What It Is

An indoor and outdoor collection of trains, automobiles, buses, aircraft, and horse-drawn vehicles.  The Museum claims to be recognized not only as “the largest collection of transportation vehicles in the world,” but also as one of the oldest and best collections, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

Where It Is

St. Louis, Missouri

When We Went

July 2019

What We Did

Explored the large, outdoor Train Yard; checked out many of the indoor exhibits; and rode the miniature train.

How Much We Spent

We don’t have records of what this cost us in 2019.  However, as of September 2025, tickets cost $8 for kids 2-12, $16 for adults aged 13-64, and $14 for seniors, military, and first responders.

How Much Time We Spent There

Approximately two hours.

What We Liked

Although my husband and kids are train lovers and would have appreciated the visit anyway, we visited the St. Louis museum for one specific reason: to see Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Big Boy #4006.  

Built between 1941 and 1944, the “Big Boy” locomotives were, and remain, the world’s largest steam locomotives at nearly half a football field long.  Of the 25 that were originally built, only eight remain.  We’ve been trying to see all eight.

The Big Boy on display at St. Louis’s National Museum of Transportation did not disappoint.  My family could not only view it up close, but we could also get inside the cab.  For my husband and kids, that was the highlight of our experience.  

We also liked, however, the number and ages of some of the trains, the ride on the miniature train, and the Route 66 exhibit.

The museum also has interactive exhibits geared toward families, but we didn’t spend much time there.

What We Didn't Like

The ride on the miniature train was an expense above admission (currently $7 each).

Was it worth it? 

For my family, yes.  If seeing cars from the early 1900s, trains from even earlier, and other historical modes of transportation makes you happy, this is the place for you: the museum cites having more than 190 major exhibits.

For more information, visit https://tnmot.org/.

Did You Know?  Big Boy locomotives weigh 1.2 million pounds and span 132 feet long.  You can find the last remaining Big Boys in St. Louis, Missouri; Frisco, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Was It Worth It?
The National Transportation Museum

​Posted December 29, 2025, by Janet Wolfe