Railroads Days at Pullman National Historical Park, presented by Alstom
July 25-26, 2026
Celebrating 100 Years of Electrified Rail & Innovation in Chicago
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2026 Railroad Days, a family-friendly celebration of rail, technology, and transformation at Pullman National Historical Park.
When the switch was flipped in 1926, Chicago’s who’s who of civic and business leaders celebrated with one of the largest multi-day events in the city’s history. The electrification put Daniel Burnham’s lakefront vision into action, cleaned Chicago’s air, moved commuters faster and more safely than ever, and transformed South Shore service for riders coming in from Northwest Indiana. The Pullman-built cars that powered this new system didn’t just change how people got around – they sparked explosive real estate development across the South Side and southern suburbs, turning prairies into thriving communities.
One hundred years later, presented by Alstom and in cooperation with Metra and the Illinois Railway Museum, these historic cars came home. Visitors stepped aboard the iconic cars and walked through a century of stories.
Guests explored deeper Pullman history, ventured beyond the tracks on walking tours, and dove into a STEAM fair celebrating a century of electric innovation. Chicago broadcasting legend Geoffrey Baer joined former Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo in conversation about Chicago’s evolution as the mighty railroad capital of North America. There was live music sponsored by Goodman Theatre, rides on CPKC’s Puffer Belly Express and one of CTA’s Heritage Buses, face painting, and plenty more.
Missed it this year? Join our mailing list to hear about our next Railroad Days.
What Visitors Experienced
Railroad Days welcomed families, train enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone curious about how transportation helped shape Chicago. Attendees learned about:
- The story of early electric railcars and the transition from steam to electricity
- How electric transit reshaped Chicago’s neighborhoods, industry, and infrastructure
- Hands-on activities exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM)
- Opportunities to meet engineers, historians, artists, makers, and transit professionals
More Than Railcars
Railroad Days went beyond the tracks to explore:
- The human stories behind industrial and technological change
- How electricity and innovation shaped cities and everyday life – read the Illinois Central’s 20 years of Better Living document here
- The role of design, engineering, and infrastructure in urban environments
- How historic rail corridors connect to today’s urban national parks
FREE Programming & Activities
- STEAM Fair – Hands-on experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math for kids, teens, and adults
- Miniature Train Rides & Exhibits – Detailed layouts, moving trains, and creative designs
- Modern Rail & Transit Exhibits – How today’s rail systems are designed, powered, and operated
- Interactive Demos & Pop-Ups – Engineers, artists, historians, and makers building, tinkering, and answering questions
Live music performances were sponsored in part by the Goodman Theatre as part of its 100 Acts of Free Theater.
Ticketed Experiences
- Historic Railcar Tours – Stepping inside preserved railcars and hearing the human stories behind rail travel
- Guided Walking Tours – Exploring Pullman’s role in industrial innovation, labor history, and urban planning within a national park setting
Special Sunday-Only Presentation
Reflections on Riding the Rails with Geoffrey Baer
Sunday, July 26 beginning at 3pm • Greenstone Church
WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer reflected on making the PBS special Riding the Rails with Geoffrey Baer and chatted with former Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo about Chicago’s evolution as the mighty railroad capital of North America – and how Pullman and the Illinois Central Railroad shaped the development of Chicagoland.
Event Agendas
09:30 AM – 03:30 PM – Check-In tables open
Convert your will call ticket to a wristband.
10:00 AM – 04:30 PM – Railcars open for Tours!
Railcars brought to you by our partner, Illinois Railway Museum.
Tour the historic cars and learn how electricity changed the way we travel. When new, these cars replaced aged steam locomotives on the suburban line south of Chicago. Tours take about 30 minutes, and a timed ticket is required.
10:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Walking tours of Pullman Town
Sample our regular tours in 20-minute teasers.
1) Learn about Pullman, the man, town planning, and the early days of the Pullman Company on the Neighborhood Tour offered 4 times during the day.
2) Explore some of the ways Pullman residents bent or broke the laws in the 1920s and ’30s on the Roaring Pullman Tour. This tour is offered four times during the day.
3) Focus on some of the efforts of workers involved in the historic 1894 strike. This tour is offered twice.
Tour: An Introduction to Pullman Neighborhood by Friends of Pullman
Learn about Pullman, the man, town planning, and the early days of the Pullman Company in this mini version of the regular First Sunday Neighborhood Tour. Tour Times: 10 AM, 12 PM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park
Tour: Roaring Pullman by Friends of Pullman
Explore some of the ways Pullman residents bent or broke the laws while they built these pioneering Pullman Cars. Tour Times: 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park.
Tour: Pullman’s Electric Car Builders by Pullman State Historic Site
The Pullman State Historic Site will offer short, guided tours that begin at the Pullman Car Works’ Main Gate on 111th at St. Lawrence. Attendees will briefly “meet” the car builders who built the electric-powered coaches of 1922-1931 for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad, the Lackawanna, the Illinois Central, the South Shore Line, the North Shore Line, and the Indiana Railroad. The tours are a free, concurrent program run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Tours are offered at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Tour: The Strike of 1894 by Illinois Labor History Society
This tour highlights some of the efforts of workers involved in the historic 1894 strike and how it affected the people who built and rode in these cars. Tour Times: 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – STEAM Fair
Join us at the STEAM fair featuring interactive, hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and creative explorations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math for all ages.
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – CTA’s Heritage Bus
One of CTA’s 1960s-built vintage buses will be running and making stops throughout the town of Pullman on Railroad Days weekend – a convenient way to get through the event campus. Part of the CTA’s Heritage Fleet Program, the bus is preserved and maintained so it can be remembered and enjoyed through events, such as Railroad Days.
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – CPKC’s Puffer Belly Express
CPKC’s award-winning Puffer Belly Express is a 1⁄4 scale model of a real steam locomotive, tender car, passenger car, and caboose. It has an authentic train bell, a smoke machine to simulate steam, a stereo system, and a bubble machine. Its focus is to raise awareness of the importance of being safe at railway crossings and around tracks and trains.
11:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Live Music!
Great sounds, great vibes, and a perfect soundtrack for Railroad Days. Music by Jazz band, The Qombo.
11:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Model A Car Display
11:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Food Trucks & Vendors
Delicious eats—perfect fuel for a day at Railroad Days!
01:00 PM – 01:30 PM – Talk: The Man, The Company, and the Historical Park at Greenstone Church
Join Dr. Schoon as he discusses the life of George Pullman and the history of the company and this town that he created. Dr. Ken Schoon is a lifelong resident of the Calumet Area. He is a founding board member and past president of the Dunes Environmental Learning Center, an advisor to the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and a member of the IU Northwest Science Olympiad steering committee. He is a member of the Friends of the Indiana Dunes and the Friends of Pullman National Historical Park. His published works include Calumet Beginnings, Dreams of Duneland, City Trees, and Pullman: The Man, the Company, the Historical Park. His work on Calumet Beginnings resulted in the Indiana Historical Society granting him the Dorothy Riker Hoosier Historian Award. His books are available at the Pullman Visitor Center and here at the Exhibit Hall.
09:30 AM – 03:30 PM – Check-In tables open
Convert your will call ticket to a wristband.
10:00 AM – 04:30 PM – Railcars open for Tours!
Railcars brought to you by our partner, Illinois Railway Museum.
Tour the historic cars and learn how electricity changed the way we travel. When new, these cars replaced aged steam locomotives on the suburban line south of Chicago. Tours take about 30 minutes, and a timed ticket is required.
10:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Walking tours of Pullman Town
Sample our regular tours in 20-minute teasers.
1) Learn about Pullman, the man, town planning, and the early days of the Pullman Company on the Neighborhood Tour offered 4 times during the day.
2) Explore some of the ways Pullman residents bent or broke the laws in the 1920s and ’30s on the Roaring Pullman Tour. This tour is offered four times during the day.
3) Focus on some of the efforts of workers involved in the historic 1894 strike. This tour is offered twice.
Tour: An Introduction to Pullman Neighborhood by Friends of Pullman
Learn about Pullman, the man, town planning, and the early days of the Pullman Company in this mini version of the regular First Sunday Neighborhood Tour. Tour Times: 10 AM, 12 PM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park
Tour: Roaring Pullman by Friends of Pullman
Explore some of the ways Pullman residents bent or broke the laws while they built these pioneering Pullman Cars. Tour Times: 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park.
Tour: Pullman’s Electric Car Builders by Pullman State Historic Site
The Pullman State Historic Site will offer short, guided tours that begin at the Pullman Car Works’ Main Gate on 111th at St. Lawrence. Attendees will briefly “meet” the car builders who built the electric-powered coaches of 1922-1931 for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad, the Lackawanna, the Illinois Central, the South Shore Line, the North Shore Line, and the Indiana Railroad. The tours are a free, concurrent program run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Tours are offered at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Tour: The Strike of 1894 by Illinois Labor History Society
This tour highlights some of the efforts of workers involved in the historic 1894 strike and how it affected the people who built and rode in these cars. Tour Times: 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Departs from the southeast corner of Arcade Park
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – STEAM Fair
Join us at the STEAM fair featuring interactive, hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and creative explorations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math for all ages.
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – CTA’s Heritage Bus
One of CTA’s 1960s-built vintage buses will be running and making stops throughout the town of Pullman on Railroad Days weekend – a convenient way to get through the event campus. Part of the CTA’s Heritage Fleet Program, the bus is preserved and maintained so it can be remembered and enjoyed through events, such as Railroad Days.
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM – CPKC’s Puffer Belly Express
CPKC’s award-winning Puffer Belly Express is a 1⁄4 scale model of a real steam locomotive, tender car, passenger car, and caboose. It has an authentic train bell, a smoke machine to simulate steam, a stereo system, and a bubble machine. Its focus is to raise awareness of the importance of being safe at railway crossings and around tracks and trains.
11:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Live Music!
Great sounds, great vibes, and a perfect soundtrack for Railroad Days. Music by Jaz band, SurvivHer.
11:00 AM – 03:00 PM – Food Trucks & Vendors
Delicious eats—perfect fuel for a day at Railroad Days!
01:00 PM – 01:30 PM – Talk: The Man, The Company, and the Historical Park at Greenstone Church
03:00 – 4:00 PM – Talk: Geoffrey Baer and Joe Szabo in Conversation
Meet WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer as he reflects on making the PBS special Riding the Rails with Geoffrey Baer. Join Geoffrey as he chats with former Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo in conversation on Chicago’s evolution as the mighty railroad capital of North America. Learn how Pullman influenced this evolution and changed our nation in ways big and small, and how the Illinois Central Railroad impacted the development of Chicagoland.
Hosted by Friends of Pullman, Railroad Days at Pullman National Historical Park is made possible with support from our sponsors and partners.
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