The Golden Spike National Historical Park, also known as the Golden Spike history museum is a United States National Historical Park located at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in east-central Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The nearest city is Corinne, approximately 23 miles (37 km) east-southeast of the site.
It commemorates the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad where the Central Pacific Railroad and the first Union Pacific Railroad met on May 10, 1869. The final joining of the rails spanning the continent was signified by the driving of the ceremonial golden spike.
Although the line was abandoned in 1904 (bypassed by the Lucin Cutoff) and the original rails were removed in 1942 to serve the war effort, the site presently includes 2 miles (3.2 km) of rebuilt track from the summit area (where the rail systems were joined) to a train storage building. The rebuilt track was designed to be an authentic representation of the 1869 rails.
In 2002, it received 49,950 visitors. As of 2004 annual visitation ranges from 48,000 to 64,000.
Today the Golden Spike National Historical Park serves as an interpretive center of the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on the nation. There is a Visitor's center with various displays about the railroad construction and two theaters.
Locomotive Roster[]
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Central Pacific No. 60 Jupiter | O'Connor Engineering Laboratories (Replica) | May 1979 (Replica) | 4-4-0 "American" | |
 |
Union Pacific No. 119 | O'Connor Engineering Laboratories (Replica) | May 1979 (Replica) | 4-4-0 "American" | |
 |
NPS No. 1 | GE Transportation | 1950 | GE 25-ton switcher | This 25-ton switcher is used for moving No. 119 and Jupiter when they're not under power. |
Trivia[]
- On May 10, 2019, a 150th anniversary celebration was held in commemoration of the completion of the railroad. This event was attended by several notable local leaders, including Utah governor Gary Herbert and the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson.
- Replacing the engines at Promontory were the Virginia and Truckee locomotives nos. 22, Inyo, and 18, Dayton redecorated as the Jupiter and No. 119, respectively. These engines remained at the site until 1978, when they were sent to the state of Nevada, which had purchased them in 1974, to be a part of what ultimately became the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.
- In 2006, a petition to the Board on Geographic Names resulted in a name change for Chinaman's Arch, a 20-foot (6.1 m) limestone arch at Golden Spike National Historical Park. Named Chinaman's Arch in honor of the 19th century Chinese railroad workers, the arch was officially renamed in the same year as the Chinese Arch to mollify sensitivities about the original name.
- The engine house is used for winter storage for the locomotives when their not being used but during the winter months the park service has guided tours of the engine house that visitors still have a chance to see the engines, even if they are not under steam.