractions to appeal to everyone and make your families vacation experience an unforgettable one!

For more information on attractions near the Western Pacific Railroad Museum, visit our friends at the Plumas County Visitors Bureau and pick up your free visitors guide.

Order your free visitors guide!

Please support our sponsors...

700 Western Pacific Way, P.O. Box 608, Portola CA 96122-8636 | 1-530-832-4131 | email us at: info@wplives.org