Railroad & Transportation Museum of El Paso, El Paso (must see)

The Railroad & Transportation Museum of El Paso explores how trains and other forms of transportation shaped the development of the Paso del Norte region. In 1881, the arrival of the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines helped transform the area into an important transportation hub along the U.S.–Mexico border. The museum’s exhibits explain how rail travel supported trade, migration, and communication across the Southwest.

The museum’s most famous artifact is Locomotive No. 1, a rare steam engine built in 1857. It was originally constructed for the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad and later served the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad for more than fifty years. Today it is recognized as one of the oldest surviving locomotives of its type in the western United States. The preserved engine provides a direct look at early rail technology, when steam-powered machines moved passengers, freight, and raw materials across long distances.

In the past, the museum presented historical photographs, railroad equipment, model trains, and objects related to travel and freight transport. These displays introduced the rail companies that operated in the region and the workers who maintained the lines. Exhibits also explored how rail connections linked communities on both sides of the international border, reflecting the shared economic and cultural life of the borderlands.

At present, the museum’s former exhibition space is closed to the public while plans for a new location are being developed, and the building now functions as a visitors centre. However, the historic Locomotive No. 1 remains on display nearby and continues to illustrate the long history of rail transportation in the region.