Northern Pacific Center Featured in Rally Takes the Train’s Family Travel Guide

Brainerd’s railroad story is reaching new readers, thanks to a feature on Rally Takes the Train, a website helping families discover train rides, railroad history, and places to explore together.

Created by children’s book author Kelsey Lizee Cecil, the site includes a guide to Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd, Minnesota. The article introduces visitors to our historic railroad district and the shopping, dining, celebrations, and community events that give these buildings new life today.

For us, it’s an opportunity to share what makes this place special: a visit to Northern Pacific Center connects Brainerd’s working past with the experiences people enjoy here now.

The former Northern Pacific railroad repair shops once housed the skilled workers who maintained locomotives and helped keep the railroad moving. Today, the district’s brick buildings and exposed beams provide a distinctive setting for local businesses, weddings, markets, and gatherings. Each new visit adds another chapter to a place deeply connected to Brainerd’s history.

Cecil’s feature highlights that transformation, including the Off The Rails Christmas Market, where visitors can shop local makers and small businesses while spending time inside these historic spaces. It also offers practical information to help readers plan a visit and explore more railroad destinations throughout Minnesota.

The story behind Rally Takes the Train brings a personal connection to the project. Cecil’s children’s book was inspired by the Pacific Surfliner’s journey along the California coast and written in memory of her parents. That love of family and train travel has grown into an online resource encouraging families to make discoveries of their own.

We’re grateful to Kelsey for including Northern Pacific Center and helping introduce our corner of Brainerd to readers who appreciate railroad history and places with a story to tell.