The Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails exhibit is now open at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, offering young children an immersive environment centered on play-based learning. Designed for ages 2 to 7, the exhibit brings the Island of Sodor to life through interactive stations that encourage problem solving, collaboration, and early STEM exploration.
Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails welcomed families beginning January 17 with hands-on learning and play in downtown St. Paul.
Families with young children now have a new interactive experience to explore in downtown St. Paul. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails is now open at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, offering hands-on activities designed for children ages 2 to 7.
The exhibit opened January 17 and invites children and families into the world of the Island of Sodor, where familiar characters and destinations serve as entry points for imaginative play and early learning. Through interactive stations, children are introduced to foundational STEM concepts including problem solving, spatial awareness, and basic engineering.
Learning Through Play on the Island of Sodor
Inside the exhibit, young visitors encounter recognizable settings such as Knapford Station and Sodor Steamworks. Activities range from simple sorting and shape identification to more complex challenges that involve completing train tracks using pieces with different elevations.
Children can climb into Thomas’ cab to explore the inner workings of the engine, flipping levers and triggering sounds like whistles, braking, and steam. Other stations allow children to fix Percy’s wobbly wheel by testing different combinations of wheels, rods, and bolts, encouraging experimentation and hands-on discovery.
Oversized train tables feature destinations including Tidmouth Sheds, Brendam Docks, and the Sodor Search and Rescue Station, where children can work together loading cargo and moving trains through collaborative play.
Encouraging Imagination and Collaboration
The exhibit emphasizes cooperation and role play. Children can load coal, fill water tanks, and work together to get engines moving. Another area invites visitors to step into the role of conductor, exchanging money and selling tickets to other museum guests.
A retrospective section highlights the history of Thomas & Friends, featuring model engines, original drawings, manuscripts, and memorabilia that trace the evolution of the series across books, television, and toys.
Exhibit Details
Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails runs through May 10, 2026. The exhibit was developed by Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with Mattel, with Fisher-Price as the presenting sponsor.
Museum admission includes access to the exhibit. Tickets are available through the museum’s website, and museum members receive free admission – https://mcm.org/tickets/