The California State Railroad Museum interprets the role of railroads in the western United States. It has 21 restored locomotives and railroad cars, some dating to 1862, and its Sierra Scene mock-up shows a construction scene at Donner Pass around 1867 with the locomotive Gov. Stanford.
A reconstruction of the 1870s Central Pacific passenger station and freight depot stands next door, and the museum operates the Sacramento Southern Railroad. Equipment not on display is stored and worked on in the surviving Southern Pacific shop buildings in the Railyards.