Founded in 2004 by local advocates Mike and Marjorie Brewer, the Hillyard Railroad Heritage Museum honors the neighborhood’s historic connection to the Great Northern Railroad through storytelling and the preservation of artifacts.

The museum is operated by the volunteers of the Hillyard Heritage Museum Society. Jack Green, whose parents worked for the Great Northern Railroad, has been a driving force behind the museum’s efforts to honor the legacy of Hillyard’s railroad past. Through his volunteer work with the Museum Society, Green has recovered relics and stories of the Great Northern Railroad, including photographs and tools from the Great Northern Railway shops.

Visitors to the museum can explore a 1942 Pullman Sleeper Car, the X176 Great Northern caboose, and a vintage diesel switching engine displayed along a siding track built in 2002 by Hillyard locals. Other exhibits feature historical photographs and tools to tell the stories of the workers who contributed to Hillyard’s growth.

Beyond its efforts of preservation, the museum engages in community involvement by hosting educational enrichment activities, fundraising events, and tours. Efforts to expand the museum’s impact — including plans for additional exhibits and plans to build a heritage park — reflect the community’s commitment to preserving Hillyard’s legacy and fostering neighborhood revitalization.