This Beloved Museum Was Forced to Turn Visitors Away. Its Jaw-Dropping 25,000-Sq-Ft Solution is Finally Here.

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. – Imagine a museum so popular, it has to say "no" to eager visitors and school groups. For the National Railroad Museum, this wasn't a hypothetical problem—it was a shocking reality that forced a monumental change.

After struggling with capacity issues that limited its ability to serve the public, the renowned institution is set to unveil a game-changing solution: a colossal 25,000-square-foot expansion opening its doors on September 20th. This massive new wing is designed to completely transform the visitor experience and secure the museum's future.

"We just needed more space for people," admitted Museum CEO Jacquelin Frank, explaining the critical bottleneck the museum faced. "We had to have fewer people coming in, fewer educational groups, because we just didn’t have a place to put them." The overwhelming demand from over 10,000 annual visitors from around the globe meant the museum had literally outgrown its own tracks.

But this expansion is about more than just accommodating crowds. It serves a second, arguably more critical, mission: safeguarding priceless history. The new, state-of-the-art facility provides the one thing irreplaceable artifacts desperately need to survive for future generations.

"To take care of them the absolute best way that we can, we need to have a facility that has consistent temperature, consistent lighting, consistent humidity at all times," Frank emphasized. Without such a controlled environment, the very collection the museum exists to showcase was at risk of slow degradation. This expansion is a fortress of preservation, ensuring these titans of rail history remain pristine.

And if you think this is the final stop, you're mistaken. This incredible addition is just the first phase of an ambitious master plan. Officials have confirmed that three more expansions are already in the works, promising an even grander and more immersive future for one of the nation's premier historical attractions.

For a beloved institution that was bursting at the seams, this new chapter isn't just an upgrade—it's a revolution. The National Railroad Museum has officially cleared the tracks for a bigger, better, and more secure future.