Northern Pacific Rail Museum Toppenish

While visiting the Yakama area, we noticed a rail museum in the small town of Toppenish, on the Yakama Indian Reservation. The town seemed like an unusual and remote location for a railway museum. However, we were pleasantly surprised. The Northern Pacific Railway Museum is located in a beautifully restored 1911 Northern Pacific depot building and train yard. This museum feels like a passion project of a group of skilled rail enthusiasts. There is a sizable collection in the depot yard, which includes a few fully restored vehicles. (By the way, NP eventually became part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway.) 

The museum highlights the region's rail heritage through a rail collection and restored depot building. Key exhibits include the 1902 Northern Pacific steam locomotive #1364, which is undergoing restoration, and a 1941 Railway Express Agency truck. The museum aims to preserve and interpret the historical significance of railroads in the development of the Western United States, offering visitors insights into early 20th-century rail travel and operations.