Exporail - The Canadian Railway Museum
Discover the fascinating history of railroads at the Canadian Railway Museum
The Canadian Railway Museum, usually referred to as Exporail, is loaded with exhibits showcasing the history of the railroad both in Canada and internationally. It is owned by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. The Canadian Railway Museum was founded in 1961 with the mission of purchasing vehicles, artifacts and documents that can be used to trace the progress of Canada's railways. The museum is located near the very first railroad in Canada and has succeeded in preserving the history of Canada's railways. It is one of the largest collections in the world of its kind.
Exporail features both permanent and temporary exhibits that will captivate visitors from every age group. There are guided tours available for those who wish to be shown the highlights of the Canadian railway history. The museum also provides a range of educational activities and conferences to further educate those who wish to learn more about Canada's railways. It is also possible to go on tram and train rides and watch demonstrations of telegraphy and the operation of steam trains. Kids and adults will love watching miniature trains making their way around beautifully detailed model railroads.
There are five main themes to the permanent exhibits, namely: Urban Railways, Serving the Economy, From Atlantic to Pacific, Railway Domination and Challenges of Railway Transportation. Each focuses on a different aspect of Canada's railways, both past and present, to provide a varied presentation of the face of the railroads.
Further entertainment is available in the form of theme days. For example: 2 November 2013 to 17 November 2013 features "Suspect Wanted: The Train Robber". Clues are left in the Grand gallery by Bill Miner, renowned bandit of the early 20th century. Children collect the clues in a notebook then take their findings to the children's craft workshop in exchange for the chance to make their own policeman's badge.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Yes; There is a family discount available.Exporail Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Address: 110 Rue St Pierre, Saint-Constant, QC J5A 1G7, Canada
Phone: (450) 632-2410
Official Website: Exporail
Exporail Reviews
Rated out of 5
Great experience! My kids absolutely loved it. You can touch a history, walk inside the old trains and how gigantic they are. Also there's a small train you can ride.
Ruslan Mansurov - a month ago
We had an amazing experience for my little train lover on Friday!
For tickets for a family of 4 (2 adults/2 kids) there was a great deal of $37! On the website it will take you to a different site to purchase tickets.
We stopped along our journey to the Granby zoo and it was a lovely little stop.
It is a bit hidden from the parking lot but there was a gentleman at a tent after the bridge to help direct us to the right place.
My son loved every minute of it.
The only thing we were a bit put off by was the trolley schedule. It states to be at each location at a set time and it was either early or late each time and it was extremely hot to wait outside for the next train to come. The kids loved the mini train ride and the think the punched cards was a cute touch
Jessica - 4 months ago
Great experience. My first time to go there. Note to the museum: I wish advertise more the fact that the main entrance was changed…Everybody goes to the main parking with the locomotive exposed in the front, but the real entrance and the booth tickets are farther down the street…
Danut Mihai - 5 months ago
Nice place to visit if you're with kids.
But the price of an adult ticket is a bit expensive at $24.00 per person.
$55.00 for a couple when you include the taxes.
Considering that you likely won't spend more than 1.5 hours here, it's not a fairly priced museum. They really should only be charging $10 to $15 for this place.
Also you can only climb aboard a select few rail cars...we would have liked to have been able to check out others, but most you can only look
through a window to see the interior.
nim nim - 5 months ago
Great museum, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and overall fantastic experience. One of the best train museums you’ll find, incredible atmosphere. Only detraction was how difficult it is to access by public transit as a tourist. Worth the commute though
Gio Petti - 4 months ago
Directions
| Bus or Train Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bus #130 transferring to 30A, 30B or 35 | Starting at Bonaventure Metro Station | 1 Minute |
| AMT Commuter Rail - Candiac/St-Constant | Lucien-L'Allier station to Saint-Constant Station | 3 MInutes |
How to get to Exporail by Bus or Train
Located south of Montreal in Saint-Constant, Exporail is accessible by commuter train (weekdays only) or by bus.
By Bus: Take Bus #130 from from platform 13 at Bonaventure Metro Station in downtown Montreal to the Georges-Gagné autoparc in Delson. Transfer to any of Bus 30A, 30B or 35 and get off across from the Exporail parking lot.
By Train: On weekdays the Candiac/St-Constant AMT commuter train leaves platform No.2 of Lucien-L'Allier station at 9:35am and makes the return trip at 1:28pm. You can get to Lucien-L'Allier station on Metro Line 1 - Orange.
Map & Instant Route Finder
Click&Go Map and Route Finder with public transit, walking, driving or cycling directions. Get up-to-the-minute transit times for your route.
Accommodations near Exporail:
Photo Gallery
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Locomotives and cars on display at the Canadian Railway Museum cc licensed photo by Fraccle -
The Flying Scotsman - A famous locomotive from the UK Public Domain -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dgjarvis10@gmail.com - cc license via Flickr
