♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] If you're a history buff and a railway enthusiast, the Rails West Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs is the perfect stop for you.

Housed in the historic 1899 Rock Island Depot, the museum provides a glimpse into the region's rich railroad heritage, offering visitors a charming destination to explore.

[Gracie Goos] It operated passengers until 1970 and then was freight until 1980.

Then the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County took over and worked together as a community to build it into the museum that it is now.

[Kohlsdorf] Inside the original walls of this old depot, visitors can get a glimpse of the historic railway artifacts.

♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Just outside, you'll find an interactive train yard filled with restored locomotives and railway cars.

[Gracie Goos] Out there in the train yard we have a steam engine locomotive.

Our steam locomotive is the oldest train car we have out there.

We also have an Omaha dining car that has been remodeled.

We also have a mail car.

[Kohlsdorf] The Rails West Museum is open to the public and hosts special events and educational programs, offering visitors a first class view of the role the railroad played in the development of the American West.

♪♪