Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails!

There’s adventures around every bend with Thomas, Percy, Victor, and all the other colorful residents of the magical land of Sodor. You’re the conductor, so jump on board for playful learning and rail yard fun!

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The world’s most beloved #1 blue engine rolls into the Museum this autumn. Thomas & FriendsTM: Explore the Rails, an interactive exhibit inspired by the popular children’s series on PBS KIDS. Featuring the favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends, this STEM-focused exhibit engages children and families in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences.

Explore the Island of Sodor’s iconic locations: Knapford Station, Sodor Steamworks and many more. In the exhibit, children help Thomas and his friends solve a variety of challenges, from a simple sorting and shape identification activities to complex engineering obstacles, such as completing a train track using track pieces with different levels of elevation. This exhibit is ready to remind children how “really useful” they all are!

icons of train, railroad flags, steam

  • Climb into Thomas’ cab and trigger train noises such as braking, whistles and steam.
  • Fix Percy’s wobbly wheel by experimenting to find a working combination of wheels, rods and bolts.
  • Explore favorite Island of Sodor destinations on an over-sized Thomas Wooden Railway train table.
  • Load luggage and freight into the coaches of two train cars.
  • Get Percy moving by loading coal into his coal box and filling his tank with water.
  • Sell tickets to other visitors taking a ride on the train.

photo of child sitting on Thomas the Tank engine, and child in wheel chair opening the door of the garage to find another character inside.

Thomas & FriendsTM: Explore the Rails was designed and developed by Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. Fisher-Price, the #1Infant/Preschool Toys manufacturer1, is the presenting sponsor for the exhibit. 3M is the national tour sponsor.

VIP: Very Important PlayThis special exhibit is currently available exclusively as part of our Thomas the Tank Engine V.I.P. (Very Important Play) package.

Click here for information on V.I.P. sessions.

Location

2100 Patriot Boulevard
Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 832-6600

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Admission

V.I.P. (Very Important Play) Sessions available for reservation. The Museum is currently not open for general admission.

The Museum is closed for these holidays:
New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

All Museum coupons and passes expiring in 2020 or 2021 will be honored through 2022.

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Calendar Exhibits Programming Birthdays Rent the Museum
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THE PLACE WHERE AWESOME LIVES

The Museum will re-open for VIP Sessions beginning Friday, January 29. Our reservations calendar will open at 12PM on Friday, January 22. The Museum remains closed for general admission.