ASHWAUBENON HISTORY TOUR FIELD GUIDE
History After Dark: Evening Lectures on Trains, Tracks and Lost Routes in Ashwaubenon
A one-hour, museum-hosted lecture that traces former rail alignments in Green Bay, explains locomotive and Army rail practice, and helps listeners read the landscape and archival maps.
History After Dark: Evening Lectures on Trains, Tracks and Lost Routes in Ashwaubenon.
At the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, the History After Dark lecture series brings rail history indoors: focused, hour-long evenings led by experienced presenters who use museum artifacts, old maps and photographs to illuminate locomotives, Army rail operations and the traces of tracks that once threaded Green Bay.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Tracks That Once Were: Mapping Green Bay’s Lost Rail Lines
The lectures expand on prior presentations to compare historic maps and photographs with the present-day landscape, teaching attendees how to spot where tracks once ran through the city.
Veteran Railworkers as Storytellers
Sessions are led by experienced presenters who draw on museum artifacts and personal rail experience to Educate, Engage and Entertain—illustrating how railroads work and the history behind them.
Focused, Indoor Evenings of Maps, Photos and Discussion
These hour-long, indoor talks use archival images and demonstrations to unpack topics like locomotive technology and Army rail operations, with time for questions and close examination of museum pieces.
What the day feels like
What the Evening Feels Like
The event unfolds as a concentrated, one-hour presentation: a presenter frames a topic—this session examines where tracks once ran in Green Bay—then walks the audience through maps, historic photographs and artifact-based illustrations that reveal how to read the landscape and the material evidence of former rail alignments.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this series suits—and who should reconsider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
This lecture is scheduled as a one-hour evening session (example: June 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM).
No special equipment is required; attendees should plan for an indoor, seated lecture.
Meeting location: National Railroad Museum, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay, WI. Attendance is free for Museum members; reservations are encouraged but not required.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is a History After Dark lecture?
Each session runs one hour.
Where and when does the lecture meet?
The program meets at the National Railroad Museum, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay, WI; an example session is scheduled for June 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM.
Is there an age requirement to attend?
Yes — the program is intended for ages 13 and up.
Do I need a reservation or ticket?
Reservations are encouraged but not required; attendance is free for Museum members.
Will there be hands-on demonstrations or outdoor activities?
These are indoor evening talks that use maps, photos and museum artifacts; for example, in winter the presenter will discuss and illustrate rather than operate outdoor equipment such as the railroad handcar.
Who leads the lectures?
Sessions are led by experienced presenters and museum educators; one named presenter is Brian Buchanan, a lifelong railroader who uses Museum artifacts to explain railroad history and operations.