If you’re looking for a place where the past literally moves before your eyes, the Texas Transportation Museum in San Antonio is exactly what you need. This isn’t your typical museum where you just look at things behind glass. Here, history runs on real tracks, drives on real roads, and brings the golden age of transportation back to life.
A Museum Born from Passion
The Texas Transportation Museum was created in 1964 after some railroad fans tried to restore a steam locomotive that was being displayed at the Comal Power Plant. What started as a group of enthusiasts trying to bring an old steam engine back to life has grown into one of Texas’s most unique transportation museums. The locomotive was taken to the Pearl Brewery and fired up where it spread black soot across the area. While that first attempt might have been a bit messy, it sparked something bigger.
The Texas Transportation Museum is a volunteer-led organization that collects, preserves, and displays historically significant transportation equipment and related items. What makes this place special is that it’s run entirely by volunteers who genuinely love what they do. You can see it in how they talk about the exhibits, how they maintain the equipment, and how excited they get when they fire up the engines.
More Than Just Looking
The best part about the Texas Transportation Museum is that everything actually works. We operate a working passenger railroad, several model train layouts, and many road vehicles. This isn’t a static display where you peer at old machines gathering dust. These volunteers keep everything running, and that makes all the difference.
One of the highlights of the Texas Transportation Museum is its operational heritage railroad, the Longhorn and Western Railroad. Every Saturday and Sunday, you can actually ride on a real train pulled by historic locomotives. This experience is available every hour on the half hour on Saturdays and Sundays. There’s something magical about hearing the whistle blow and feeling the gentle rocking motion as the train carries you around the property.
An Impressive Collection
The collection of exhibits has grown over the years. It now includes over 50 locomotives, dozens of vintage cars, and trucks. That’s a lot of history packed into one location. The locomotives alone represent decades of American railroading, from massive steam engines that once pulled freight across Texas to sleek diesel units that modernized the rails.
Old Engine No. 6 at the Texas Transportation Museum in San Antonio. Built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive company of Pennsylvania, Engine No. 6 served the W.T. Carter & Brother Lumber Company of Camden, Texas, for 45 years. Each piece in the collection has its own story, its own history of service, and its own personality.
The variety goes beyond just trains. At the Texas Transportation Museum, you can see a variety of vehicles, including vintage locomotives, classic cars, and buses. Also, there is an impressive collection of aircraft, including a World War II-era fighter plane. Whether you’re interested in how people traveled by land, rail, or air, you’ll find something that catches your eye.
The Garden Railroad Wonder
San Antonio Garden Railroad Engineers (SAGRES) operates this exhibit consisting of a multiple loop traditional G-Scale, an elevated loop, trolley line and live steam. At over 1300 ft in total track length, it is something to behold. The garden railroad is one of those exhibits that amazes both kids and adults. It’s not just a toy train set – it’s a carefully designed miniature world where tiny locomotives pull trains through landscapes that look incredibly realistic.
Thomas The Tank Engine makes a regular appearance to the delight of young visitors. Watching children’s faces light up when they see Thomas chugging along the tracks is worth the visit alone. The garden railroad shows that transportation history isn’t just about the past – it’s about inspiring the next generation to appreciate how we got from horse-drawn carriages to modern vehicles.
More Than Just Machines
The Texas Transportation Museum also has interactive displays and hands-on exhibits that are perfect for visitors of all ages. This is where the museum really shines. Instead of just reading about how things work, you can actually touch, explore, and experience the technology that moved America forward.
The museum has regularly schedule train rides, historic Pullman cars to tour, a huge garden railroad exhibit, and lots and lots of model trains to watch! Those historic Pullman cars are particularly fascinating. You can walk through them and see how people traveled in luxury during the golden age of rail travel. The sleeping berths, the dining areas, the attention to detail – it all paints a picture of a time when train travel was an experience, not just a way to get from point A to point B.
A Living Museum
What sets the Texas Transportation Museum apart from other museums is that it’s truly alive. The Texas Transportation Museum is an all-volunteer group that operates donated transportation equipment, including full-sized locomotives, antique automobiles, and four different scales of model railroad. The volunteers don’t just maintain the exhibits – they operate them, share stories about them, and keep the history alive through their passion.
TEXAS TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM, 11731 Wetmore Rd, San Antonio, TX 78247, Sat – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Sun – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm The museum is open weekends only, which actually adds to its charm. It feels like a weekend adventure, a special treat rather than just another tourist stop.
Educational Value
The museum serves an important educational purpose beyond just entertainment. THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM WAS CREATED IN 1964 TO HELP PRESERVE ARTIFACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIED ELEMENTS OF SAN ANTONIO’S FASCINATING TRANSPORTATION HISTORY. San Antonio has always been a transportation hub, from the days of cattle drives to modern aviation and shipping. The museum helps visitors understand how transportation shaped not just the city, but the entire region.
The exhibits show how transportation technology evolved and how each advancement changed people’s lives. Looking at a 1911 steam locomotive next to a modern diesel engine tells a story of progress, efficiency, and changing times. The antique cars show how personal transportation evolved from luxury items to everyday necessities.
Perfect for Families
All Ages · Adults & kids together · An all volunteer organization that collects, preserves and displays historically significant transportation equipment and related items. The museum is genuinely designed for all ages. Little kids love the train rides and the model railroads. Teenagers might be fascinated by the classic cars or the aircraft. Adults appreciate the historical context and the craftsmanship. Grandparents often have personal memories connected to some of the exhibits.
The hands-on nature of the museum means that everyone can find something to engage with. Whether you’re climbing aboard a historic train car, watching a model train navigate a miniature landscape, or listening to a volunteer explain how a steam engine works, there’s something for every learning style and interest level.
A Testament to Volunteer Spirit
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Texas Transportation Museum is that it exists at all. The Texas Transportation Museum is a volunteer-led organization that has managed to preserve, maintain, and operate an incredible collection of transportation history for over sixty years. In an age where many museums struggle with funding and staffing, the Texas Transportation Museum thrives because of the dedication of people who simply love what they do.
These volunteers aren’t just museum staff – they’re historians, mechanics, engineers, and storytellers. They keep the trains running, maintain the exhibits, give tours, and share their knowledge with visitors. Their passion is contagious, and it’s a big part of what makes visiting the museum such a positive experience.
Looking Forward
The Texas Transportation Museum in San Antonio offers visitors an engaging look at the history of transportation in Texas. As transportation continues to evolve – with electric vehicles, autonomous cars, and new forms of public transit – places like the Texas Transportation Museum become even more important. They help us understand where we came from and appreciate the ingenuity that got us here.
The museum isn’t stuck in the past. It’s a place where history informs the present and inspires the future. Kids who ride the trains today might grow up to be engineers, pilots, or transportation planners. Adults who visit might gain a new appreciation for the complexity and importance of transportation systems.
Plan Your Visit
Come by and see transportation history in action! The Texas Transportation Museum is located at 11731 Wetmore Road in San Antonio, and it’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 4 PM. A unique feature of the Texas Transportation Museum is the opportunity for visitors to ride a full-sized diesel-powered train. Don’t miss the train rides – they’re the highlight of any visit.
Whether you’re a local looking for a unique weekend activity or a visitor exploring San Antonio, the Texas Transportation Museum offers something different. It’s a place where history moves, where volunteers share their passion, and where the golden age of transportation comes to life. In a world of digital entertainment and virtual experiences, there’s something wonderfully real about hearing a train whistle, feeling the rumble of diesel engines, and seeing the craftsmanship of a bygone era up close.
The Texas Transportation Museum proves that the best museums don’t just preserve history – they make it accessible, engaging, and alive.