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Train Depot

The train depot was the center of Issaquah's universe - a place where goords, mail, telegraph, and people converged. The town's name changed from Gilman to Issaquah in 1899.

Next time you curse the Issaquah-to-Seattle traffic on I-90, consider this scenario: The first settler to discover coal in the area spent 10 days hauling it to Seattle by wagon and pole-powered barge via Lake Sammamish, Sammamish Slough, Lake Washington, Black River, and Duwamish River to Puget Sound - a distance of 70 miles.

The journey was so long and arduous, it made coal unprofitable - until the railroad came to town. In the spring of 1888 the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway (SLS&E) carried coal from the mines to Seattle in two hours. At last, Issaquah's coal and timber were tapped and profitable!

Daniel Gilman

An 1800s-style entrepreneur - Daniel Hunt Gilman came to Issaquah (then called Squak and later named Gilman) to run the Seattle Coal and Iron Company mines with F.H. Whitworth as his engineer and manager. But he soon realized that the mines couldn't be successful without transportation to get the coal to Seattle. So Gilman developed the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. Much of the SLS&E Railway bed now forms the Burke-Gilman Trail and the proposed East Lake Sammamish and Issaquah-Preston Regional Trails.

The Caboose

The caboose was built in 1942 as No. 1206 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Weyerhaeuser Company later acquired it and modified it for use on their logging railroads. An accident damaged the cars frame and it was taken out of service. Weyerhaeuser donated the caboose to the Issaquah Historical Society in 1990, and volunteers restored it to its present condition. This caboose is open to visitors during Museum open hours.

The Issaquah
Valley Trolley

The Issaquah Valley Trolley was a heritage streetcar line. A project of the Issaquah History Museums, the IVT operated from the Issaquah Depot Museum building on a trial basis in 2001-2002 and then on a regular basis, seasonally, from 2012-2020. A trolley car borrowed from Yakima Valley Trolleys was operated along the existing former-freight railroad track to attract ridership. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Issaquah History Musuems announced that it decided to discontinue operations of the streetcar permanently, citing increasing insurance costs had raised the cost of operation.

The Issaquah
Depot Museum

Issaquah's Depot was constructed in 1889, and helped to transform the small farming community into a bustling coal town. It was originally built under the auspices of Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway, but became part of the Northern Pacific network after the Panic of 1893 shut down the SLS&E. In the 1980s, the Issaquah Historical Society lobbied the City to purchase the historic building, after which volunteers spent more than a decade restoring the building. The Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

The city’s train depot was built in 1889, and now holds a museum with exhibits that explore the industrial revolution, travel, communication, and the early economic development of Issaquah. Many of the displays include interactive elements such as a telegraph.

Timed entry available now.
Hours: Sat and Sun, 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM

Depot Playground

Adjacent to the train museum, the Depot Park Playground is a true train lover's dream. The play structures are train-themed and perfect for parents and kids alike. It features a mini climbing walls, train play-structures, and a few simple mazes and games for extra entertainment. There are two designated play areas - The first one is for kids ages 5 to 12 years old and the other is for kids ages 2 to 5 years old. This playground is covered by trees and is perfect for kids to play on during any season!