Galena Mining & Historical Museum — Attraction in Galena

A must see for anyone who values history, heritage, and the legacies of those who came before us, especially if you’re a mining history or memorabilia enthusiast like myself! The Museum is more than just a building full of artifacts it truly is a living archive of the people, stories, and struggles that shaped this community. This little gem is absolutely packed with fascinating mining tools, photographs, and a truly magnificent mineral collection, each piece telling its own chapter in a much larger story. Beyond mining, the exhibits branch into Jesse James lore, vintage medical instruments, fashion, dolls, automobiles, veterans’ memorabilia, and early cinematography. There’s something here to spark every curiosity! The museum directors are storytellers and happy to share their favorite stories. Their warmth, knowledge, and passion ensure that these legacies are not forgotten. My only small disappointment was that the T-shirts were only available in 2XL, I would have worn one all the time! Places like this matter. They connect us to our roots and deserve our support. I highly recommend visiting, learning, and donating to help keep this treasure alive for generations to come. I’ll gladly return...

Loaded with local history and filled with treasures of days gone by including pictures and memorabilia, the depot transformed into a museum has its own railroad car and military tank to brag about on the property grounds along with an army helicopter, each available for photo opportunities. The hours of operation are limited, controlled by local volunteers, mostly afternoons, Monday through Friday (subject to change) and parking is limited to...

We visited this museum in early May, 2023. It was a nice museum with a nice collection. They had mining and railroad memorabilia. That included a small locomotive and caboose. And tower controlled semaphore signal and other railroad items. They had lots of other items including cars and even a military tank. It was a surprise how wide reaching their collection was. Definitely...