About The Fox Valley Steampunk Festival
About the Festival
The Fox Valley Steampunk Festival is a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly celebration of creativity, history, and community, set along the scenic banks of the Fox River in South Elgin, Illinois. The festival brings together steampunk enthusiasts, history lovers, makers, artists, performers, and curious newcomers for a day of adventure, imagination, and discovery aboard the historic rails of the Fox River Trolley Museum.
From steampunk-themed trolley rides and Victorian dueling games to a maker marketplace, costume contest, and hands-on workshops, the festival is designed to be welcoming and accessible for all ages, all backgrounds, and all levels of steampunk experience. No costume required, just a spirit of adventure!
The Fox Valley Steampunk Festival is presented by the Fox River Trolley Museum, in association with the Chicagoland Steampunk Society.
About the Fox River Trolley Museum
The Fox River Trolley Museum is the proud home and host of the Fox Valley Steampunk Festival. Located at 365 S. LaFox Street (Illinois Route 31) in South Elgin, Illinois, the museum is dedicated to preserving and operating historic electric railway vehicles along the original Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric route, one of the great interurban railway lines of Chicagoland's past.
The museum is operated by the Fox River Trolley Association (FRTA), a member-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to preserve, interpret, and operate historic railway vehicles on its demonstration electric railway, and to preserve and share artifacts, photographs, oral histories, and documents that tell the story of electric transport in and around the Chicago metropolitan area.
The museum's collection includes 30 antique electric trolleys, railroad cars, and locomotives, ranging in construction dates from 1887 to 1973. Among the most remarkable pieces in the collection is Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad Car #20, built in 1902, which is the oldest operating electric interurban car in the United States. The museum also showcases artifacts, photos, and documents that bring the broader history of Chicagoland's electric transit era to life.
Since 2003, the museum has operated a 1.9-mile mainline along the Fox River, one of the few railroads in the country that runs entirely within a forest preserve. Rides travel between the museum's main campus at Castlemuir in South Elgin and the Blackhawk station, nestled within the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve, offering a scenic and historic journey that is truly unlike anything else in the region.
The Fox River Trolley Museum was founded in 1961 as the Railway Equipment Leasing and Investment Company (RELIC) and opened to the public on July 4, 1966. For more than six decades, it has been a beloved destination for families, history enthusiasts, and rail fans across the Fox Valley and beyond.
Your attendance at the Fox Valley Steampunk Festival directly supports the museum's mission to keep this irreplaceable piece of Illinois history alive for future generations. We invite you to explore, ride the rails, and become part of the story.
Learn more about the Fox River Trolley Museum at foxtrolley.org.
About the Chicagoland Steampunk Society
The Chicagoland Steampunk Society is a proud partner in bringing this event to life. The Society is a community of engineers, adventurers, scholars, artists, and dreamers united by a shared love of steampunk creativity, Victorian imagination, and the spirit of invention.
As a regional steampunk community based in the greater Chicago area, the Chicagoland Steampunk Society brings expertise, enthusiasm, and a deep network of steampunk performers, makers, and enthusiasts to the festival. Their involvement ensures that the event reflects the best of what the steampunk community has to offer, from authentic Victorian flair and immersive programming to a warm and welcoming atmosphere for newcomers and veterans alike.
The Society's vision of steampunk as a creative and community-driven pursuit aligns perfectly with the Fox River Trolley Museum's mission of education, preservation, and public engagement. Together, they have created a festival that celebrates both the art of imagination and the art of history.
To learn more about the Chicagoland Steampunk Society and get involved in the regional steampunk community, visit chicagolandsteampunk.com.
A Perfect Partnership
The Fox Valley Steampunk Festival was born from a natural and inspired connection: a museum devoted to the Victorian-era technology of electric railways, and a community devoted to the Victorian-era spirit of adventure and invention. Together, the Fox River Trolley Museum and the Chicagoland Steampunk Society have created something truly special, a festival that honors the past, celebrates creativity, and welcomes everyone aboard.