Union Pacific Railroad Museum

Housed in the former Council Bluffs Library building, this museum promotes the history and impact of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP), which was one of the three railroad companies that built the first Transcontinental Railroad (the other two were the Central Pacific and the Western Pacific Railroads). The UP is still in operation and is the second largest railroad company in the country. The museum offers three permanent exhibits: America Travels By Rail, The Lincoln Collection, and Building America. Building America tells the story of the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Lincoln Collection honors President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 which authorized the construction of the transcontinental railroad. America Travels By Rail highlights the UP's passenger rail service from the 1930s to 1971. The museum hosts traveling exhibits as well.

The Council Bluffs Library building was erected in 1905. An elegant example of Beaux-Arts architecture, philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $70,000 to the city for its construction. It is the largest Carnegie library in Iowa. It replaced the previous library which by the early 1900s had become too small. In 1902, one of the library trustees wrote to Carnegie after learning about Carnegie's interest in providing communities funds to build public libraries. Carnegie initially offered $50,000 but he increased the amount to $70,000 at the request of the city. In exchange, the city agreed to acquire a site for the library and pay $7,000 in taxes per year to maintain it.

After a new library was built in 1998, the old library was renovated and converted into the museum. It opened on May 10, 2003 which was the 140th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The UP leases the building from the city and pays for the museum's operating expenses. An organization called the Friends of the Museum is responsible for running it. The museum is located in Council Bluffs because this is where the UP began building the railroad (i.e. Council Bluffs was the eastern terminus of the railroad). The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 for its Beaux-Arts architecture, its association with Carnegie, and its contribution towards the city's civic and educational development.

Gross, Donald D. "Council Bluffs Free Public Library." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 27, 1999. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/99000048_text.

"Museum History." Union Pacific Railroad Museum. Accessed February 8, 2022. https://www.uprrmuseum.org/uprrm/about-us/museum-history.