The Northwest Railway Museum is getting recognition for its role in regional tourism.

The museum is the 2008 recipient of the annual 4Culture Heritage Tourism Award.

Northwest Railway Museum staff and the board of trustees received the award Tuesday, April 22, before a large gathering of their peers at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. Dubbed the “Golden Rain Globe,” the award is annually presented to an individual, organization or agency that has most effectively shared the distinctive cultural heritage of King County through successful promotion beyond the local level.

Founded in 1957, the Northwest Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in Washington State and welcomes over 88,000 visitors each year. The museum operates an interpretive railway program offering antique train excursions through the Upper Valley. The museum’s collection of railway artifacts and equipment is one of the most significant in the United States and includes over 70 examples of train cars and equipment.