In 1988, Union Station was designated as the Utah State Railroad Museum (Utah Code). Ogden Union Station officially became Utah’s state railroad museum when Governor Norman Bangerter signed H.B. 317 into law. Representative Scott Holt (R-Syracuse) sponsored the bill after touring Union Station with his family while on break from the 1988 Legislative General Session.

The Union Station Development Corporation (USDC) and historian Elizabeth “Teddy” Griffith established the Museums at Union Station in 1978. Griffith’s vision for social history and love for Ogden led to the preservation of Utah’s railroading history, Ogden’s history, and the cultural heritage of its residents. The museum’s collection now includes approximately 50,000 objects like photographs, prints, costumes, paintings, sculptures, railroad ephemera, and more. The Spencer S. and Hope F. Eccles Rail Center was dedicated as an addition to the Utah State Railroad Museum in 1989. In addition to the Utah State Railroad Museum, Union Station houses the Browning Firearms Museum, the Browning-Kimball Car Museum, and two art galleries: Myra Powell Gallery and Gallery at the Station.

Visitors are treated to a variety of interactive and pictorial displays and artifacts illustrating the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The Maintenance of Way exhibit includes a rail handcar and a locomotive cab. The Wattis-Dumke Model Railroad recreates Northern Utah’s rail topography. Model trains zip through significant regional features including the Sierra Nevada, the Lucin Trestle across the Great Salt Lake, Ogden Union Station with Historic 25th Street, Weber Canyon, Dale Creek, Wyoming, and much more.

Union Station, once the heart of Ogden’s railroading and the central hub for railroad travel from the Transcontinental Railroad era until the 1970s, transitioned from a bustling train station to a cultural center and railroad museum in 1978. A decade later, it was officially designated the Utah State Railroad Museum. Union Station is a fitting home for the museum, given the station’s role in bringing the railroad’s wealth and prosperity to Ogden and Northern Utah.

The Utah State Railroad Museum, housed in the historic Union Station, showcases the rich history of railroading in Ogden and Northern Utah. From the era of the Transcontinental Railroad to the decline of passenger service in the 1970s, the museum’s exhibits offer a comprehensive look at the impact of railroads on the region. Union Station, once a bustling hub for rail travel, transitioned into a cultural center in 1978 and was officially designated as the state’s railroad museum ten years later. Its interactive displays, including the Big Boy Theater, Children’s Play Area, Golden Spike Vault, and caboose, make it an engaging destination for visitors of all ages.