The Museum of Transportation was founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past. They acquired the 1870's Bellefontaine #33 mule-drawn streetcar from the St. Louis Public Service Company and they formed a nonprofit organization titled the St Louis Railway Historical Society, which later became the Transport Museum Association.
The Bellefontaine #33 was stored until after WWII when the group was able to locate the present site on Barrett Station Road.
The mule car was soon joined by a collection of streetcars, an 1869 vintage derrick from the Missouri Pacific Railroad, a 4-4-2 Atlantic type steam locomotive from the Chicago and Northwestern and an 1889 ten wheeler 4-6-0 steam locomotive from the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
The name was changed to Museum of Transport in 1948, and the Museum opened 7 days a week in 1957. About 1960 the name became National Museum of Transport.
On Sept 1, 1979 St. Louis County Parks took over the operation of the Museum. The assets of the Museum were donated to the County in 1983, giving the county title to the collection as well as operation of the site.
Today, the Transport Museum Association, the continuation of the private not for profit incorporation, assists with funding and raising money for new acquisitions and restoration.
Expanded services now include tours and classrooms, a theatre, educational programs, puppet shows and facilities for parties and events. Their full calendar includes the following Ford Car show coming this spring.
All-Ford Event - April 5, 2009
Presented by: The Model A Restorers Club, Model T Club & Early Ford V8 Club.
This event is open to Ford vehicles old and new. One of the highlights of the show will be the opportunity to watch a team assemble a Ford Model T from crates of parts in just minutes and drive away.
Summer Hours (May 1st - September 1)
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Winter Hours (September 2nd - April30th)
Closed Monday.
Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Museum of Transportation
St. Louis County Parks and Recreation
3015 Barrett Station Road
St. Louis, MO 63122
The Museum of Transportation was founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past. They acquired the 1870's Bellefontaine #33 mule-drawn streetcar from the St. Louis Public Service Company and they formed a nonprofit organization titled the St Louis Railway Historical Society, which later became the Transport Museum Association.
The Bellefontaine #33 was stored until after WWII when the group was able to locate the present site on Barrett Station Road.
The mule car was soon joined by a collection of streetcars, an 1869 vintage derrick from the Missouri Pacific Railroad, a 4-4-2 Atlantic type steam locomotive from the Chicago and Northwestern and an 1889 ten wheeler 4-6-0 steam locomotive from the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
The name was changed to Museum of Transport in 1948, and the Museum opened 7 days a week in 1957. About 1960 the name became National Museum of Transport.
On Sept 1, 1979 St. Louis County Parks took over the operation of the Museum. The assets of the Museum were donated to the County in 1983, giving the county title to the collection as well as operation of the site.
Today, the Transport Museum Association, the continuation of the private not for profit incorporation, assists with funding and raising money for new acquisitions and restoration.
Expanded services now include tours and classrooms, a theatre, educational programs, puppet shows and facilities for parties and events. Their full calendar includes the following Ford Car show coming this spring.
All-Ford Event - April 5, 2009
Presented by: The Model A Restorers Club, Model T Club & Early Ford V8 Club.
This event is open to Ford vehicles old and new. One of the highlights of the show will be the opportunity to watch a team assemble a Ford Model T from crates of parts in just minutes and drive away.
Summer Hours (May 1st - September 1)
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Winter Hours (September 2nd - April30th)
Closed Monday.
Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Museum of Transportation
St. Louis County Parks and Recreation
3015 Barrett Station Road
St. Louis, MO 63122
If you love history and architecture, you can't go wrong with a visit to Union Station. If you love shopping and fine food, well, you still can't go wrong with a visit to this top attraction. There's something for everyone, so load the family in the Ford Expedition and truck them Market Street.
From its magnificent 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling in the Grand Hall to its Victorian-engineered train shed totaling more than 11 acres, St. Louis Union Station remains one of our nation's true architectural "gems." Built at a cost of $6.5 million in the 1890s St. Louis Union Station was designed by German-born architect Theodore C. Link of St. Louis who won the prized project in a nationwide contest. In the early 1980s, the Station underwent a $150 million restoration.
A most impressive feature of the Grand Hall is the "Allegorical Window," a hand-made stained glass window with hand-cut Tiffany glass strategically positioned above the Station's main entryway. The window features three women representing the main U.S. train stations during the 1890s -- New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.
The Second main area, The Midway, once serviced more than 100,000 rail passengers a day. The 610-foot-long and 70-foot-wide concourse was connected to the massive Train Shed, where passengers lined up to board trains through one of 32 boarding gates. The Midway was constructed with a light steel trussed roof of glass and iron. Today it serves as a passageway filled with an array of shops and restaurants.
The Train Shed, 11.5 acres of sweeping arches, was the largest single-span train shed ever constructed. It once covered the greatest number of train tracks (32) than any other station in the nation. The Shed currently houses retail and restaurant facilities, a portion of the Marriott Hotel, the lake, event and parking areas.
The "Memories Museum," founded as a joint venture by St. Louis Station Associates and the Museum of Transportation, is dedicated to preserving the rich history of St. Louis Union Station, the railroads that served it and the people who experienced the romance of rail travel.
The Museum is free to the general public and is open during St. Louis Union Station's operating hours.
Union Station is located just west of Downtown St. Louis at 1920 Market Street. For information on hours and events you can call (314) 421-6655.
