Mineral Point Railroad Society

06/13/2026

Museum Spotlight - Mineral Point Railroad Society

Spend a day at the museum. Walk through history and listen to the vast amount of knowledge the volunteers of the railroad society possess.

One incredible highlight rests on the second floor. A replica of the town, meticulously laid out. Watch and listen as the tour guide points out parts of town you likely visited during your visit, or ones you drove past on your way the museum.

Admission is required to anyone over the age of 6. All money collected is used for operational costs, not to pay staff. That's money well spent.

The museum is open from 10-4, Thursday through Saturday and Noon-4 on Sunday. Many months left before the museum shuts down for the winter.

Make a plan, invite a friend, and venture out to learn about the railroad in the Mineral Point area and beyond.

📍 11 Commerce Street, Mineral Point, WI

06/08/2026

One challenge faced by the Mineral Point Depot, home of the Mineral Point Railroad Museum, has always been water. Located in one of the lowest areas of Mineral Point, the depot has endured flooding for as long as records exist. During heavy rains, Brewery Creek has been known to overflow its banks, with water rushing directly toward the building. In fact, decades of flood damage caused the northeast corner of the depot to collapse as restoration efforts began.

When the depot was renovated in the early 2000s, the building was raised, a concrete floor and drainage system was installed. Flood gates were later added to the doorways. These improvements have helped protect the museum, but flooding has remained a concern.

We're excited about the Commerce Street reconstruction project. In addition to improving walkability and drivability, new culverts now direct stormwater into Brewery Creek in a way that moves water away from the depot. We are hopeful these improvements will greatly reduce future flooding risk.

As a nonprofit, the Railroad Museum depends on the support of our community. In return, we work to preserve and share the stories of the railroad and the people who built Mineral Point. If you haven't visited the museum recently—or ever—we'd love to welcome you and help you discover how the railroad shaped our community, and how our community shaped the railroad. May-October, Thursday-Saturday 10-4, Sunday 12-4. See you soon!

06/08/2026

If you have been to the Mineral Point Railroad Museum, we'd love for you to rate and review your visit. You can do this either on Facebook or Google. If you know how, you know how. We hope you do!

06/07/2026

This map is fantastic!

Railroads and related historic features of southwest Wisconsin

06/06/2026

Thanks Hotel Mineral Point for helping solve what for us was a mystery!

One of the major gateways into Mineral Point is the Cheese Country Trail. While trains no longer bring visitors and freight into town, the trail now serves as an important entry point for many people discovering our community.

Just south of the Mineral Point Depot is a substantial stone-and-wood kiosk owned by the T-Riders Snowmobile Club. As we work to tidy up the Depot grounds—especially once the construction project is complete—we have reached out to to partner with them to provide it some attention to be a more valuable source of information for visitors about local attractions, community resources, the Railroad Museum, and everything else that makes Mineral Point special.

05/28/2026

We are thrilled to be featured in The Milwaukee Railroader, published by the Milwaukee Road Historical Association (https://www.mrha.com/). With the MRHA Convention coming to Madison this June, this special issue highlights a number of rail-related stories and locations from our area.

A major highlight for us is a wonderful article "From ruin to Destination: Restoring the 1856 Mineral Point Depot to create an award-winning museum" written by former board member Richmond Powers, sharing his firsthand recollections and a detailed account of the depot restoration effort — back when the future of the building was very much uncertain. It’s an incredible story of determination, preservation, and community effort that helped save an important piece of Mineral Point history before it was lost.

We would love to share the full article online, but copyright restrictions prevent us from doing so at this time. We are hopeful we can work with the MRHA to make copies available for those interested, and we anticipate being able to offer issues for sale through the museum gift shop in the future.

Stay tuned for more information… and for our next post featuring another iconic piece of Mineral Point railroad history!

05/13/2026

When was your last visit to the Mineral Point Railroad Museum?Was it last year? A decade — or two — ago? Or have you never been?

Now is the perfect time to stop in and explore one of Mineral Point’s historic treasures.

Spend an hour — or two — discovering the stories, people, and railroad history that helped shape our community. Step inside the historic depot, reconnect with the past, and experience a fascinating chapter of local history brought to life.

Whether you’re a railroad enthusiast, history lover, photographer, or simply curious about the stories of Mineral Point, the museum is well worth a visit.

Featured in this post is a remarkable 1952 colorized photo by Paul Larsen showing CM&StP Engine 1062 departing the Mineral Point Depot with a combination passenger/freight car and additional freight cars in tow. This Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Model G7 4-6-0 locomotive was originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in September 1902 and served for more than 50 years before being scrapped in December 1953.

The image later appeared in the February 1991 issue of Trains Magazine in Dana Bassett’s article “With No Apologies.”

Engine history via “Milwaukee Road Locomotives.” Railroad History, no. 136 (1977): 28–124. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43523968.
Built September 1904 as a Chicago, Miulwaukee & St. Paul B4 No. 410, then No. 1760 (1907), then No. 4360 (1912).
Re-built January 1916 as G7 2910, then No. 2879 (1920) then 1062 (1938) and was retired/scrapped December 1953.

04/30/2026

The Mineral Point Railroad Museum opens for the season on Friday, May 1 and will be welcoming visitors through the end of October. Regular museum hours are:
• Thursday, Friday & Saturday — 10am to 4pm
• Sunday — 12noon to 4pm

Operated entirely by dedicated volunteers, the museum offers a chance to explore the rich history of the Mineral Point community, its people, and its railroading heritage. From fascinating artifacts to our impressive model railroad displays, there is something for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

Please note that road construction in the area may affect direct access via Commerce Street on Thursdays and Fridays through July. Visitors may find it easier to take Highway 23/39 out of town and turn onto Old Darlington Road to access the public parking lot. Visit mprs.org for updates and additional information.

Planning a group visit? We offer reduced admission rates for group tours during regular hours or by special arrangement outside normal operating times. To schedule a tour, contact us at [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you this season at the Mineral Point Railroad Museum!

Photo: The Mineral Point Railroad’s 4-4-0 locomotive “PLATTEVILLE,” photographed in the 1860s or 1870s, helped transport lead ore from the region’s mines. Its distinctive balloon smokestack served as a spark arrester, a common feature on wood-burning American locomotives of the era.

04/22/2026

Opening Day is right around the corner!

The Mineral Point Railroad Museum will welcome visitors back starting May 1, and we’re getting everything ready behind the scenes. Our HO-scale diorama has just had its dust cover lifted and will be getting a good cleaning this week—always a sure sign that the season is about to begin.

It felt like the perfect time to share this favorite view of the layout: Mineral Point & Northern Engine No. 50 taking a turn on the turntable while No. 51 rolls by in the background. It’s a lively little scene—but it also tells a story with a more somber ending.

The real 4-6-0 “Ten-Wheeler” steam locomotives met an unfortunate fate. After the MP&N ceased operations in March 1930, both engines were sold to the Rutland, Toluca & Northern in Granville, Illinois. In a rather dramatic (and ill-fated) attempt to raise funds for reorganization, the two locomotives were intentionally crashed into each other on June 30, 1935. The plan called for a spectacular collision on a trestle—but instead, the engines missed their mark and collided out in a field, turning the event into more of a curious misfire than a grand finale.

It’s just one of the hundreds of fascinating stories waiting to be discovered at the museum.

If you haven’t visited in a while, this is your sign to plan a trip. And if you joined us last year—come back again! There’s always something new to notice, learn, and enjoy.

Open Thursdays through Sundays, May through October. We can’t wait to see you!

04/13/2026

Road construction has officially begun around the Mineral Point Railroad Museum. Work on Commerce Street is expected to continue through early July, but crews have started at the Depot end. We’re hopeful that by the time we open for the season on May 1st, things will be largely in order on our end. You may need to take a short detour to reach us—but don’t worry! Routes are clearly marked thanks to the Mineral Point Chamber of Commerce

We appreciate your patience and look forward to welcoming you soon!