Uncover the Past

union pacific railroad museum

Railroad History

When President Abraham Lincoln signed the first Pacific Railway Act in 1862, he set in motion the building of two railroads set to meet in the middle and become the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. One side would begin in Sacramento, California, and head east, and the other side would begin from the Missouri River and head to the west. In 1864, President Lincoln was more specific, designating Council Bluffs as ‘Mile Zero’ of the side starting from the Missouri River—a huge win for CB!

Railroads in Council Bluffs allowed a small town of 2,000 in 1860 to grow to over 10,000 residents in just 10 years, making it the fifth largest city in Iowa at the time. Council Bluffs owes much of its growth to the transcontinental railroad’s construction.

Council Bluffs’ connection with the railroad can be seen throughout town with two museums dedicated to railroad history: Union Pacific Railroad Museum and RailsWest Railroad Museum. Through the use of hands-on, interactive technology and exhibits, the UP Museum brings to life the struggles of building the transcontinental railroad, President Abraham Lincoln’s involvement, the history of passenger rail service, rail safety, and more. RailsWest Railroad Museum features railroad artifacts and railcars that you can see up close.

Not far from either is the Historic General Dodge House, a three-story, 14-room, lavish Victorian home built in 1869 honoring General Grenville M. Dodge known as the “greatest railroad builder of all time.” And in 1939, Council Bluffs became home to the Golden Spike Monument, honoring ‘Mile Zero’ and the film “Union Pacific.” 22 UNleashcb.com

union pacific railroad museum

Known as the “Little People’s House,” the historic Bregant House was built in 1912 for former Vaudeville performers Jean and Inez Bregant to accommodate their heights of 42” and 39,” respectively. The House features a fireplace mantle about waist high on an average-height adult and a four-foot-long claw foot bathtub. See this hidden gem for yourself by scheduling a tour!

The Squirrel Cage Jail is a one-of-a-kind structure with tons of history. It represents only three revolving jails left in existence and the only one to be built with three stories. The jail’s use was discontinued in 1969 and has since been preserved and opened as a museum.

Council Bluffs is home to numerous monuments and historical markers, including the Lincoln Monument, an impressive pylon erected in 1911 to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the site in 1859. From this site, Lincoln and Grenville M. Dodge viewed and selected the location for the eastern terminus of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. The Lewis & Clark Monument Scenic Overlook was dedicated in 1936, honoring the 1804 expedition of Lewis & Clark and their historic meeting with the Otoe and Missouri tribes. The Grand Encampment / Mormon Battalion Mustering Grounds Marker is on the site where the Mormons met after traveling across Iowa. Twelve days after they arrived at the Encampment, the U.S. Army was seeking volunteers. Five hundred men, known as the Mormon Battalion, began their trek to Southern California.

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bregant house

The Dodge House

Built in 1869 on the frontier by Grenville M. Dodge, a Civil War veteran and the “greatest railroad builder of all time. No expense was spared on this sublime Second Empire Victorian home.

The fourteen-room, three-story mansion stands on a high terrace overlooking the Missouri Valley, and displays such architectural features as parquet floors, mansard roof, cherry, walnut, and butternut woodwork, and a number of “modern” conveniences quite unusual for the period: central heating and hot and cold running water.

The house was designed by William Boyington, a famous Chicago architect. It has been painstakingly curated with period items, many of them original to the home and the Dodge family.

Open Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and closed on all Government Holidays and the month of January. Admissions: $10.00 Adults 19-64, $5.00 for Seniors 65+, students 6-18, and Military with ID. Children under 6 are free.