The Museum of Transportation, in west St Louis County, holds one of the largest and best-curated collections of historic transportation in the United States — over 70 locomotives, dozens of vintage cars, riverboats, planes, and even a section of original Interstate concrete.
The railway collection is the standout: it includes "Big Boy" steam locomotives, several presidential rail cars, and engines from the early electric era. Children can climb on a few of the exhibits and ride a miniature train in summer. The location is well off the standard tourist circuit but worth the 25-minute drive from downtown for anyone with an interest in industrial heritage.