The Museum’s rail and transit collections have grown to encompass more than 190 major exhibits, including a Big Boy steam locomotive, the very first F/A-18 E1 Super Hornet, and from the Smithsonian a Virgin Hyperloop XP-2 Pegasus Pod. Our collection is recognized as the largest collection of transportation vehicles in the world.
Exhibits do change occasionally, in order to highlight the many different aspects of the great world of transportation. A few of our current exhibits are featured below, but this is not, by any means, all there is to see.
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Titled “Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels,” the exhibit will explore the stories, memories, and modes of travel that shaped America’s most iconic highway and the communities connected to it.
Two iconic features anchor the exhibit. Visitors will experience a stunning 26-foot model of the S.S. Admiral, beautifully restored by the skilled craftsmen of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 36, honoring the legendary riverboat that once defined river travel and entertainment in the Midwest.
The exhibit will also spotlight the beloved ‘66’ Park-In Theatre on Watson Road, owned by the Wehrenberg Family of St. Louis, Missouri, a treasured symbol of drive-in movie culture and shared community memories along Route 66.
This exhibit is currently on display through Fall 2026.
Debuting in Spring 2025, this banner exhibit greets Museum visitors, and features only a sample of contributions women have made to the history of transportation.
This exhibit is currently on display in The William R. and Laura Rand Orthwein Education & Visitor Center.
Also located in The Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center, is The Signature Series Gallery, housing four of our most impressive automotive artifacts. Those four vehicles are:
Thanks to the McDonnell family and their generous support, The William R. and Laura Rand Orthwein Education & Visitor Center features an exquisite Sanford N. McDonnell Tribute Exhibit wing with bountiful amounts of beautiful plane models and history.
Located in the Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center, a row of vehicles, spanning the entire building, were all manufactured in, or serviced, the St. Louis area.