Situated on the site of the former Ann Arbor Railroad’s steam shops and roundhouse in Owosso, SRI’s mission is to educate the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. From individuals to large groups of school children, SRI is open to the public on select days from April to September for visits and tours.

Once you enter the Steam Railroading Institute, check in at the Welcome Center. Be sure to peruse the gift shop full of SRI and Pere Marquette 1225 souvenirs, as well as a host of other fun railroad-related toys and specialty gifts. The Welcome Center also houses our exhibits, a model railroad layout, and SRI’s collection of artifacts and archival materials in our library.

Volunteer Tour Guides will escort visitors through the entire museum to get a unique, behind the scenes look at the equipment and collection that’s rarely accessible during our scheduled events and excursions. The highlight of the tour is a visit to our backshop where the Pere Marquette 1225 is housed when not operating. Visitors will get a firsthand look at what it takes to restore, maintain, and operate railroading equipment from the golden age of steam.