The Historic 1894 Southern Pacific Railroad Freighthouse
Circa 1894
Permanent Home of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
Restored 2000-2014Museum Organization History
In the decades since the Museum organization has existed, it has been our goal to create a regional museum serving the nearly 300,000 residents and eight million tourists who visit San Luis Obispo County each year. We welcome those who have an interest in local railroad history, artifacts, modeling, art and archives. Visitors include local residents and families, tourists, visiting and local groups, teachers and children, railfans and those who worked on any of the railroads that serve(d) our region: the Pacific Coast Railway, Southern Pacific Railroad, Santa Maria Valley Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak.
1894 Historic Museum Freighthouse History
Originally built with the San Luis Obispo Depot upon arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894, the 32' x 150' freight house served to load and transfer goods between the SP and the local narrow gauge, Pacific Coast Railway which linked San Luis Obispo with other towns in the County, State and Nation. The freight house remains intact today and is one of the oldest railroad structures in San Luis Obispo County. The exterior has recently been completely restored by the City of San Luis Obispo. Interior museum construction has come along way. The historic 1894 freight house building is our permanent home and houses the Museum and model railroad. We continue to need your help in finishing our interior restoration effort as well as artifact display and exhibit development. Help us preserve, and educate the community about, our regional railroad history!
The Grand Opening Celebration for the Museum took place on October 12, 2013.
