2026 is Our 50th Anniversary Year!
In 1976 We made our Move!
The "big move" on September 21, 1976
Our story began in 1974 when residents and business owners organized the Cowan Beautification Commission. Their charge was to stop the scheduled demolition of the historic Cowan Depot and turn the former depot rail yard into a town park.
After months of negotiations, the L&N Railroad agreed to stop the demolition and sell the depot (for one dollar!) to the Commission. This deal included an agreement to move the depot to a safer location off the railroad mainline.
On September 21, 1976, the Commission fulfilled the plan. The depot was moved to its present location on South Front Street. Thereafter, the Commission re-organized as Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. And here we are today – 50 years later!
2026 is truly an exciting time to be part of Cowan Railroad Museum! Not only are we at “milepost 50” with the museum itself, we will soon welcome the expansion of the Mountain Goat Trail to Cowan!
As you may recall, the former 35-mile Mountain Goat Railroad connected Cowan to Sewanee, Monteagle, Tracy City, and the former coal fields of Grundy County from 1855 until 1985. We have been part of the multi-year effort to convert the abandoned railbed to one of Tennessee’s longest walking and biking trails. Cowan will serve as a vital trail head, and the museum will welcome hundreds of new visitors as a result.
Cowan Railroad Museum has a bright and vital future and will serve an enhanced role in area tourism. In 1976 we made our big move. And we will still on the move going forward!
This will be a festival year with special events and opportunities. Check back often for updates.
After months of negotiations, the L&N Railroad agreed to stop the demolition and sell the depot (for one dollar!) to the Commission. This deal included an agreement to move the depot to a safer location off the railroad mainline.
On September 21, 1976, the Commission fulfilled the plan. The depot was moved to its present location on South Front Street. Thereafter, the Commission re-organized as Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. And here we are today – 50 years later!
2026 is truly an exciting time to be part of Cowan Railroad Museum! Not only are we at “milepost 50” with the museum itself, we will soon welcome the expansion of the Mountain Goat Trail to Cowan!
As you may recall, the former 35-mile Mountain Goat Railroad connected Cowan to Sewanee, Monteagle, Tracy City, and the former coal fields of Grundy County from 1855 until 1985. We have been part of the multi-year effort to convert the abandoned railbed to one of Tennessee’s longest walking and biking trails. Cowan will serve as a vital trail head, and the museum will welcome hundreds of new visitors as a result.
Cowan Railroad Museum has a bright and vital future and will serve an enhanced role in area tourism. In 1976 we made our big move. And we will still on the move going forward!
This will be a festival year with special events and opportunities. Check back often for updates.
Help us Invest in the next 50 years
To help us invest in the next 50 years of Cowan Railroad Museum, we hope you will consider a special gift in 2026. An influx of funds will help us finish repairs and upgrades on our current list and set funds aside for new projects down the road.
Please consider the following to help make the Year 2026 a big success
Please consider the following to help make the Year 2026 a big success
- An “On the Move” donation of $19.76 to celebrate the relocation of our historic depot in 1976
- A “Mountain Goat” donation of $35 to celebrate our soon-to-be 35-mile biking and walking trail
- A “Green and Gold” donation of $50 to celebrate 50 years of Cowan Railroad Museum
- A “Century” donation of $100/250/500/1000 to propel us into the next 50 years
- A “Founders and Benefactors” donation of $1976 as an extraordinary investment in the museum’s past, present, and future!
Important safety reminders: the railroad through Cowan is an active freight mainline! Please keep a safe distance from the track! We discourage visitors from staging photography on the tracks. When crossing the tracks to and from the museum, please do so only at the signaled crossing on Cumberland Street (US Highway 41A).
The museum is open May through October, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4 and Sunday from 1 to 4. Admission costs are $2/adult, $1/child, or $5/family. Current museum members and active military personnel are exempt from the admission fee.
Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is a private, incorporated organization operated by volunteers, overseen by an elected board of directors, and directly accountable to the membership at-large. Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is recognized by IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is a private, incorporated organization operated by volunteers, overseen by an elected board of directors, and directly accountable to the membership at-large. Cowan Railroad Museum, Inc. is recognized by IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
