The 1890 Snoqualmie Depot
The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway reached the valley in 1889, and its first train to the falls was a tourist excursion. The Snoqualmie Depot, a Victorian station with a corner turret and deep eaves, followed in 1890 and is now the museum’s home and bookstore at 38625 SE King Street. It is free to visit, daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Locomotives, cabooses and logging cars line the track outside, including a 1926 Mallet steam locomotive built to haul logs.
Train rides to the top of the falls
Excursion trains run on Saturdays in February and March and on Saturdays and Sundays from April through October. The two-hour round trip covers 5.5 miles of the original 1880s railroad, stops for 30 minutes at the museum’s Railway History Campus, continues to the end of the line near the top of Snoqualmie Falls and returns. You can board at the Snoqualmie Depot or the North Bend Depot. Buy tickets ahead on summer weekends.
The Train Shed Exhibit Hall
The Railway History Campus, at 9320 Stone Quarry Road, is home to the Train Shed Exhibit Hall, a big indoor building of restored and unrestored passenger cars, cabooses and freight cars, with exhibits on how the railroad built the valley. It is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Monday from April through December and Friday through Monday in late winter. Admission is $5 to $10, or included with a train ticket, and the hall is free on Wednesdays through December 16, 2026.
Holiday trains and tickets
Seasonal trains sell out early. The Halloween Train runs on October weekends; from late November the North Pole Limited leaves North Bend for a visit with Santa, and the Yuletide Express runs from Snoqualmie to the top of the falls on December Fridays. Everyone 2 and older needs a ticket. A lift helps passengers who cannot climb the car steps; groups of more than four who need it should call a day ahead. More ideas are in Snoqualmie Falls with kids.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Northwest Railway Museum free?
The Snoqualmie Depot and its outdoor displays are free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Train rides and the Train Shed Exhibit Hall charge admission, though the hall is free on Wednesdays through December 16, 2026.
Does the train go to Snoqualmie Falls?
Yes. The two-hour excursion runs to the end of the line near the top of the falls, with a stop at the Railway History Campus.
When do the trains run?
Saturdays in February and March and Saturdays and Sundays from April through October, plus Halloween and holiday trains.
