Day Trip Campo Train Museum Pacific Southwest Railway

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is located in Campo, California. The train museum is a little off the beaten path but worth a visit. The museum is located on the grounds of what used to be Camp Lockett. The gymnasium building of the camp is now the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum car shop.

On the grounds, you will find numerous pieces of railroad equipment in various stages of repair, from passenger cars to locomotives and everything in between. The drive to Campo is exciting and takes you through Campo Valley, which is quite rural.

The Railway Museum is open to the public every weekend, and for a small fee, visitors can stroll through the collections of railroad equipment and view steam locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses.

The museum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM every Saturday and Sunday. Excursion trains leave Campo Depot at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm. The museum also offers seasonal train excursions, including the North Pole Christmas Train.

Campo Train Museum Rides

The museum offers train rides on most weekends. The Golden State train excursion takes a 12-mile round-trip journey and the old San Diego & Arizona Railway track. A Diesel-electric locomotive pulls vintage passenger cars.

The train lumbers along with the track past ranches and the scenic backcountry of Southern California. This is not a high-speed train ride; it’s a pleasant, slow-moving ride back in time.

The Campo Train Museum also offers locomotive cab rides. Reservations and advance payment are required for the cab rides.

The museum’s main facility is located in Campo, California, about 45 miles east of downtown San Diego. This trip takes you out into the middle of nowhere, so bring some snacks and drinks.

Getting to the Campo Train Museum

The museum also has a second building in La Mesa. The La Mesa Depot Museum is the sole surviving San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway Station.  4695 Nebo Drive, La Mesa, California. Please visit the Campo Train Museum Website or call for the current train schedule.

The Campo train station and the museum are at 750 Depot St, Campo, CA 91906. Call ahead for the train schedule. (619) 478-9937

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