What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 12pm 1pm - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 12pm 1pm - 4pm Thursday 10am - 12pm 1pm - 4pm Friday 10am - 12pm 1pm - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

National Orphan Train Complex

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Concordia, KS
National Orphan Train Complex

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We are the National Orphan Train Complex - the center for all things orphan train related!

Between 1854 - 1929 an estimated 250,000 orphaned, homeless and abandoned children from New York City and large East Coast cities were placed out in families in rural communities across the United States. The Orphan Train Movement was the beginning of the modern day foster care system. There are over 2 million descendants of orphan train riders today and 1 in 25 Americans has a connection to a rider! The National Orphan Train Complex is dedicated to preserving the history of the Orphan Trains, and spreading awareness through our depot museum and research center. Monday: By Appointment
Tuesday-Friday: 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm
Saturday: 10am-4pm

If you have a group of 10 or more, please call ahead.

10/29/2026

We are so grateful to our friends with the Concordia Lutheran Church foundation! We received a grant to help with funding an electronic display that will engage young visitors and help them learn about the Orphan Train movement. Thank you!

10/25/2026

It's almost THAT time! If you would like to make a donation to the National Orphan Train Complex that can be matched AND is tax deductible, November is THAT time! Stay tuned for more information!

10/08/2026

We are thrilled to be finished with the big project to stabilize the foundation of the historic Union Pacific Depot which houses the main part of the Orphan Train Museum! Thank you to Cyphers Masonry for all the hard work, and to the Kansas Historical Society Heritage Trust Fund and the Dane G Hansen Foundation for funding. A number of private donors also assisted with this project. Ready for another hundred years!

10/04/2026

Lots of hat making and some turn of the century card/dice games during the Big Kansas Road Trip popup on Saturday. We loved meeting all of you and invite you back again!

10/02/2026

Thank you to Humanities Nebraska for providing a touring grant to Riders on the Orphan Train, our outreach group. They will present the story of the Orphan Train in Nebraska in November. Stay tuned for their schedule!

10/02/2026

Don't miss this opportunity to see our traveling exhibit! Be sure to check with the venue directly regarding open hours.

08/25/2026

Construction is now in the home stretch! Attention to little details and cleanup are next. Cyphers Masonry, Jamestown, KS have done an outstanding job! We especially appreciate the care that went into linking the new bricks into the historic sections of bricks.

08/19/2026

Bricks!!

08/17/2026

Dirt pile is gone. Sand pile appeared. That can mean only one thing--bricks are on the way! Project is much closer to completion!

08/13/2026

We enjoyed a visit from Melody Whitaker, Ft Worth, Texas, on Tuesday. She donated the corduroy outer garment worn by her grandmother Mary Josephine Dolan, on the Orphan Train to Nebraska. It will be preserved in our archive room. Thank you so much, Melody!

Address

300 Washington Street
Concordia, KS
66901

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 12pm
	1pm - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 12pm
	1pm - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 12pm
	1pm - 4pm
Friday	10am - 12pm
	1pm - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://www.orphantraindepot.org/

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