The Minnesota Transportation Museum, situated in the historic Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul, MN, offers a captivating journey through the region’s railway heritage. A nationally recognized landmark, the Jackson Street Roundhouse is not just a building; it’s a treasure trove of historical collections, from meticulously restored railcars to fascinating railway memorabilia. Beyond static exhibits, the museum brings history to life with seasonal passenger train rides along the scenic St. Croix River Valley, operated by the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway. As one of the last surviving roundhouses commissioned by the visionary James J. Hill for the Great Northern Railway, this site played a pivotal role in the economic and cultural evolution of the Upper Midwest and the westward expansion of the United States.
Our Mission: To Educate, Inspire, and Engage
At the heart of the Minnesota Transportation Museum’s purpose is a commitment to its visitors. Our mission is to educate, inspire, entertain, and deeply engage everyone who walks through our doors. We achieve this by vividly sharing the compelling story of rail transportation history specifically within the Upper Midwest region. We aim to demonstrate how the evolution of rail has profoundly shaped our lives, influenced our diverse cultures, driven our economy, and molded our society.
Our Vision: Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
The vision of the Minnesota Transportation Museum is ambitious and forward-looking, built upon a foundation of preservation and access. We are dedicated to collecting, preserving, and restoring artifacts and knowledge related to transportation history. Crucially, we strive to provide these invaluable resources not only for visitors and researchers but also for our partners, our local communities, and for generations yet to come.
We are committed to:
- Enhancing Learning Opportunities: Creating pathways to knowledge and skills development that can lead to future employment in related fields.
- Providing Enjoyable Experiences: Crafting friendly and memorable visits through hands-on learning and interactive exhibits.
- Operating Real Transportation Equipment: Showcasing history in action through demonstrations, immersive train rides, and other experiential learning activities.
- Presenting Engaging Knowledge: Delivering our message and historical insights in a manner that is both informative and captivating.
- Inspiring Passion for Railroading: Highlighting the undeniable importance and enduring success of railroading in our society and its vital contribution to the nation’s development.
The Historic Jackson Street Roundhouse: A Legacy of Innovation
The Minnesota Transportation Museum proudly calls the historic Jackson Street Roundhouse home. This remarkable structure was originally constructed as a steam engine maintenance facility for the renowned Great Northern Railroad.
Dating back to 1907, the Roundhouse stands as one of the final roundhouses erected under the direction of James J. “Empire Builder” Hill. It replaced a smaller, wooden engine-house belonging to the Saint Paul & Pacific Railroad and became a crucial component of a sprawling shop complex established in the 1880s.
Strategically located near downtown Saint Paul, just north and east of the State Capitol, the complex was sold by Great Northern in 1960. Subsequently, the Roundhouse underwent a transformation into a warehouse and industrial space. During this conversion, all the original railway tracks were removed, and an extension was built over the area where the turntable once stood.
Revitalization and Rebirth: The Museum Takes the Helm
In 1986, the Minnesota Transportation Museum acquired possession of the Roundhouse, undertaking a significant restoration project despite a substantial mortgage. Jackson Street was reborn as an operating roundhouse, albeit with adaptations to accommodate its new purpose. While serving as MTM’s essential back shop for restoration work, it also evolved to house public exhibitions, archival storage, an audio-visual theater, a meeting room, and administrative offices. The turntable was impressively re-installed in 2001, and connections to the present-day BNSF railway network were re-established, along with five yard tracks. BNSF also played a crucial role in remediating environmental concerns, primarily petroleum contamination in the groundwater. Through the generous financial support of dedicated individuals like longtime director Arthur E. Pew III, and many others, the museum successfully paid off the initial large mortgage.
The Museum at Jackson Street Roundhouse officially opened its doors in 1999, marking a new chapter in its storied history. In March of that same year, MTM appointed its first paid Executive Director, and administrative offices were established in a newly renovated area, shared collaboratively with the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Historical Societies. Together, these organizations are developing a state-of-the-art archive with climate-controlled storage and a unified cataloging system, ensuring the preservation of invaluable historical resources for future generations at the Minnesota Transportation Museum in St. Paul, MN.
