School Days
May 6th and 7th
All Aboard for Fun and Learning!
Join us for School Days at the Monticello Railway Museum, an immersive field trip experience where learning comes to life. Students and teachers will step back in time to explore the golden age of rail travel while enjoying a unique blend of history and real-world learning aboard a working railroad. Participants will climb aboard a full-sized, diesel-powered train for a 40-minute ride through the scenic Central Illinois countryside and explore our beautifully restored historic railroad cars and exhibits.
New this year, School Days proudly features an enhanced partnership with Operation Lifesaver. During the train ride, trained Operation Lifesaver presenters will deliver a dedicated on-board rail safety presentation, teaching students critical, life-saving lessons about railroad awareness and safety. This important program adds a powerful real-world safety component to your educational experience.
Train departures are scheduled for 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Please allow approximately 90 minutes to ride the train and view the exhibits.
School Days is ideal for traditional school groups, and accommodations are available for homeschool groups and pre-school age children. To ensure a comfortable and enjoyable visit, passenger capacity is limited on each train, so early reservations are strongly encouraged.
Exhibits Include:
Sleeping Car: Discover how passengers traveled in comfort on long journeys.
Railway Post Office (RPO) Car: Learn how mail was sorted and delivered at lightning speed right on the train.
Caboose: Explore the life of a train crew in this classic railcar.
Event Details:
Tickets: $5 for all riders (Children and Adults)
Train Departures: 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM (Reservations Required) (Please arrive at least 20 minutes before scheduled departure time)
Location: Nelson Crossing Depot at the Monticello Railway Museum
Address: 992 Iron Horse Place, Monticello, IL (Please note that departures are NOT from downtown Monticello)
Facilities: Restrooms, gift shop, and shaded picnic area on Museum grounds.
Fill out the form below to register for School Days
Reservations are required.