Fullerton Train Museum

I went there the first saturday morning of January, 2025. It is like a time travel, bringing me back several decades ago. They displayed a collection of retired train cars. It is non-profit museum. People there are really nice and knowledgeable. Please go and support them and their amazing work!

Please note, check their website before planning a visit. The folks here have been trying to update the days they are open on Google maps but to no avail. Much great work is being carried out here from the exterior painting of one of the rolling stock to a new exhibit being created within a car.

A great window into train travels about 1950. This provides some great details about what would have been seen and used by some passengers on a 36 hour train journey. Fortunately I was able to have a sit down chat with one of the volunteers who was more than happy to recount his experiences and answer all my questions. Worth waiting to have this experience which is only offered the first and third Saturdays 9-noon. A fine edition to the City of Fullerton in DTF.

Open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month from 9a.m. to noon. An excellent photo and history buff's stopover while waiting for your Metrolink trainride. If you are acrophobic, it might be hard to go up to the bridge to get to the other side where the entrance is at (see my photo of the bridge).Admission and parking is free.

A great walk through American railroad history and the transit future that could have been, lost to the freeways and automobiles. Run by volunteers who are very passionate about railroads and trains and had a lot of personal memories to share. Stop by if you’re in town, and your plans would be on track. Please donate to keep them continue the great work. No entry fees.

I am a volunteer here, and I am Pleased to announce that we will be hosting rides in the near future.

Please make sure if you are visiting on Saturday, Only first and third Saturday opens.

Really great immersive experience seeing how trains used to operate. The volunteers were very generous with their time. I thought it was going to be like a 5 minute walk thru, but there's a lot more to see! Great for kids!

I am a volunteer for the museum and I really recommend this museum 10/10 very nice people also the train cars are very good rate 10/10

The is a museum in process and worthy of support. The docent was super knowledgeable. The walk through was fun and interesting. I loved hearing the history and want to take a ride soon on a moving train! My grandkids were a little young 4 & 5 to walk through without getting a bit squirrly. But they still thought it fun. They got to take a train magazine which was a hit. And walking from car to car was fun for them.

One of my favorite places to train spot with tons of BNSF, Amtrak and Metrolink action along the southern transcon. There are often many other trainspotters/railfans at this station usually on weekends, so chances are you will meet many other people who like trains as well. There is a cafe with a great variety of food and nice people and plenty of seating. Great place for railfans and commuters alike.

I don't understand why people are giving a free museum less than 5 stars. We came for their Halloween Trick or Treat event and absolutely loved it! The volunteers and folks who manage this museum are the kindest and friendliest. We love seeing a piece of history. Yes, we have a toddler. Yes, this place is not the most child-friendly... but it's 100% on you as a parent to watch your children at all times and understand that these are real train cars. There were several children at the Halloween event without their parents running around and I felt like that was very inappropriate- but what do I know. We love this place and will for sure come back! They mentioned they will have a Christmas Santa event and we will definitely come! Don't forget to donate a few bucks to help with the maintenance of the trains.

We thought this would be fun for our three year old but this place is not actually very kid-friendly so I wouldn't recommend it if you have young kids. They want you to go through a slower, guided tour that's more geared toward adults. Our tour guide was clearly not happy with any kids who were having trouble paying attention or waiting through the speeches. He was a little rude with us/our son. I'm bummed because our son loves trains and we were looking forward to this. Hoping we can come back in the future when our kids are older and have a better experience.

This place is a real gem. It's a collection of about 6 rail cars in a U-shape that you walk through (don't look for a building!) The staff is exceptionally passionate and friendly. They have special decorations for Halloween. Admission is free but do consider supporting them with a membership. Kudos to Board Member Alex Walker -- a college student! -- who gives a great tour. As of this writing, they're restoring a new car that will become a gift shop and display area. I'm told they've acquired several more cars and are looking to double the size of the museum in the future. The best way to visit is by train. Both Metrolink and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner offer frequent service. The museum is to the right of the platform of the Fullterton train station, which is the historic Santa Fe Depot. Fullerton was also served by Union Pacific and that station was relocated just across the parking lot to the left of the platform, now housing the Old Spaghetti Factory. So enjoy the museum and TWO historic train stations for free! Fullerton is quite walkable and there are many shops, restaurants and attractions within a short distance of the station.

Only open mornings on the first and third Saturdays of the month, their hours are limited but entry is free. A 20-minute guided tour done on-the-spot which goes through three passenger cars including a 1949 lounge car and 1951 Super Chief sleeper car and three cabooses including one with bay windows. The rail cars contained many original features but the passenger cars needed tidying up. The parking lot in front of the museum is for "Amtrak and Metrolink customers only" and was half full when the museum was open. One could argue that the museum is part of the Fullerton Train Station and these spaces are also for museum guests despite what the sign says. If a stickler for the law like me, a parking structure across the street is available for free but it wreaked of fermented urine.

Train Museum is open! Located in the Fullerton Transportation Center on east side of depot. Cafe prices are "orange juice" for $0.30 and a "sandwich" for $0.70 what a deal. Desert will set you back $0.15. Harold Benash, president of the Southern California Railway Plaza Association, has a love of trains which I term "train on the brain!" Had a private tour of 5 railway cars. Entrance is "FREE" and hosted Southern California Railway Plaza Association (SCRPA). Donations welcome (no pressure). Open first and third Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00.

This review is intended for parents of toddlers and young children. Pros: kind volunteers, lots of restored historic train cars, plenty of parking. It is also fun to watch the actual trains (commuter and freight) enter and exit the station nearby. Cons: 1) this place should make more effort to be child-friendly or should advertise that the tours are adult-focused. To prevent vandalism, all visitors are required to be with a docent/volunteer at all times, but the tours are so slow and geared toward adults. There is no way a 2-4 year old could wait that long in each car, and a child's eagerness to go to the next car while being held captive on a tour creates high potential for a tantrum. It would be better to station one volunteer in each train car and then let people move through at their own pace; 2) Both google maps and Apple Maps route you to parking that requires two giant stair climbs (or elevator trips) to cross the train tracks to get here, rather than routing to the many spots immediately outside of the museum space; 3) any red peeling paint should be fixed, as it may contain lead.

This is a neat little museum run by train enthusiast!! Don't forget to bring cash and donate two dollars as it helps keep the museum running. So the museum is to the left of the Fullerton train station. It was pretty awesome seeing kids filming the cargo trains go by. If you stand close enough you'll feel the vibration of the train as it passes by. Anyways back to the museum. So after donating, a docent will guide you on a mini tour explaining the diff trains and a little bit about the history. Overall, I would recommend this place as a fun pit stop if you're in the Fullerton area. It's awesome seeing a piece of history. The museum is only opened twice a month so check their website and mark your calendars. It's a quick 20 min tour so it won't take too much of your time. The folks are friendly and it's awesome walking on the train tracks!

I had a wonderful time exploring the pre-and post World War II rolling stock. My docent Tommy was very knowledgeable, pleasant, and generous with answers to all of my questions. If you are in the Fullerton area and enjoy trains then you surely should pay a visit to the Fullerton train museum on the eastern end of the Fullerton station.

Finally! A railroad museum in Fullerton, one of the best train watching spots in the United States. The caboose collection is great, with four different styles of cabooses from four different railroads. The former Burlington Northern caboose now operated by Coast Rail Services is clean, modern and still in service, though it lives at the Fullerton Train Museum when not being used by Metrolink, or one of the other railroads as a mobile office. A Southern Pacific bay window caboose is about 99% restored, all shiny with a new exterior paint job. The Santa Fe caboose is conserved to its condition when being operated by the ATSF on the inside, while the exterior is the next scheduled paint project by the SCRPA non-profit that operates the Fullerton Train Museum. This caboose currently has the most "charm" of the collection. New to the collection is a Union Pacific "War Baby" steel caboose built in early 1942 right after the attack on Pearl Harbor and is a good example of mixing modern and old building techniques due to wartime restrictions. The caboose is currently under heavy restoration of its interior. Two Union Pacific lounge cars are also open for inspection. One is combination lounge and dormitory car where the passenger train crew slept when off duty, and the other is a lounge-cafe with an all stainless steel kitchen featuring a wood burning range and oven. Both passenger cars are original as built and in need of some refreshment of their upholstery, but picture perfect as representations of the age of streamliners. The crew of docents are very friendly and the visit one of those things worth doing over and over again. The Fullerton Train Museum is definitely for kids of all ages. After visiting the railroad cars, sit on the train station platform and watch the parade of freight and passenger trains go by.