Southern Arizona Transportation Museum facts for kids
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The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is a cool place in Tucson, Arizona, where you can learn all about trains! It's located in an old building that used to be a records vault at the Southern Pacific Depot. The city of Tucson fixed it up in 2004.
You don't have to pay to get in, which is awesome! If you want a special tour, you can book one for a small fee. The museum also hosts fun events, offers walking tours of downtown Tucson (from October to March), teaches about railroad safety, and collects stories and items about transportation in southern Arizona.
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Cool Things to See
Meet Locomotive 1673
One of the coolest things at the museum is a real train engine called Southern Pacific locomotive #1673. This amazing 2-6-0 "Mogul" type engine was built way back in November 1900 by a company called Schenectady Locomotive Works in Schenectady, New York. It's so special that it's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places!
The Historic Depot Building
The main part of the old train station, called the depot lobby, is still used today as a waiting area for people riding Amtrak trains. Other parts of the depot and nearby buildings are rented out to different businesses. It's neat how an old building can still be so useful!
Silver Spike Festival Fun
Every year in March, the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum throws a big party called the Silver Spike Festival. This festival celebrates a super important day: when the very first train arrived in Tucson in March 1880!
At the 2014 festival, important people like Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and newspaper writer David Leighton came to visit. There was even a special play where people acted out scenes from the past, pretending to be some of Tucson's first leaders like Estevan Ochoa, P.R. Tully, and Robert Leatherwood. Plus, a band played music just like the 4th United States Cavalry Regiment Band would have!
More to Explore
- Old Pueblo Trolley
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
