National Railroad Museum

What National Railroad Museum does

The National Railroad Museum is a privately funded 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 1956 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, operating as the only Congressionally designated railroad museum in the United States. It maintains a collection of over 70 pieces of historic rolling stock and 100,000+ artifacts on a 33-acre Fox River waterfront campus, drawing more than 100,000 visitors annually from 50+ countries. Core operations center on rolling stock exhibits (Union Pacific #4017 Big Boy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Pennsylvania Railroad #4890, General Motors Aerotrain), seasonal train rides, educational programs, and private event rentals.

The museum operates across multiple revenue streams including admission tickets, train rides, private event rentals, museum store sales, annual memberships, educational programming (youth/school tours, STEM workshops, summer camps, scout merit badge programs), donations and fundraising (including a $15 million Full Steam Ahead! capital campaign), and ticketed special events (Polar Express, Dinner Train, Rails & Ales Brewfest, Great Pumpkin Train, 70th Anniversary Celebration). Pricing is granular and unit-based, ranging from $3 Museums for All admission to $275 for the Advanced Engineers summer camp.

The business model is event-driven, with strong seasonal concentration around summer train rides (May-September), fall foliage programming, and the November-December Polar Express season. Following the 2025 completion of the Fox River Expansion (25,280 sq. ft. added), the museum expects to roughly double its $20M+ annual regional economic impact. It serves diverse customer segments including families with children, K-12 school groups, scout organizations, summer camp participants, railroad enthusiasts, private event hosts, and low-income visitors (via Museums for All and Blue Star Museums partnerships), supported by 21 staff and 200+ volunteers.

Name

National Railroad Museum

Legal name

National Railroad Museum

Website

https://nationalrrmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Railroad Museum is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit in Green Bay, Wisconsin, founded in 1956 as the only Congressionally designated railroad museum in the U.S. It preserves 70+ pieces of rolling stock and 100,000+ artifacts, serves 100,000+ annual visitors through exhibits, train rides, education programs, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

History Museums (THAJADAB), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Railroad museum exhibits
• Educational STEM programs
• Scout merit badges
• Historic train rides
• Private event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Green Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to access the museum, exhibits, and outdoor grounds. Pricing varies by age (children 4-12, adults 12+, seniors).
2. Train Rides: Seasonal train ride experiences available as add-on to admission, May through September and weekends in October
3. Private Event Rentals: Venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, celebrations, and photography sessions
4. Museum Store: Retail sales of railroad-themed merchandise including the limited edition 70th anniversary magnets
5. Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission and train rides, discounts at the museum store, and other benefits
6. Educational Programs: Revenue from youth/school tours, summer camps, scout programs, outreach programs, and STEM workshops
7. Donations and Fundraising: Private donations, planned giving, memorial giving, and capital campaign contributions support operations and the Fox River Expansion
8. Special Event Tickets: Ticketed special events including 70th Anniversary Celebration, Polar Express Train Ride, Dinner Train, Rails & Ales Brewfest, and Mystery Express

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Railroad Museum operates a 33-acre museum campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where visitors tour trains, view exhibits, and ride seasonal excursions. Revenue is generated through admission tickets, train rides, annual memberships, private event venue rentals, a museum store, K-12 educational programs, scout badge workshops, summer camps, and donations supporting the Fox River Expansion capital campaign.

Product overview

The National Railroad Museum operates as a single unified attraction offering physical admission-based experiences rather than a software product portfolio. The core offering centers on its collection of over 70 pieces of rolling stock (locomotives and railcars) and 100,000+ artifacts, displayed through indoor and outdoor exhibits. These exhibits are complemented by seasonal train rides, comprehensive educational programming (including Youth/School Tours, Railroad STEM Programs, Summer Railroad Camps, Scout Badge Programs, and outreach initiatives), special seasonal events (The Polar Express Train Ride, Family Days, Dinner Train), and private event rentals. The Museum also operates a retail store. The institution generates revenue through admissions, memberships, facility rentals, donations, and mission-related business activities, with no digital products, APIs, or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 visitors annually from across the country and around the world
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Museum of Green BaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for annual PAW Patrol Paw-Palooza family event, bringing first responders, train rides, interactive activities, and PAW Patrol character appearances to the community.
• Logistics Recycling, IncminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Electronics recycling fundraiser partnership supporting the museum's educational mission while providing community recycling opportunities.
• Discover Green BaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partnership promoting Green Bay attractions including the National Railroad Museum as part of visitor destination marketing.
• Brown County Federation of History OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliation supporting regional history organizations through collaborative projects providing professional education, community awareness, and dynamic community events.
• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerASTC Travel Passport Program membership providing National Railroad Museum members free or discounted admission at 300+ select museums worldwide.
• Blue Star MuseumscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration among National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, Department of Defense offering free admission to active-duty military and families from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
• Museums for AllcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSNAP/EBT cardholder admission program offering $3 per person admission (up to 4 individuals per card) to promote accessible museum experiences.
• North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal membership program providing benefits across participating museums and cultural institutions.
• Victory Cruise LinesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe museum is offered as an onshore trip destination for Victory Cruise Lines passengers, attracting international cruise tourists to the Green Bay area.
• Heritage Rail AlliancecoreOthersRailroad preservation industry organization that recognizes excellence in railway preservation through Significant Achievement Awards. The museum has received awards for rolling stock restoration projects.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Heritage Rail Alliance: The industry association for heritage railroads and railroad museums in North America, providing advocacy, insurance programs, and an annual Significant Achievement Awards program. The National Railroad Museum is an active member and multiple award recipient, making it directly comparable as a peer institution.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: The Smithsonian's flagship American history museum in Washington, DC, which holds railroad artifacts including the original John Bull locomotive. Comparable as a major institution preserving American railroad heritage within a broader historical collection, though operating at vastly greater scale and with federal funding.

Emerging players

• EAA Aviation Museum: A specialty transportation-themed museum in Oshkosh, WI focused on aviation rather than rail. Comparable as a specialty transportation museum with iconic artifact collections, hands-on educational programming, and a Wisconsin-based regional audience.

Direct peers

• Illinois Railway Museum: The largest railway museum in the United States located in Union, IL, operating heritage train rides on a campus of restored equipment. Closely comparable in business model, including seasonal train rides, educational programs, and a large rolling stock collection supported by volunteer staff.
• Steamtown National Historic Site: A National Park Site in Scranton, PA preserving the history of steam railroading in America with a collection of steam locomotives and heritage train rides. Comparable as a railroad heritage destination with rolling stock exhibits and educational programming, though federally operated rather than nonprofit.
• National Museum of Transportation: A transportation heritage museum in St. Louis, MO housing one of the largest collections of transportation vehicles in the world, including locomotives and rail cars. Comparable as a multi-modal transportation museum with railroad rolling stock, educational programs, and a comparable operating scale.
• Mid-Continent Railway Museum: A railroad museum in North Freedom, WI operating restored vintage trains on a heritage short line. Closely comparable as a Midwest-based railroad heritage attraction offering train rides, rolling stock preservation, and volunteer-supported operations.
• B&O Railroad Museum: A historic railroad museum in Baltimore, MD housing one of the most significant collections of 19th and 20th century railroad artifacts in the world. Directly comparable as a heritage railroad museum offering rolling stock exhibits, train rides, and educational programming targeting similar family and enthusiast audiences.
• California State Railroad Museum: A state-operated railroad museum in Sacramento, CA recognized as one of the finest railroad museums in North America. Comparable in scale of rolling stock collection, interpretive exhibits, and educational programming, though operated by California State Parks rather than as an independent nonprofit.
• Strasburg Rail Road: The oldest continuously operating railroad in North America, located in Pennsylvania, offering heritage train rides alongside the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Comparable in operating heritage train rides, hosting events, and serving family tourist traffic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-railroad-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Railroad Museum