Interested in riding the rails along the picturesque Sacramento River? Weekend Excursion Train Rides resume this weekend and will run weekends through September. Enjoy a scenic 45-minute, six-mile round trip ride aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad.
Departures are hourly from 11:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. weekends through September. Regular excursion train tickets cost $12.00 for adults; $6.00 for youths (ages 6-17); and ages five and under ride for free. Members can ride coach for free. For passengers desiring a ride aboard the first-class car, tickets are $20.00 for adults; $15.00 for youths; ages five and under ride for free. To book advance tickets, visit www.csrmf.org.
Beginning the second weekend of the excursion train season, the steam locomotive Granite Rock No. 10 will return to service! To celebrate its official return, special activities will take place all weekend long. On both mornings beginning at 8:00 a.m., guests are invited to watch as the crew prepares the steam locomotive for its first official days of service.
Special steam-related activities will also take place inside the California State Railroad Museum all weekend. Such as, a steam locomotive scavenger hunt, Granite Rock No. 10 children’s book readings at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in the East Theatre, as well as a special presentation of “How a Steam Locomotive Works” at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. also in the East Theatre.
The California State Railroad Museum is located in Old Sacramento on the western side of downtown Sacramento along the Sacramento River. The museum first opened in May of 1981 and has been offering countless visitors an experience they’ll never forget. Throughout the main Railroad History Museum building, 21 meticulously restored locomotives and cars and numerous exhibits illustrate how railroads have shaped people’s lives, the economy, and the unique culture of California and the West. Included are a Pullman-style sleeping car, a dining car filled with railroad china, and a Railway Post Office that visitors can actually step aboard.
Visiting the museum is convenient too. The Amtrak station in Sacramento is a five minute walk from the museum and there are multiple routes that serve Sacramento. The museum is open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children ages 6-17 and free for those under age 5.
With everything there is to do in and around the museum, a single or multi-day trip is a great way to take your time and explore Old Sacramento.
For more information of the California State Railroad Museum, visit www.csrmf.org or call 916- 323-9280. For more information on Old Sacramento, visit oldsacrmento.com.
Image: Flickr User Orin Zebest
