The Depot Railroad Museum

The stuff of dreams, now realized in one of the most modern, up-to-date railroad museums, The Depot transforms the great moments of a past era of Monon history into a reality to be remembered and enjoyed by countless visitors — those who remember they were once kids, and those who have the spark of adventure and intrigue that says they still are.

The Depot Railroad Museum is also home to The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society

The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, Inc. was formed in the mid-1970s as a not-for-profit organization exclusively for educational purposes by a group of individuals interested in preserving the memory of the Monon Railroad. A portion of The Depot Museum is exclusively for the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, Inc. for Board Of Directors meetings, storage and display of its archives.

Click here to visit the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society Website

^{Images courtesy of The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society}

Contact The Depot Railroad Museum

Primary Contact

Stephanie Vines
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Depot Phone

The Depot Railroad Museum Hours

Thursdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Fridays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm

Become a Member of the Washington County Historical Society

Become an individual member or a family member of the Washington County Historical Society and support our mission of connecting people to our past by collecting, preserving, and sharing the artifacts of Washington County, Indiana.

Who was John Hay?

Statesman, Author, Ambassador

John Hay was a great American statesman, diplomat, author and poet, whose political career spanned over 50 years. He was born in a small brick home in Salem, Indiana, on October 8, 1838.

After John displayed considerable potential in his schooling, his Uncle Milton Hay, who was a practicing lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, took a special interest and sent him to Brown University, where he graduated in 1858.

In 1860, when John Hay’s childhood friend, John Nicolay, was appointed Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign secretary, he was brought on board to assist with the enormous amount of correspondence.

Hay grew to adore President Lincoln for his goodness, patience, understanding, sense of humor, humility, magnanimity, healthy skepticism, sense of justice, resilience and power, love of the common man and mystical patriotism. Many later noted that Lincoln too, loved Hay as a son and was very attached to him.

In 1903, after years of negotiating treaties, Hay successfully passed legislation that afforded the United States the opportunity to start construction on the Panama Canal.

Brown University’s John Hay Library was named in his honor, as was the John Hay Air Base, in the Philippines and both his birth home, in Salem, Indiana and his summer estate, The Fells, in New Hampshire, have been historically conserved.

John Hay Center Hours of Operation

Thursdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Fridays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm

Tour Pricing

Self-Guided Tours

Adult (Age 18+) - Donation
Child (Age 6-17) - Donation

Guided Tours

Complete Comprehensive Tour
(Museum,Pioneer Village, The Depot)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $20.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - Tour Price $10.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

Steven's Museum Guided Tour
(Approximate 2 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - Tour Price $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

Pioneer Village
(Approximate 1 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

The Depot Railroad Museum
(Approximate 1 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

School Tours

Private & Public School Tours: $3.00 per student/parent (Teachers free & 10 student minimum)

Private Tours

Scheduled Private Tours (More than 5 Guests) (Minimum $50)

Additional Information

*All regular tours are free for Life Members
*Children under 5 are free

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