Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie Depot — Attraction in Snoqualmie

Overpriced waste of time. I was looking forward to a nice two hour train ride as advertised. However, what I got was maybe 30 minutes max mixed with a long stop at North Bend and a long stop back at Snoqualmie both to pick up more passengers, and a 30 minute stop at a train museum while the train I was riding was refueled. The train museum didn't really offer anything more than what is freely available at the train stop where I boarded the train. I had just made the drive to North Bend twice before boarding the train and the train didn't offer any views during that short ride back and forth that I hadn't already seen. Finally leaving Snoqualmie after boarding groups of people three times I thought maybe we'd get a more interesting ride going to the falls. It turned out to be another very short ride back and forth. No one mentioned which side of the train to sit on and as it turns out my side could only see a wall of dirt the whole ride. We arrived at the falls. The view was so so for the people on the right side of the train. I stood up and tried leaning over people on the right side of the train a bit to see anything. Trees blocked a lot of the view. You can't actually see the falls--just the river below the falls. I can't recommend the train for anyone wanting to see the falls (much better view of the falls are available for free). In fact I can't recommend it for anyone wanting a train ride--most of the two hour time the train isn't even moving and when it does move it is just slowly moving back and forth a couple of times across very short distances. The ride is fairly pricy for what it is and turned out to be a waste of...

I'm giving this railway four stars because I support the volunteers and the nonprofit behind the railway museum in their goal of keeping the line alive and running for the community, rail enthusiasts, and the general public.

The rail line is short and from the Snoqualmie station, the whole trip lasts just 45 minutes (Snoqualmie to North Bend, back to the end of the line with a partial view of the famous waterfall, before disembarking at the Snoqualmie station).

The diesel engine-pulled train itself is nothing to crow about, the carriages look sad, the upholstered chairs are dusty and have seen better days (remember that it's almost a century old). Also, eighty-percent of the view along the line is a snooze.

So is the fare worth it then? At $20/adult, $10/child yes. Why, you ask? Because the last stretch, is the view that you paid for. The train takes you by the side of the Snoqualmie falls and stops to let you marvel at the beauty of the river as it continues down the valley (see the pics).

You'll have about 5-10 minutes to enjoy the view so bring your good binoculars and long photo-lense cameras on the trip.

After the train ride, drive over to the viewing platforms for the waterfall and enjoy the vantage point from the other side (it's free).

The Snoqualmie station is surrounded by small local stores, with multiple food options.

You can enjoy the train ride, a hike and views of the fall in half a day so plan...

Our relatives live in the Snoqualamie area and we were looking for an affordable activity for a three year old who happens to love trains. This museum was a very good option. It has a small historical center with some hands on activities for little ones. Outside there are a few cars and engines to explore. Young kids will like the proximity to the equipment. If there are experts around when you visit, the history of some of the cars and engines there can be fascinating. Even without the deep history, the museum itself is enriching. The gift shop is a highlight of the trip with a plethora of Thomas the Tank Engine paraphernalia. Though the exhibits are limited in scope, the overall experience is fun of small kids and curious adults; it's worthy of a short visit.There's just something about a town with a railroad running through it that feels old fashioned and historic. You can walk around and look at the old trains on display outside and you can enter inside for a small indoor museum. When we went, there was not a guided tour or a special event, but I understand this can be a fun place to visit when there is and you can ride trains and do some extra exploring. We went on an average day just to walk amongst the history. While you cannot walk around inside all of the train cars, seeing them up close and taking a peek inside through windows and doors is a pretty...