Temple's Roots Discovered at City's Railroad Museum

Located just a mile from the hustle and bustle of I-35, the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum highlights a quieter time with a method of travel virtually unknown to a generation of kids.

"I've never been on a train before!" is often heard from excited children who come here to take part in the popular train-ride events put on by the museum, like the Wizarding Express.

"We have an Amtrak station on the museum premises, so we combine activities at the museum with a train ride to the next station in McGregor," Director Stephanie Long explains. "It's clear that a majority of the kids have never been on a train, and we are fortunate to be able to let them experience it."

The Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum not only honors the mode of transportation that transformed Temple from a small town to a thriving city, but also introduces new generations to a bygone era of train travel.

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It was the railroad that created the city of Temple 137 years ago, Long points out. The city was named after Bernard Moore Temple, an employee of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company, who built the tracks through Bell County. He saw the need for a train station at a spot that became known as Temple Junction. The town eventually boomed as a result.

"We were just a farmer's field before the railroad came along. It's where we came from," Long says. "For a long time, we were just a railroad town."

The history of the Railroad and Heritage Museum began in 1973, when local residents wanted to highlight the city's beginnings. The City of Temple eventually took over the museum and purchased the surrounding 8 acres.

Museum visitors take a ride on the railroad.

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"We have permanent displays that include rolling stock like a steam locomotive and sleeper cars and other exhibits that emphasize the role that the Santa Fe Railway had in forming the city, but we also have a broad range of temporary exhibits that change every few months," Long says. "Special events like the Wizarding Express that we began last year and had again in March were sold-out events."

The Wizarding Express begins with a Harry Potter-themed magic school that includes wand- and potion-making, with many of the kids dressed in costume. They board the train for the 40-minute ride to McGregor and ride a bus back to the museum.

A Harry Potter-themed magic school that encourages kids to dress in costumes and engage in fun activities before boarding a 40-minute train ride to McGregor.

For National Train Day on Saturday, May 12, the museum is partnering with Amtrak and the Central Texas Area Model Railroaders for a fun day celebrating trains. Families and friends are invited to stop by and explore vintage train cars, model train layouts, railroad crafts, music, and rides. (They say you may even win a free trip on Amtrak!)

Find out more about National Train Day and the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum.

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