The 1886 Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad depot that anchors this small museum is the building that created Douglas. The railroad arrived on August 26, 1886, and the town followed almost immediately — within weeks of the tracks reaching this point on the North Platte, lots were being platted and buildings were going up. The depot itself, a modest wooden structure, stayed in continuous use until the 1950s when the Chicago and Northwestern Railway closed it.
Today the building is surrounded by eight pieces of rolling stock, including a day coach from the 1800s, a steam locomotive, streamline passenger cars, and a dining car from the 1930s era. The depot houses exhibits on the railroad's role in opening this part of Wyoming and serves as the town's visitor center. It is free to enter, and the outdoor collection of rail cars can be viewed any time. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.