The Monticello Railway Museum is a great place to visit when wanting to learn a little bit more about history. This museum is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1966. It was originally called “SPUR”, which stands for Society for the Perpetuation of Unretired Railfans. At the time, SPUR’s goal was to be able to keep doing the steam-powered passenger train rides. After quite a few different name changes, in 1969 and 1982, the museum came to its name now and has flourished as an educational attraction in Forsyth, IL.
Collection of Trains
The Monticello Museum is home to over 100 freight cars, railway cars, tracks, and so much more than railway history fans will gawk over. The museum also contains railway parts you would not imagine such as locomotives, passenger cars, museum archives, and several depots and facilities. Therefore, if you are looking for a place that includes many artifacts for educational purposes, the collection this Museum holds is unbeatable.
Train Rides And More
The Museum will be open for train rides mainly on the weekends through the months of September through May. As a potential passenger, you will board the train at the Nelson Crossing Depot, which is also the main Museum site. As an alternative, you can also board at the Wabash Depot in downtown Monticello. The train ride will last around one hour. As a passenger, you have the option to delay taking a train back to give yourself the time to explore whichever station you arrive at. This will ensure that you don’t miss anything!
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History of the Museum
The history of the Museum dates back to 1966. With that being said, it can be assumed that the museum has undergone serious growth and improvement throughout the years. The Museum’s central division started in February of 1861 when the railway company had first chartered. Construction began in 1863 and was finally completed in 1870. In June of 1872, the Monticello Railroad Company combined with the Havana, Mason City, Lincoln & Eastern Railroad. That same day, coincidentally, there was a combination with the Indianapolis, Bloomington, & Western Railway. After these combinations took place, it was then known as The Extension Railway.
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