N. C. & St L. Depot & Railroad Museum
582 South Royal Street
Jackson, Tennessee 38301
(731) 425-8223
Hours: 10 A.M. - 3 P.M., Monday – Saturday
Free Admission/ Group Tours Welcome

Visit the place where railroad history was made. A place where politicians gave ‘whistle stop’ campaign speeches and Jackson’s hometown heroes left for war. The Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway Depot, built in 1907, was designed to complement nearby Lancaster Park with its beautiful gardens, mineral wells, baseball park, and fairgrounds. The City of Jackson restored the Depot into a museum as a lasting tribute to the impact of the railroads on the growth of Jackson and Madison County, and it is listed on the national Register of Historic Places.

The Museum houses a permanent collection of Railroad artifacts, photographs and local Railroad memorabilia. Also located on the grounds is a dining car and two cabooses. A special feature of the Depot and Museum is the model replica.

Housed in the baggage room is an 11 by 20 foot HO scale layout built in 1995 by volunteer labor and maintained today by the N. C. & St. L Volunteer Modelers. The layout depicts Jackson’s rich railroad history in the era between 1950 and 1971. It contains authentic models of freight and passenger trains on the three major systems (N. C. & St. L/L & N; Illinois Central; Gulf, Mobile & Ohio) that served the area, as well as buildings and scenes from Jackson’s yesteryears. The scenery was extensively renovated as part of an Eagle Scout project in 2003, following damage suffered in a devastating tornado. Now views of the muddy brown water of the Forked Deer River can be enjoyed along with kudzu-covered embankments so common to our area. The scaled layout boasts over 500 feet of track and is capable of operating up to four trains at once.

The Museum’s artifacts, photographs and paintings are a visual history lesson. One painting of an oil train pulling into Jackson’s Islin Yard (GM & O) is sure to bring back memories of war days and the importance of the railroad for former workers, their families and the community. The artwork also depicts scenes of everyday life like rail cars of produce and freight, and rail crews that worked in the yards. Through these images later generations can see how vital the success of the railroad was to the growth of Jackson and West Tennessee.

As a division of City of Jackson Recreation & Parks, N. C. & St. Louis Depot and Railroad Museum still plays an active role in the community. The Depot and Museum hosts a monthly Watch & Timepiece Show and is available for birthday parties, meetings, and the occasional dinner theatre. Visits to the Depot and Museum are free. Volunteers to help with the scaled layout are also welcome. For more information on Group tours and rentals, call David Falk at (731) 425-8223
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