Visit the Northwest Railway Museum in the Snoqualmie Depot built by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1890 (renovated in 1981).

A wood railroad passenger car designed for use as a traveling church, capable of reaching people in far flung regions served by the railroad but had little other transportation. The car, part of the American Baptists Society’s fleet, operated in Washington between 1915 and 1922 and again between 1935 and 1948. It was a major participant in the chapel car movement of the early 20th century, an effort that was critical in bringing the trappings of American culture to the far-flung communities of the county. The last to be retired and serving the longest, from 1898 to 1948, it is one of only three chapel cars known to have survived.

Built 1889–1890, the depot is an example of a type of building that once was the pride of every community of any size across the nation, signifying that the town was on the railroad, and it could reach the rest of the world. While all stations had a functional purpose, but railroad firms also understood the value of good architecture, which was an exercise in good advertising as well as company pride. Snoqualmie station is an example of the fanciful and beautifully engineered buildings that covered the nation as “happy symbols of American expansiveness.” This station also served as the terminal for an early recreation area. Its design wasn’t completely typical—few rural combined freight-passenger depots were as lavishly decorated. The original architecture reflected well the holiday spirit of the vacationers; many visitors from Seattle and the surrounding area came to enjoy hunting and fishing as well as Sunday excursions to Snoqualmie Falls. Located on the former Northern Pacific mainline to Seattle, the first railroad to reach that city, it also served regional hop and timber industries.