San Luis Obispo Railroad Station, Museum, Cafes
The surfliner train ends at San Luis Obispo Station. This station is right in the downtown near the historic Victorian houses, which makes for a nice stop. On Osos Street, by the station, there are some cafes, especially the popular Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe (open daily 8-2), which is counter-service with healthy food, big windows, and pleasant decor. It is noisy inside. Next door is Splendor Ice Cream with an adorable bay window seat and outdoor seating looking out on pretty trees, the railroad statue and the bridge. Their chocolate ice cream in a cone is delicious! It's nice to sit out in the sunshine here in the afternoon. There are other tiny (sometimes musty) cafes to try, some with back patios, such as Del Monte Cafe, My Thai, Cafe Roma, Bon Temps Creole Cafe, and Jan's Vinyl, a small venue for DJ/poetry nights. Next to Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe is Triangle Park, a tiny park along a busy road with old trees and a picnic table with good views of Madonna Mountain.
From the railway station, you can walk the Old Town Historic District, admiring the beautiful houses and gardens, and then shop and eat at youthful Downtown San Luis Obispo, with its shady, tree-lined streets.
The Coast Starlight train runs north from San Luis Obispo Railroad Station, taking an indirect and long (1 1/2 hours) route through beautiful hills to Downtown Paso Robles.
On the south end of the railroad station parking lot is the small San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, open only on Saturdays 10-4. There are three sections to the museum. The yellow freighthouse has interesting exhibits with mannequins operating railroad machinery, old photos of SLO, a train simulator where you can brake and accelerate, and model trains kids are allowed to operate with assistance. Upstairs, there's an adorable model railroad (for looking not touching) with accurate scenes from SLO county, such as Harford Pier in Avila, the oil fields of Price Canyon, and the mountain pass to Paso Robles. It is a delight. The yellow freighthouse is very musty, so I couldn't stay long. The highlight for me was found outside on the tracks: La Cuesta, the gorgeous 1926 cafe-observation car, which has been wonderfully restored! It is so nice to walk inside and see all the details: the colorful signals outside, the striped awning, the fancy interior lights, and the stained glass windows. On railroad festival days you can see the china sets used in the cafe-observation car. Lastly, there's a caboose, which was located at the end of freight trains, where the conductor and machinist had a stove, fridge, chairs, bed, and bathroom.
In early October there is the Central Coast Railroad Festival, with model railroads, live music, a historic photo booth, train sets for toddlers to play with, and tables selling model train supplies.
Check out the webcam at the train station museum- you can watch the trains arrive! That link also has the times that trains arrive and leave from San Luis Obispo train station: 6:11am, 2:37pm, 3:05pm, 3:37pm, 4:12pm, and 8:52pm.
If you like garden nurseries, drive one minute to Miner's Ace Hardware, which has an inspiring garden section with many fountains, colorful ceramics, fruit trees, and flowers.
Inside Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, in the railroad area.
Railroad museum in an old freighthouse, and the first steel tank car, built in 1903 to transport oil.
Iron Road Pioneers sculpture, with Terrace Hill behind it, green in April.
You can sit by the big windows in Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, by the railroad station.
Nice spots to sit at Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, near the railroad station.
Paintings of California poppies, in Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, with its mint green walls.
Iron Horse Station, built in 1903, which used to be a lumber milling building. It is near the railroad station.
Sally Loo's, by the railroad station, with ivy on its side wall and striped awnings.
Brick building with pretty roof, near the railroad station.
Model circus railroad with carousel, at the Central Coast Railroad Festival in October 2025.
Artwork and view of Madonna Mountain at the entrance to the train station parking lot.
The historic railroad building with a redwood tree behind.
Live band at the Central Coast Railroad Festival.
A boy plays with a train set at the Central Coast Railroad Festival.
Inside the historic train, during the festival.
Traditional table setting in the historic train, during the festival.
Historic Amtrak table setting in the train, which you can enter during the train festival.
Beautiful lighting inside the historic train, during the festival.
View of the tracks and bridge, from the historic train.
Cute light and awning on the historic train carriage.
Life-size mannequin of a miner operating a handcar, on display inside the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.
Del Monte Cafe, near the railroad station.
Model railroad upstairs in the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.
Madonna Mountain depicted in the model railroad, upstairs in the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.
Mountains and houses, in the model railroad upstairs in the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.
The artwork changes from time to time inside Sally Loo's.
Bench seating with little tables at Sally Loo's.
Window stools, stained glass, and brick wall at Sally Loo's.
SLO Railroad Museum is located at 1940 Santa Barbara Ave, San Luis Obispo. You park in the parking lot for the railroad station.
Open Saturday 10-4.
Entrance fee to the SLO Railroad Museum is $10 per adult, $8 for seniors and veterans, $5 per child aged 4-12.
Last Updated: Tue, 26 May 2026 00:56:51 GMT
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