Railroad Days at Pullman National Historical Park - Saturday 2026
About this Event
🚆 Railroad Days: An Electric Centennial
Celebrating 100 Years of Electrified Rail & Innovation in Chicago
Step aboard history—and experience the future—at Railroad Days (RRD), a family-friendly celebration of trains, technology, and transformation at Pullman National Historical Park.
Join us as we share this long-forgotten story!
When the switch was flipped in 1926, Chicago's who's who of civic and business leaders celebrated with one of the largest multi-day events in the city's history. The electrification put Daniel Burnham's lakefront vision into action, cleaned Chicago's air, moved commuters faster and more safely than ever, and transformed South Shore service for riders coming in from Northwest Indiana. The Pullman-built cars that powered this new system didn't just change how people got around — they sparked explosive real estate development across the South Side and southern suburbs, turning prairies into thriving communities.
One hundred years later, presented by Alstom and in cooperation with Metra and the Illinois Railway Museum, these historic cars are coming home. Step aboard the iconic cars and walk through a century of stories.
Explore the deeper Pullman history, venture beyond the tracks on walking tours, and dive into a STEAM fair celebrating a century of electric innovation. Join Chicago broadcasting legend Geoffrey Baer as he talks with former Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo about Chicago's evolution as the mighty railroad capital of North America (Sunday only). There's live music sponsored by Goodman Theatre, rides on CPKC's Puffer Belly Express, face painting, and plenty more to discover.
In Pullman, connect with the past, present, and future of rail, electricity, design, and infrastructure!
✅ FREE Activities — No Ticket Needed
- STEAM Fair — a city-wide celebration of a century of electric innovation
- Modern rail & transit exhibits
- Interactive Model Train exhibits
- Hands-on demos with engineers, historians, artists & makers
- CPKC 's Puffer Belly — ride a model steam train (ADA accessible)
- Historian Ken Schoon on the Pullman story (Greenstone Church, 1 p.m)
- Broadcasting legend Geoffrey Baer & former Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo discuss the new WTTW show, "Riding the Rails" (Sunday, Greenstone Church, 3 p.m.
- Live music sponsored in part by the Goodman Theater
- Factory Grounds Tour — discover what this extraordinary building once made, led by State of Illinois employees
- Arts & Maker Fair at the Block House Gallery — a free partner event
🎟️ One Ticket. Four Unforgettable Experiences.
Your ticket gets you inside the history — literally.
🚃 Historic Railcar Tour — Step inside the only surviving 1926 Illinois Central electric commuter cars. Timed entry; specific to your ticketed day and time.
🚶 Three Guided Walking Tours (~20 min. each, valid both days):
- Pullman Neighborhood — America's most ambitious company town, block by block
- Roaring Pullman — Bootleg stories from from Pullman in the 1920s and '30s
- Pullman Strike — The 1894 labor uprising that changed American workers' rights forever
🎟️ Historic Rail Car Tour Tickets
Ticket prices increase as the event approaches—plan ahead and save!
🚆 Ticket Pricing
- Early Bird | $15 Available May 1 – June 30
- Advance | $20 Available July 1 – July 24
- Day-Of | $25 Available July 25 & 26, during Railroad Days
Early Bird and Advance tickets offer the best value and are strongly encouraged, as tour capacity is limited.
👨👩👧👦 Children’s Tickets (Important!)
- Children under 12 are FREE, but must have a ticket to participate in the Historic Rail Car Tour.
- Free child tickets must be added during checkout alongside a ticketed adult.
🌧️ Rain or Shine
Pullman Railroad Days happen rain or shine. All ticket sales are final—no refunds.
🔍 Who Should Attend?
- Families with kids of all ages
- Rail and transit enthusiasts
- History lovers and preservation fans
- STEAM-curious students and educators
- National park and urban exploration fans
- Anyone who enjoys learning how things work
History this rich deserves to be experienced in person. We'll see you in Pullman.
🚗 Getting Here Accessible by Metra, CTA, and I-94 (Dan Ryan and Bishop Ford expressways). Street parking is available; the Exhibit Hall lot is reserved for ADA parking. Accessible rail car boarding at 115th Street.
Agenda
🕑: 09:30 AM - 03:30 PM
Check-In tables open - convert your will call ticket to a wristband.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 04:30 PM
Railcars open for Tours!
Host: Thank you to Illinois Railway Museum for their rail cars
Info: Tour the historic cars and learn how electricity changed the way we travel. When new, these cars replaced aged steam locomotives on the suburban line south of Chicago. Tours take about 30 minutes, and a timed ticket is required.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Walking tours of Pullman Neighborhood
Info: Sample our regular tours in 20-minute teasers. 1) Learn about Pullman, the man, town planning, and the early days of the Pullman Company on the Neighborhood Tour offered 4 times during the day. 2) Explore some of the ways Pullman residents bent or broke the laws in the 1920s and '30s on the Roaring Pullman Tour. This tour is offered four times during the day. 3) Focus on some of the efforts of workers involved in the historic 1894 strike. This tour is offered twice.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
STEAM Fair
Info: Join us at the STEAM fair featuring interactive, hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and creative explorations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math for all ages.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Puffer Belly Express
Host: CPKC
Info: CPKC’s award-winning Puffer Belly Express is a 1⁄4 scale model of a real steam locomotive, tender car, passenger car, and caboose. It has an authentic train bell, a smoke machine to simulate steam, a stereo system, and a bubble machine. Its focus is to raise awareness of the importance of being safe at railway crossings and around tracks and trains.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Music - Live Band!
Host: Qombo
Info: Great sounds, great vibes, and a perfect soundtrack for Railroad Days.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Model A Car Display
🕑: 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Food Trucks
Info: Delicious eats on wheels—perfect fuel for a day at Railroad Days.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
The Man, The Company, and the Historical Park
Host: Dr. Ken Schoon
Info: Join Dr. Schoon as he discusses the life of George Pullman and the history of the company and this town that he created. Dr. Ken Schoon is a lifelong resident of the Calumet Area. He is a founding board member and past president of the Dunes Environmental Learning Center, an advisor to the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and a member of the IU Northwest Science Olympiad steering committee. He is a member of the Friends of the Indiana Dunes and the Friends of Pullman National Historical Park. His published works include Calumet Beginnings, Dreams of Duneland, City Trees, and Pullman: The Man, the Company, the Historical Park. His work on Calumet Beginnings resulted in the Indiana Historical Society granting him the Dorothy Riker Hoosier Historian Award. His books are available at the Pullman Visitor Center and here at the Exhibit Hall.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 28.52
