National Museum of Transportation

Can't say enough about this museum! We had a blast. There is so much info and so many interactive exhibits. Definitely recommend the family pack for families. It's a great deal and if you only have one child as we do, the card doesn't expire. No kids, not a problem- it's a great place for adults too!!

It was cool for being there the first time. The tickets were higher than what I figured. Plus if you want to ride the smaller train you have to pay more. $16 for adults and $8 for 12 and under. Littles are free. You can see trains and climb on a few. Cool cars and other stuff inside. Ride the tram back and forth a few times for free. But it's a walk to get to it. But if you have never been the kids think it's cool!!

Truly had an awesome experience! Charles, one of the guides, gave us a walk through of several trains, and answered my son's 8000 questions. He was so kind and helped bring the history to life! There was so much cool stuff to see (especially the trains!!) It was so cool to see a Big Boy up close! There was really great information that was interesting for all ages! Everyone we encountered was so helpful, it was such a cool experience and we will absolutely be back next time we are in St Louis!

I'm really not sure how this place doesn't average a full 5 stars... they have the largest collection of locomotives in the country! There's so much history to be seen! Seriously there were so many cool placards to read. They have some cool cars too, like a one off-custom-futuristic-Jetsons inspired car. Also, the volunteers are passionate about being there it seemed - which I can appreciate.

Visited on 6.14.2025. Fantastic museum that chronicles the history of Transportation. The vintage car and train engine collections are awesome. There is an enormous amount of steam locomotives, diesel engines and classic Pullman passanger cars. Many of the exhibits are hands on and the museum is very interactive. This is definitely a great place to bring young kids. Highly Recommend to anyone traveling through the St. Louis area.

Very cool and interesting museum. My 6 year old son loved being able to go inside trains and go on a train ride. We went when it was 95 degrees outside and there was a heat advisory. But it was still very cool and there’s stuff inside and outside so u can rest in air conditioning if u need to.

Great museum with a lot of cool trains and cars. Would return if I'm in the area again. Not too crowded and lots of bells to ring!

Very interesting place. I highly recommend going if you're a local or even visiting Saint Louis. It's almost like a theme park, but only with trains, some plane exhibits and tons of cars. They have tour guides to help you, but also information cards that tell you what you're looking at and the history behind it. Everything is it's original state. So, how it was donated or delivered, it isn't restored. They host many events throughout the year, so monitor their website just in case.

Great place for the kids to look at trains planes, and automobiles. It stirs their interest and makes them ask questions. Great place worth the small price to get in.

This place is so cool... I always used to go here as a kid, so I'm glad to see it's still up and running. Definitely a fun way to spend the day, for all ages too!

I'm sure it's great for adult automobile enthusiasts, but not for families with young children. It's over $20 a person for a ticket to get in, ride the train, and go to the kids room. We had five kids and just did admission and the train because the train ride was the main reason we went. My 5 year old nephew is obsessed. The kiddos hated climbing the hill up to the other trains because it was hot, so by the time we got up there, they didn't care. Even those with longer legs (my 8 and 10 year old) were over it. I'm not saying it's a waste of money for all, but definitely wouldn't recommend it to my friends with kids. A lot better attractions in the area for the m

Did you know that we house one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world? I sure didn't! And it's no surprise with the rich history embedded in St. Louis with regards to automobiles, trains, and airplanes. We weren't really sure what to expect, but boy did this place knock those expectations out of the ballpark! Some things to expect: - This place is great for both children and adults. - If you're visiting purely to view the trains, they're all outdoors so you'll want to plan a visit on a day when you don't mind walking/standing around outdoors for awhile. - Speaking of awhile... expect to spend 2-3 hours. I came with my husband who is an engineer and we spent nearly 4 hours here. I had to drag him out. Literally. He wants to go back. Every. Day. - Prepare to walk. There are some benches scattered outside, but you'll want to equip your feet with some comfortable walking shoes. -Volunteers and workers are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do! Don't be shy to stop and ask them questions. - Here in St. Louis, we often take for granted having free access to many of our attractions. Unfortunately, there is an admission fee here and it's not cheap. There are additional fees if you're interested in a train ride, all worth it in my opinion. The way I see it, it's going towards maintaining the museum... and a great one at that! Hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did!

What a fun and unique spot for all ages! The kids loved it, especially walking through all the old trains. Tons of activities as you can also ride a train around the museum. Most is outdoor, but there are some indoor areas around to stop in. Wheel chair/stroller accessible as some trains are easy to walk into.

Update 11/2024. I really do despise this place, or the management at least. It feels like we have one issue or another every time we go. Let me describe the heartbreak of a 3 year old on his special visit to the museum (mind you, the train was not running this day either, and this place isn't cheap). The caboose at the entrance outside is this 3 year olds favorite exhibit there. I promise to end with the caboose (see what I do there?) every time we go. He waits patiently. This visit we head over to the caboose, an excitied toddler running toward it, to find a lock on each door. He peers through the window with tears flowing. I assume it's closed for the winter but have never seen it closed previously. I decided to ask inside when it would reopen. Two employees told me it SHOULD IN FACT BE OPEN and were going to request it to be unlocked - awesome! They mentioned to the manager and pointed to me and I stood and waited for 5 min with no movement. I finally asked this manager about it being locked and told her it's my 3 year old's favorite exhibit and we were really looking forward to it, he was extremely sad about the closure. To which she replies "we forgot to open it, it's going to be locked all day, it's busy today." This pretty much summarizes the management here. I'm not surprised but it about made me tear up. It's so easy to step outside and unlock your exhibit that should be open anyway, for the hundreds of visitors that fork over a lot of money. But you choose to be something else. I can't wait until, when we move from St Louis, to walk out of here with a middle finger stuck up.

Without a doubt one of the coolest museums I've ever been to! MASSIVE collection of trains and automobiles with plenty of other unique transportation themed exhibits or vehicles scattered around a wide sprawling campus that will give you plenty to do over a long afternoon! A must visit if in Saint Louis!

Bottom Line: Trains, automobiles and other transportation artifacts and displays spread across many buildings and acres. Yeah, so don't tell my husband but I have a crush on Big Boy. Anytime we are in striking distance of the behemoth locomotive I am sure to plan a detour for us to visit. The National Museum of Transportation is home to Union Pacific Steam Locomotive X4006 that has driving wheels taller than me and is so long that it is articulated. Standing next to that loco is impressive but there is plenty of other neat stuff in the museum's collection so I only swooned over X4006 for so long before we checked out other rolling stock and non-train exhibits. The most memorable non-train exhibit for me was about Route 66 before the interstate was paved and the fascinating, mysterious history of the Coral Court Motel. I also enjoyed the well-curated transportation timeline with artifacts that greeted us upon entry and the bizzare-o Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific locomotive in the parking lot area. The museum is on lots of land and exhibits are in various buildings. Plan to do some walking and dress for the weather. The employees were all very friendly and the price of admission was very reasonable. Parking is plentiful.

Certainly not if you have autistic children!!!! Not friendly at all! The man who operated the handcars yelled and treated my 7yo autistic son terribly.

Who doesn't love trains? They're a timeless classic that people of all ages can enjoy! I recently visited a train exhibit, and it was an absolute blast. My friends and I spent about 90 minutes there, but you could spend hours and never get bored! One of the exhibit's highlights was the complimentary tram tour, which I highly recommend. It's a fantastic way to see even more of the exhibit and learn about the fascinating history of trains. And if you're traveling with kids, check out the kid's train at the front. It's like those miniature novelty trains you'd find at a zoo or park, and it's an experience they'll never forget. Trust me, it's worth getting separate tickets for it if you're planning to spend more than a few hours at the exhibit.

Most underrated place to bring kids for fun in my opinion! We have had an annual membership here for years and LOVE it. The cost of the membership is absolutely worth it when you consider the daily cost to get in, plus you get passes for Creation Station and the mini-train. They also have little hand trains for kids now and a trolley to ride! It's seriously so cute. There are trains you can climb on and in as well as others you can peek into to learn about the past. Creation Station is the best. It's an enclosed area (ideal when you have multiple kids) with train tables, a play kitchen, playhouse, cars to ride, crafts, and more! They also clean between each session so it's the only place I feel safe taking my kids right before Christmas when we're trying not to get sick for the holidays. The setup they have at Christmas time is just magical for my train-loving boy. We went to meet Santa and there wasn't a line and there were real reindeer to see up close! I'm telling you, this place is underrated. It's one of my favorite places in STL.

This is every toddlers dreams! Planes, cars, boats, trains and so much more. The boys could be entertained for hours here and the staff was SOOO friendly. They do birthday parties and they also have a yearly membership pass. It's extremely affordable as well!

I've been to the transportation museum twice now, once while living in the area and another when I brought my kids to visit St.Louis. Trains are just so much fun for all ages! I think we spent about 90 minutes here just going thru the car exhibit and looking at/going through the trains on site. I'm sure you could spend some more time but that seemed sufficient for my 3&5 yr old kids. There is a complimentary tram tour with entry that I definitely recommend. My kids loved it but for adults it can be a tad bit boring. There is a kids train immediately at the front. Think the small novelty trains you'd find at a zoo or park. The tickets for these are separate but could be worth it if you plan on spending a few hours here. Some tips, check out the website for deals before you visit. If I had one more person with me I would have gotten a package that would have been an insignificant cost for the extra person to join. Bring snacks, there is lots of walking to see the trains and the only non-vending machine food would be back at the entrance. There was a water bottle filling station near the top restrooms in case you need it. This museum was one of the two museums I went to in the same day. I also went to the magic house directly from here which was only a 10 minute drive.

We came from Colorado to visit this museum. The staff are all very friendly and didnt mind allllll of my son's questions. Our tour guide, Aiden, was brilliant and full of information on every train in the yard. We probably spent 3 hours there and could have stayed even longer. The lunch was the cheapest we paid anywhere in our visit to St Louis. I highly recommend this museum.

This is great for the kids and great for the adults. A terrific collection of automobiles and trains that is laid out and easy to visit. The trains are, of course, outside. Pick a good day of weather for that or dress appropriately because there will be some walking and much of the ground is uneven. The autos are indoors and easily viewed. That was my favorite part and learning a bit about automotive history and some manufacturing that only happened here in Saint Louis. Great collection of vehicles to see and most include captions with info. 1965 Chevrolet Corvette, 1915 Ford Model T, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1937 Chevrolet Master De Luxe and a 1901 Saint Louis Motor Carriage Company rig. Too many more to list. A few volunteers were around to chat and help answer questions and the indoors are air conditioned. Much to see and experience, well worth two or more hours just indoors and the same again outside. [Review 17280 overall - 178 in Missouri - 798 of 2022.]

This is a very comprehensive museum dedicated to ww1. There are so many artifacts and the fact that all of these countries joined in was unbelievable. It's laid out so we'll, several omnimax-type movies. An area to research relatives. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole museum. Be sure and set aside 4 hours.

If you like trains, this is a must to go to. Take the free 10 am tour. We did and our volunteer tour guide, Clark, was great! He was very informative and the tour gives you access to the inside of some of the train cars. It's very family friendly with a lot of activities for kiddos. A whole kids' area in fact.

I was not a big fan of this place when I was like 7 because my sibling was super into trains and we had to walk through them all and it was pins and needles on your skill hot. Now that I've grown up and can suck up the heat, I finally revisited the museum a few weeks ago, with a friend. We had a great time. I think admission was $15 and it was totally worth it. We toured two buildings before we approached the train yard. We found out a guided tour was about to start and we decided to go on it. So glad we did. We both learned a number of things. Our guide was quite informed and could answer every question we un-trained folks had. I recommend the museum for people of all ages.

Can't believe it took our family until now to check out the National Museum of Transportation. This is really a great spot for kids and adults of all ages! Do you or kid(s) love trains? Cars? Or just big vehicles in general? This is the place for you! The first time I visited, I saw that they had a handful of cars in the main building, and then a train, and I was thinking, "Oh? That's it?" But noooo, there's sooo much more. After riding the train, which runs about every 20 mins, we walked past the trains. There were two buildings, one with miniature train sets, and another with really old and unique cars. Behind those builds were trains, trains, and trains. Oh wait, did I mention, there were trains? There are so many! And you can even climb in them! So cool! I also loved that the trains were outdoors, a good chance for the kids to get out some energy and be able to enjoy the good weather. Oh and don't worry about restrooms, the museum does a really great job placing spacing out the restrooms so one is never too far. We spent about 2 hours here the first time, but probably only saw about 40% of everything. I feel like this is a place where every time you visit, you'll find something new. If you are a local and have kids, I would highly recommend getting the Conductor membership. In our first visit, we paid for two adults, one kid, and three train tickets. This cost us $44, half of what it would've cost us to get the Conductor membership which is $88. My spouse was smart enough to ask right before we left, if we wanted to get a membership if we could apply that day's entry fees towards a membership. It was no problem at all, and we've already went again this time bringing the grandparents, so it essentially already paid for itself.

I have been coming to this museum for over 50 years. It was at one time privately owned and could have been called the museum of broken trains. It has been taken over by the country parks and also is supported by the zoo museum tax. So the huge task of making the trains whole again will take more time than I have life left. Since it is a transportation museum it does have automobiles, steam rollers, air planes. But the trains are the star here. My 20 month old grandson is crazy about trains so this was a natural. The child was so excited by all the trains it was a joy to watch. One of the star attractions is "Big Boy" the largest steam engine ever built. It has 18 drive wheels!! They used "Big Boy" to haul coal over the mountains and it did it's job well. The engine was retired after a million miles of hard work. There is a building which holds the car collection while the most significant car is Bobby Darrin's dream car built by George Barris. The museum paid large amounts of money to have it refurbished and when it goes on the road for auto shows it always wins a prize. Now a self serving little bit of pride. Mentioned in the automotive section is the dealership I have worked at for 52 years. It has been in business for over 114 years. As I leave the business this December I know that vehicles I have sold will be on display here. Kind of cool.

It's pricey for what you get. We paid around $55 for two adults and a toddler for entry and tickets for the train. The train ride was very nice the women given the tour was absolutely amazing and our son loved the model train in the main building. I don't understand why there are so many trains that you aren't allowed to interact with it felt like you paid for the experience of walking through a train graveyard and considering the cost for entry both my husband I felt it was a little tacky to have donation boxes everywhere. We went into the gift shop which was a little disappointing it seemed like a random collection of stuff bought in bulk rather than items related to the museum. I am sorry for the negative review I was really hoping for more

Phenomenal time exploring the huge collection of trains and antique automobiles. The mini train ride and train trolley rides were fun and informative. A must for little ones is Creative Station! Spent hours there!

I'm a sucker for anything railroad so after my many visits to St. Louis over the years I made sure I stopped by this time. There is a lot of walking because it's spread out over a large property. Most of the rail portion of museum is static displays with some things you can climb on or in, most was chained closed when I visited on a week day at 8:30 am so I could have come at a bad time. There is a nice mixture of steam, diesel and electric but very few actually run. There is also passenger cars and rolling stock from all across the country. There is about three trains that you can ride in a loop and on my visit a CTA el car was in action. There is three different scale trains you can ride as much as you want which is full size, small for adults/children and tiny for small children only. There is three buildings to walk through with one for rail, one for the really good cars/bikes and one for the old like horse drawn stuff. There is a tug boat, plane, steam rollers etc scattered around the property. There is a snack/gift shop to take a break with the kids and cool down from the heat. The museum is mostly trains and automobiles so the name is slightly miss leading because I thought there would be more air and water on display but it's still worth checking out once.

This was so much more than I expected. They have a great collection of cars and trucks but the focus is definitely on trains from all decades. Widespread large, collection of engines, cars (both freight and passenger). A volunteer gave us a very informative tour of several passenger cars, we learned a lot and really enjoyed our visit. They have a place to get a drink or bite to eat while you're looking around. Also a gift shop if you want a souvenir.

It's been a decade or more since I visited this attraction and it's better, larger, and more interesting than the last. And still a value with a relatively low $10 per person entry fee (for non-members, excluding the mini-train ride). The fee helps support the museum since it's been spun out of the St. Louis County Park system. "Transportation" is in the name but the NMOT is still largely what it was founded as: a train museum. The variety and number of engines, rail cars, coaches, private cars, and specialty rail vehicles is staggering. Every exhibit row will have you saying "I've never seen something like that on a railroad." Obviously, this is a must stop for train buffs. But, children will enjoy climbing over and in the exhibits. Seniors will enjoy the nostalgia of the recreated Famous-Barr Christmas window model train exhibit. Car enthusiasts will enjoy the smallish collection of celebrity and local interest cars and trucks. A few scattered air and navel vehicles are scattered around the grounds. Parking is available for family vehicles, buses, and RVs.

Pro Tip: Wear shoes you're comfortable walking in. There is so much to see here! Be prepared to take a trip through history. This is definitely a place for the whole family to enjoy. We spent about 4 hours exploring everything (minus Creation Station). Lots of trains for the little ones to explore. You can ride on a train and/or trolley. Different prices gets you different things, so be sure to explore your options. Be aware that Creation Station isn't open on Saturdays, but is open every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month. Favorite part, other than the history of transportation, was that every single staff member was super enthused and super helpful.

The name says it all...if it has to do with transportation, it's all here. However, it mostly focuses on the retro part of it...which is fine! It's a shame that I didn't know about this place as a St. Louisan until four years ago. A lot that has to do with trains and cars makes up for most of the museum. The museum is actually made up of nine parts/exhibits. There are three that you can browse indoors, while the others are outdoors. (Note: dress for the weather!) It's a great walk, checking out the old trains and cars - which all have a description in front of them. You may even get to go in some of the old trains (one was open when I was there). You'll even see the pop culture and local side of transportation, including a small area devoted to Walt Disney and his love of trains. There are several photo opportunities in the place, but the one I mostly recommend is in front of the former West Barretts Tunnel (the first railroad tunnel built west of the Mississippi River!). There are several pieces to explore at this museum, so I'm just gonna stop there. The train wasn't running when I was there, because it runs during the warmer months of the year (see schedule). Very recommended place to check out.

Front desk staff needs to take a class in customer service. Lynn who claimed to be the manager was incredibly rude. After we purchased tickets for the creation station we quickly realized we did not have enough time because you have to wait for an assigned time. We requested a refund which was nastily given and Lynn said "I told you we had a time at 2:15 so you should have known". It was very loud there and I did not hear her. Never been there so how do I know? I see another reviewer had the same problem and when you check in it is hard to understand how everything works and the staff aren't going to help you. Lynn is very soft spoken and with a n95 mask you cannot hear what she is saying and gets rude when you ask her to repeat and is quick to tell you I told you so when we said we didn't realize we would have a 45 min wait for the creation station. We also purchased train tickets and we did not have time to use the tickets : 8 at $5 each. Lynn refused to give a refund so buyers beware as they are not at all nice and if you arrive after 1 don't get any extras. Lynn said they made an announcement over the PA but fyi we were at the upper train lot and never heard anything about the train closing at 3 when the museum is open until 4. Spent $160 this is a lot for a family especially to be treated so poorly after spending that much

Great for kids! We could have easily spent all day there. Wish they would have had more than a snack bar or we would have probably stayed all day. Some of the volunteers were not as friendly or willing to answer questions. After we bothered the volunteers/docents enough they took us on a tour and we got to go inside a couple trains and tour them. It they had a fun kids discover area for kids.

We had attempted to visit here last November, right after Thanksgiving, but the place was closed. My husband and I intended to visit this attraction over Mother's Day weekend 2019 while we were on vacation; however, we are both senior citizens and we both have issues with walking for long distances. After looking at the site map, we wondered if it was going to be worth going if we weren't able to walk to all of the exhibits. After sending an e-mail to this place and getting no response after 3 days, I finally called for assistance. I asked the person who answered if they had provisions for handicapped individuals, such as handicapped scooters of some sort. The response was that they have two wheelchairs, but no scooters. I was amazed that an attraction of this size would not have provisions for handicapped people. I'm not sure we'll be going at all. The woman who answered the phone was very rude.

I left The National Museum of Transportation thinking, "Great, am I now going to be into trains??" I LOVED this place!! It was a museum I didn't get a chance to visit when I lived in STL, but asked my friend if we could go when I was in town. Now, I am by no means a car/plane/train gal, but I was absolutely smitten with the trains. My friend and I explored the second building with the different cars, which was enjoyable enough, but when we went outside a man told us that if we wanted to wait he would give us a free tour in fifteen minutes. Which was the best decision we could have made because we learned SO MUCH on this tour! Our tour guide told us that the tour was his first one since the pandemic, but he didn't miss a beat! I think my favorite part was walking through the Pullman car. Another plus in our visit was that we went on a day that wasn't too hot and it was earlier in the morning when we went. That does make a difference! Anyway, highly recommend it. And yes, I am now interested in train travel.

I haven't been here since I was a child and we decided to go on Father's Day and to our surprise it was free admission that day! There was a car show going on in addition to the regular displays. It was really fun to look at the modes of transportation from days gone by. Check out Bobby Darin's car and the unique history behind that. Overall a very pleasant visit.

Checked this museum out last week on a quick trip to Missouri. Loved it! Perfect for adults and children. Paid $10 to learn about Missouri transportation history, check out gorgeous cars that made me want to go back in time, and spent hours climbing in and out of trains. It's truly fascinating and you can tell the Museum does an amazing job with the upkeep of such lovely exhibits. You could easily spend the day here learning and exploring. I look forward to making another trip to the museum in the future.

Such a great little getaway during this time of needing some fresh air and family time when we have al been inside for far too long. The guides were all friendly and helpful with plenty of train knowledge and the kiddo loved the train ride. I only wish the big trains still worked but the economy would be crazy these days so I understand. There are so many cars and full size trains to walk around and even inside a few. The prices aren;t too bad except for the gift shop but that's to be expected anywhere honestly and it helps fund the projects. Did I mention they have one of the Aerotrains?!? We will be back again when it's cooler outside for sure.

One of few St. Louis County parks that continue to improve their facilities and exhibits. Tip: Take the docent guided tour of the train shed. The railroad exhibits include so many sole surviving examples of the locomotives that helped build and shape the US from the late 1800's through the 1990's that there are few transportation museums in the entire country that rival it. On the down side, many of the exhibits lived out and exposed to the elements for decades so being wood and metal there are quite a few that have decayed or rusted which are undergoing cosmetic restoration efforts, but in today's economy those expensive things progress at a much slower rate. Right in front of the upper entry building is one of the original Panama Canal locomotives that pulled ships through one of the sets of locks. Inside the Automobile Building are some extremely unusual vehicles as well as normal everyday ones for past eras. Circling the lower display area & display buildings and gift shop is a small zoo sized train that can be ridden for quite a distance. Highly recommended for all ages.

Planes, trains and automobiles! This is a must see if you have a youngster into transportation! They have a miniature train you can ride, along with a trolley and a small fire truck. The admission doesn't cover these, it's an extra fee. They also have LOTS of trains for you to look at as well as some cars and a boat and plane. Warning - you have to pay for admission in the gift shop which has tons of Thomas trains and other train stuff. It might be a good idea to have one parent pay and the other one hang out outside so you don't have to deal with the gimmees! If you are coming with younger kids, you can bring a stroller, but it's best if you have a backpack or frontpack for the little one as the stoller can be a pain. You can't take it on the train and you have to take a shuttle to the train boarding area.

I would have given 5 stars had the person at the front desk let me know we had 1 hour to visit before spending $50.00. Very poor customer experience which is sad as the museum is actually a very nice place to visit.

Both my children love trains and having the ability to climb in and out of the big engines is their idea of kiddie heaven! There is a lot of walking among all locomotives, but if you have an older train nut in the family (my husband), then there is plenty for them to point out to the younger conductors in the family in the family. Take a ride on the little diesel and the trolley car to break up some of the walking. And don't forget to tour the passenger train full of fabulous history of a bygone era. We have been here twice in the last two years- the last time was just last weekend- and a lot has changed in that time. The new visitors center is really nice. We have yet to make it into Creation Station as it is only open during the week, but my 2 and 4 year old had plenty to keep them busy outdoors.

Good spot for people of all ages! There are a wide array of vehicles to see and read about.

We contacted this establishment before coming asking if we could bring outside food for our daughter with celiac disease. We were told it was not a problem. When we got there, a very rude food employee told us that we could not bring in outside food and she could not eat it. I explained she has celiac disease and pulled up the email that said it was ok for her eat outside food. The employee then informed me celiac disease is not real because she never heard of it. Truly disgusting. I will never return.

We flew all the way from San Francisco to St. Louis to see this museum, for my husband to walk across the Eads Bridge, and to stay in the big train station that was converted to a hotel. If you're into trains, this museum is definitely worth it. We took Lyft from downtown St. Louis and it cost around $40 each way. Much easier than renting a car or trying to figure out public transportation. It was a long weekend, so that was a small expense. And we managed to squeeze in an opera while we were there, too. The StL symphony, which operates out of a beautiful historic hall, was doing a concert production of the Flying Dutchman. We're Wagnerians, so I planned our trip around that. A perfect short trip!

This is a great place to take the family especially if you like trains and cars. Here you can literally touch history. Ride an actual street car and even talk to the friendly staff. They are full of knowledge and you can really learn a lot about a time that was once ruled by steam.

A little pricey for the amount of exhibits. My son was free, but I ponied up for the train ride and kids exhibit, translating into $22 total. Would've liked being able to go into more trains, and the selection of cars was underwhelming -- especially the second floor, which was just some radios. We had fun, but I probably wouldn't go back unless some other family really wanted to go.

Great displays and you get to ride on a trolley and a miniature train. The volunteers are very knowledgable. Great place to spend a day. Affordable clean indoor and outdoor activities. Play area that is fun for preschool to kindergarten age children. Get there early they close at 4 PM and the train ride stops about 320 PM.

Staff is rude & uncaring. $88 for a season pass that covers everything. WRONG doesn't cover Camp Creation Station. You need a sticker for 1045 or 1145 & we are out - limited stickers regardless of the fact only 3 kids using this big outside play area as I type. So 2 very disappointed girls. Will not be returning.

The Museum of Transportation has become one of our favorite destinations as a family. It really is a great place for everyone and I get the feeling that most folks around town have no idea it exists. We first went to the MOT last year as the whole facility has been undergoing quite a renovation. The facility has a new entrance and parking area that is really nice and spacious. We parked on the lower lot and headed into the new welcome area. Right from the beginning , there are some cool things to explore from a mock steam whistle to the Wabash railroad caboose that you can walk through. Once you're inside, tickets run you $8 for adults, $5 for kids 3-12 and kids under three are free. There are a couple of additional items you can choose to take advantage of if you like. There have a train ride through the property that you can ride as much as you like for $4 as well as an interactive play area called "Creation Station" for kids which is $2. I have not been in the Creation Station but it looks like a big area with all sorts of wooden trains the kids can build, etc. One great thing to note is that there is often a Groupon for the MOT which is well worth the investment. I believe that it gives you a few admissions along with tickets for the train ride with a nice savings. However, if you visit and you really like it, it makes sense to really become a member (which we are thinking of doing) if you plan on making a few visits. Once inside, the focus of the museum is really on trains and automobiles. There are a few boats, plans, etc. at the museum but really the bulk of the exhibits revolves around trains and autos. There are some amazing exhibits on the grounds and what I really enjoy (and the kids do as well) is that you can actually walk through and sit in the engines of quite a few of the trains. You cannot go on all of them, but by no means is this a "look but do not touch" operation. In addition, there is a real cool guided tour in the upper train shed that takes you through some of the old sleeper and Pullman cars from years ago. It is really interesting to see this history up close and think about how much influence trains had upon the nation when they were the mode of transportation. I definitely would recommend a visit to the MOT to take it all in.

This is one of the most awesome museums in all of St. Louis.... Before the City Museum opened, this was the best place to bring kids to burn a little energy out of them while getting them a little education. There is the history of ALL transportation here. From the train to the automobile to the covered wagon...it's all here and kids (and adults for that matter) can feel free to crawl over the stuff, pretend they are driving, steering, etc. and just have a grand old time learning about things. They have done a lot of renovations over the years, so it has changed a lot and they are always updating. They have EVERYTHING here. If you have a child that is really into trains (I was one of those geeky little kids, I'll admit it) or a kid that wants to be a pilot, or one that just loves cars, bring them here. They will love it and they will look back on their trips with fond memories as adults. Also a great scout troop get a way. In case you are looking for something along those lines.

I'm sure this museum is better when it's not so cold out, but there didn't seem to be a whole lot going on. No train rides or trolleys, and there's only one tour at 10:00am. A majority of the trains were closed off. I was hoping to go into a few more of them or at least be able to look into a window. My boyfriend works for the railroad and wanted to come here, and he knew a lot about the trains. The signs with info were nice, and they had a pretty good variety of trains and engines. The renovated passenger trains were pretty cool as well. The automotive building was pretty cool. There were two employees walking around answering questions and talking to people.

For a train lover like myself this place is like Disneyland! Steam-engines galore with a sprinkling of diesel engines, and one jet-motor powered former Army-engine! There are a few cars you can walk through, though I would definitely like to see more. Unfortunately you can't go up into most of the trains and I only got up into one of the engines. You can tell a lot are becoming dilapidated by the sands of time and lack of funds. Never the less...it's still very cool to see these very integral parts of America's development into a civilized nation. They do have a small collection of cars on exhibit inside one of the buildings. A model-T, a Corvette, couple of Bel-airs, a Mustang, and a few others being the standouts. Nothing too super-exciting, but a decent collection. It's worth noting that the majority of the Museum is outside so I highly recommend sunscreen and some water on a hot day!