Last Chance! Experience All Aboard! Before Temporary Closure
Last Chance! Experience All Aboard! Before Temporary Closure
Since opening in 1998, All Aboard! Has captivated imaginations with hands-on play alongside the mighty Reuben Wells steam locomotive.
After more than 25 years, it’s time for a refresh! At the end of the day Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, we will begin temporarily closing All Aboard! so our team can conserve, preserve, and reimagine the exhibit. When it reopens fall 2026, you and your family will encounter a whole new train-centric world full of discovery and curiosity with numerous activities designed for young learners.
Here are some of the new interactive opportunities we have planned for the exhibit:
Here are some of the new interactive opportunities we have planned for the exhibit:
- “Drive” a train by pressing knobs and pulling levers and cranks
- Use foam hammers to insert railroad spikes into the tracks
- Couple (join) railroad cars by matching shapes
- Experience a new sound and light show, bringing the Reuben Wells to life like never before
- The Reuben Wells isn’t going anywhere—the museum was actually built around this 55-ton object
- We’re expanding the train track play table
- The sky tracks with trains chugging overhead
- Some model train display cases
- You’ll continue to be able to hop aboard the tool car
A brief history of the Reuben Wells
Dreamed up by Reuben Wells, a railroad master mechanic from Jeffersonville, Indiana, the mighty engine was in service in Madison, Indiana, for about 30 years, starting in 1868. Eventually, it ended up in a Pennsylvania railyard. So how did it arrive at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis?
Other Places to Visit During the Temporary Closure
During the temporary closure of the All Aboard! exhibit, be sure to check out A Parent’s Guide to Early Learning Fun at The Children’s Museum, a resource put together by our Early Childhood team, highlighting many other areas our youngest visitors love to visit.
