RailsWest Railroad Museum
RailsWest Railroad Museum is a railroad museum operated by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County at 16th Avenue and South Main Street and illustrates the history of railroads in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The pick nearby is Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, 4.3 mi off. Expect 65–84°F afternoons in the mildest months, May, June, September and October.
A museum inside Council Bluffs
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 14°, with about 27" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Council Bluffs
RailsWest Railroad Museum is inside Council Bluffs, which has 33 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Sep and Oct
May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 65–84°. When to go ↓
An airport 4 miles away
Eppley Airfield (OMA) has airline service, about 4 miles from RailsWest Railroad Museum.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Pick a month for RailsWest Railroad Museum from the weather below.
RailsWest Railroad Museum
RailsWest Railroad Museum is a railroad museum operated by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County at 16th Avenue and South Main Street and illustrates the history of railroads in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
- Type
- Museum
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1995)
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.1K a year
Lodging near RailsWest Railroad Museum
To stay close, try Council Bluffs (33) and Omaha (104).
- 1Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- 2Joslyn Art Museum
- 3Pottawattamie County Jail
- 4USS Hazard
- 5Strategic Air and Space Museum
- 6Fort Atkinson
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From RailsWest Railroad Museum | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council Bluffs | in town | — | 33 24 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 62,680 | $172K | D |
| Omaha | 11 mi west | 15 min | 104 91 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 488,797 | $246K | — |
| Bellevue | 8 mi southwest | 15 min | 17 9 hotels · 4 motels · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 64,863 | $247K | B− |
| Carter Lake | 4 mi northwest | 5 min | 5 5 hotels | 3,670 | $169K | D |
| La Vista | 12 mi west | 20 min | 5 5 hotels | 16,543 | $261K | B |
| Offutt AFB | 9 mi south | 15 min | 3 2 hotels · 1 campground | 6,074 | — | — |
| Gretna | 20 mi southwest | 30 min | 9 7 hotels · 2 motels | 9,207 | $342K | — |
| La Platte | 13 mi south | 20 min | 3 1 motel · 2 campgrounds | — | — | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
After RailsWest Railroad Museum
You can reach each of these within 54 miles.
14 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
53 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
39 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
25 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
32 mi MuseumPottawattamie County Jail
43 mi MuseumUSS Hazard
529 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
616 mi LandmarkFort AtkinsonPhoto credits
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Memorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Loess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · Pottawattamie County Jail: Smallbones, CC0 · USS Hazard: Dave Aldworth / Oldfarm at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain
Questions before you go
Is RailsWest Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs?
Yes. It’s inside Council Bluffs, IA.
When is the best time to visit RailsWest Railroad Museum?
May, June, September and October, with highs of 65–84°.
How far is RailsWest Railroad Museum from Lincoln?
About 52 miles southwest of Lincoln, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to RailsWest Railroad Museum?
Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 4 miles away.
Where should I stay near RailsWest Railroad Museum?
Omaha (11 mi, 104 places to stay), Council Bluffs (in town, 33 places to stay) and Bellevue (8 mi, 17 places to stay).
Questions for Council Bluffs
There are no tips yet, so start one in Council Bluffs’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.