today at the museum Open today 10 am–5 pm
Families looking at the Reuben Wells train inside the exhibit.

All Aboard!

Admission
Included with Admission
Dates
Temporarily closed. Will reopen fall 2026.

It's Time for a Refresh

All Aboard! is temporarily closed and will reopen fall 2026.

This exhibit is temporarily closed so our team can conserve, preserve, and revamp this exhibit to include new interactives and greater accessibility.

Train-themed play tables have been relocated to Level 4 near the entrance to Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks

Grown-up and child playing with toy trains.
Looking Ahead
See what's coming down the track
Grown-up and child looking in wonder at the Rube Goldberg Ball Machine.
Where to Play Today
We have many great spaces for early learners to discover and play
People looking at the Reuben Wells engine in the old All Aboard! exhibit.
Looking Back
Train-inspired memories at our online Train Station

Looking Ahead

What's Staying?

These fan-favorite features will continue to be part of the All Aboard! exhibit:
  • 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 newly-accessible tool car
Reuben Wells train engine inside the All Aboard exhibit.

What's New?

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
Artist rendering of new All Aboard exhibit.

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Where to Play Today

Train Play Tables

The train play tables have been moved to Level 4, near the entrance to Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks.
Children playing at train play table.

Five Floors of Fun

We have five floors of fun waiting for you to explore! Check out our Parent's Guide to Early Learning Fun at The Children's Museum for ideas of other exhibits and experiences to visit during the temporary closure of All Aboard!
See Guide
Family wearing astronaut costumes in the Beyond Spaceship Earth exhibit.

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The Train Station

Here's your ticket to travel back in time. While our team of experts carefully refreshes, renews, and restores our beloved All Aboard! exhibit, our online Train Station serves as a hub for all of your favorite train-inspired memories!

The Reuben Wells Steam Engine

Imagine the adventures that the impressive Reuben Wells, a 35-foot-long, 55-ton steam engine, had in its day. Travel back to 1890s Madison, Indiana, where this very engine conquered the steepest railroad grade in the United States. The most powerful locomotive in the world back then, the Reuben Wells will continue to be right here for you to see after All Aboard! reopens.

The Children's Museum was built around this icon—both figuratively and literally! When our current facility was built, the Reuben Wells was placed into the Lower Level of the unfinished building. Once safely installed inside, the final wall was bricked up behind it.

That’s right, The Children’s Museum was literally built around the Reuben Wells. When the modern campus opened in 1976, the mighty engine that had been central to transportation between Madison and Indianapolis had a new, permanent home as an anchor to five floors of fun at the biggest and best children’s museum in the world.

Reuben Wells locomotive and statue of conductor.
Reuben Wells locomotive and statue of conductor.

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?
Find Out How
Archive footage of Reuben Wells on Madison Hill.

Tool Car

That's not a caboose. It's a tool car!

Tool cars were used to carry tools, equipment, and workmen to repair trains and track, and to clean up after train wrecks.

This tool car was not used with the Reuben Wells locomotive. It was built in 1988 by the Pennsylvania Railroad and was probably used somewhere east of Pittsburgh.

As part of this refresh, we're making improvemets to the Tool Car, ensuring it's accessible for everyone.

Tool car.
Play table and signs outside of took car.

Exhibit Video

Looking for more videos?

We've gathered footage from every inch of the exhibit. Take a ride on the model train, see the Madison Station Computer Depot game, take a tour of the Tool Car, and much more on this video playlist. 

Watch Playlist

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Become a Member

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today at the museum