Accessibility

We want every guest to enjoy their visit to the National Railroad Museum. This page covers what to expect when you arrive, how to get around our grounds and exhibits, and the resources available to make your visit more comfortable. If you have questions or need an accommodation that isn’t listed here, please call us at (920) 437-7623 before your visit, and we’ll be happy to help.

Walking and Grounds Accessibility Map

Use our grounds map to plan your route through the Museum, including accessible entrances, paths between buildings, and amenities along the way.

Click the map to enlarge – it will open in a new tab. Jump to the text description of the map here.

Parking and Entrance

Our free parking lot is located on Museum grounds and is open during Museum business hours. Five accessible parking stalls are located next to the Museum’s main entrance. Additional accessible parking is located in the lot next to the Fox River Expansion. Both entrances are step-free and offer push-button doors.

Wheelchairs and Mobility Aids

The Museum offers complimentary wheelchairs for guests to use during their visit. To borrow one, ask our staff at the Museum Store when you arrive, or call ahead at (920) 437-7623 to reserve one.

Exhibit Accessibility

Many of the trains in our Fox River Expansion, Lenfestey Center, and McCormick Pavilion have ramps or stairs that bring guests up to car level so that they can look inside. Because many of these trains were built before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, some cars may be difficult for guests with limited mobility to enter. To make our programs accessible to everyone, nearly all of our educational programming takes place outside of the train cars.

Train Rides

Our seasonal train rides are wheelchair accessible. If you will need the wheelchair lift to board your train ride, please let a member of Museum Store staff know when you arrive.

Restrooms and Seating

Restrooms are located near the ticket desk, at the entrance to the Lenfestey Center, in the Fox River Expansion, and in the Jodey Lenfestey Children’s Discovery Depot. Bench seating is available throughout the Museum.

Heated and Air-Conditioned Areas

The Fox River Expansion, Lenfestey Center, Fuller Hall, and Bauer Drumhead Gallery are temperature-controlled.

Service Animals

For the safety of our patrons and their pets, service animals are the only animals allowed outside of vehicles on National Railroad Museum property. Please read our full pet policy here.

Text Description of the Grounds Map

This section describes the information shown on our Walking and Grounds Accessibility Map.

Parking. The main parking lot, including bus parking, is off South Broadway at the front of the museum. Accessible parking is located next to the Main Entrance. A second parking area with accessible parking is located next to the Fox River Expansion, at the far end of the museum grounds, and guests can enter the museum through the Fox River Expansion from there.

Main Entrance and Tickets. Enter through the Main Entrance and continue to the ticket desk. Your visit starts here. Restrooms and the museum’s theater are located in this building, near the ticket desk.

Route to the Lenfestey Center. From the ticket desk, a paved indoor route leads through the Gallery and a connecting hallway into the Frederick J. Lenfestey Center. Restrooms are located at the entrance to the Lenfestey Center. The Fox River Expansion connects to the far end of the Lenfestey Center and has its own restrooms.

Route to the McCormick Train Pavilion. To reach the McCormick Train Pavilion, exit the Lenfestey Center through the doors near its restrooms and follow the paved walkway around the circular drive. The walkway then crosses a short stretch of uneven ground, including two sets of railroad tracks, before entering the end of the pavilion. The ground along both long sides of the pavilion is also uneven.

Train Boarding and the Children’s Discovery Depot. Train boarding takes place at the Jodey Lenfestey Children’s Discovery Depot, a short walk from the Main Entrance past the accessible parking. Restrooms are located at the depot.

Restroom locations. Restrooms are located in four places: near the ticket desk in the main building, at the entrance to the Lenfestey Center, in the Fox River Expansion, and at the Children’s Discovery Depot.

Other areas. The Observation Tower stands near the Fox River, on the grassy area beyond the Fox River Expansion. The Restoration Shop, next to the McCormick Train Pavilion, is closed to the public.

Questions or Feedback

We are always looking for ways to make the Museum more welcoming for every guest. If you have questions, need an accommodation, or have suggestions about accessibility, please contact our Ticket Desk at (920) 437-7623 or contact us at info@nationalrrmuseum.org.

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