To those who work in the railroad, they’ll tell you that everything starts in Chicago. The reason Chicago became the railway capital of the U.S. is because of its strategic location in the center of the country — intermediate between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and right in the middle of America’s manufacturing and agricultural regions. Chicago has always been the “King of Ring” when it comes to railway capital in America. Throughout the history of Chicago, the Windy city and railroads have had a mutual relationship where both have aided in the growth of each other to become tough and sustainable entities. It’s also the major reason why the U.S. federal agency, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), choose Chicago as its headquarters for the country, helping railroad workers with their retirement benefits and other railroad related services, like unemployment and sickness benefits.
It makes perfect sense that the best railroad museums and everything railroad related is located in the railway capital of the U.S – the city of Chicago and the great state of Illinois. If you’re eager to learn more about the history of the railroads or want to grab a bite…then check out the list of some of the railroad museums and restaurants in all of Illinois.
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Illinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) is organized into several departments, with nearly a good amount of them led by a volunteer curator. These departments include equipment departments, like Electric Car, Steam, Diesel to name a few; the facilities departments, such as Buildings & Grounds, Track & Signal, and the Overhead Line; and the Operating Department, which oversees actual train operations. With more departments to name. The IRM is a nonprofit corporation owned and managed by its membership. The size of the property has expanded to about 100 acres. Nearly four miles of tracks are under cover, providing protected storage for the huge historic collection of trains they own. The museum will open up its doors in the month of April. The Illinois Railway Museum is located at 7000 Olson Road, Union, Illinois, 60180.
For more information about the Illinois Railway Museum, please visit: www.irm.org.
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Monticello Railway Museum
Since its humble beginnings, the Monticello Railway Museum (MRM) volunteers make efforts that focuses on building and maintaining the museum as one of the premier railroad tourists sites in the Midwest. While MRM is best known for their trains, tracks, and depots…MRM also reserves the rich railroad history of central Illinois in many ways. In addition to their collections of locomotives and rolling stock, their collection also includes a variety of artifacts like photographs, maps, timetables, lanterns, and other types of smaller railroad related items. Monticello Railway Museum is located at 992 Iron Horse Place, Monticello, IL 61856.
For more information about the Monticello Railway Museum, please visit: www.mrym.org.
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The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
At The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, the mission of the museum is to promote, honor, and celebrate the legacy of A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the first black labor union to be chartered under the AFL and the contributions made by African Americans to America’s labor movement; with a major focus on the African American Railroad Employee. Learn about their historic legacy and the contributions the BSCP made and how the interpretation of their stories that are undistinguishably intertwined with the labor movement. The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum is located at 10406 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60628.
For more information about the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, please visit: www.thepullmanportersmuseum.org.
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Junction Diner
The Junction Diner has plenty of trains to spare. The Junction Express rides the countertop rails to deliver delicious homemade food directly to the guests. The Flying Yankee, the Junction’s spin on the breaded chicken sandwich and the donuts are made in-house and are truly must orders. The kids can also play with a light up train village and ride on a coin-operated engine. Junction Diner is located at 7401 Madison St, Forest Park, IL 60130.
For more information about the Junction Diner, please visit: www.thejunctiondiner.com.
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“Chessie’s” Restaurant in Barrington
If eating inside an actual train is more of your cup of tea…Chessie’s offers a fun and delightful opportunity to dine in an original Illinois Railway train dining car –the kids will love it. While Chessie’s is a bit more formal than most train restaurants, Chessie’s does cater to kids with menu offers of chicken fingers, quesadillas, spaghetti, and more. Chessie’s is built right where the train station used to operate from and really adds to the ambiance of the restaurant. Chessie’s Restaurant is located at 200 Applebee Street, Barrington, IL 60010.
For more information about Chessie’s, please visit: www.chessiesbarrington.com.
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The Choo-Choo Diner
Customers fondly remember The Choo-Choo Diner with a model train, fitted with food baskets and delivering it to the customers. The Choo-Choo opened its doors nearly 70 years ago, with diners looking for creative ways of creating different dine-in experiences. Restaurant owner Dale Eisenberg took ownership of The Choo-Choo, with the hopes of upgrading the operations of the diner and the customer dine-in experience, without changing what made it truly special. The Choo-Choo Diner is located at 600 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
For more information about the Choo-Choo Diner, please visit: www.thechoochoo.com.
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The Matchbox Bar
While the Matchbox Bar itself isn’t really a railroad theme kind of place, but it once was a companion to The Silver Palm Restaurant, which closed in 2018. A 2008 visit from the late great Anthony Bourdain once harled about The Silver Palm Three Little Pigs popular food item as “The greatest sandwich in America.” The Matchbox Bar is still operational and is considered an iconic Chicago establishment, known for its tiny interior and cocktails dusted with powdered sugar. You can still drink by the patio area where the Silver Palm sliver train still stands. The Matchbox Bar is located at 770 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642.
For more information about the Matchbox Bar, please visit: www.matchboxbar.com.
These are only a handful of railroad museums and theme restaurants of what Chicago and the rest of Illinois offers, but there are more. It’s highly recommended that you plan a trip and get to know more of the industry that strengthen the economy of Chicago and became the central hub point of America. The might of America’s railroad system located right here in the beautiful city of Chicago.
