SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Presenting the only train ride experience behind an authentic, historic locomotive in the Sacramento area, California State Parks and the California State Railroad Museum & Foundation are proud to offer history-rich weekend excursion trains on the Sacramento Southern Railroad that begin on April 6 & 7, 2019. Each weekend through September 2019, guests can enjoy relaxing and memorable excursion train rides along the picturesque Sacramento River and Old Sacramento Waterfront pulled by either the vintage steam locomotive Granite Rock No. 10 or a historic diesel locomotive, depending on the weekend.

Diesel or steam, excursion train ride guests delight in the sights, smells and sounds of an authentic, historic locomotive as it rolls along the levees of the Sacramento River for a six-mile, 45-minute roundtrip excursion. Appealing to all ages, the experience offers guests the chance to enjoy train travel from an earlier era. The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, open-air “gondolas” with bench style seating or VIP train ride experiences onboard one of three of the California State Railroad Museum’s first class cars (depending on the weekend): the El Dorado lounge observation car, the Audubon dining car or the French Quarter lounge car from the 1950s that served the famed Southern Pacific “Sunset Limited” service.

Weekend excursion train ride tickets are available and encouraged to book online in advance at www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/excursion-train-rides or can be purchased in-person starting at 10:30 a.m. the day of the train ride (based on availability). Weekend excursion trains depart from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot (on Front between J & K Streets) on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. From July 6 through September 2, an adjusted summer schedule takes effect with trains running on-the-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (if summer temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher, trains may be cancelled for the remainder of that day).

Regular excursion train tickets cost $12 for adults, $6 for youths (ages 6-17), and ages five and under ride free. For passengers desiring a first-class train ride experience, tickets cost $24 for adults, $16 for youths and are free for children five and under. First-class train tickets often sell out early so guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Groups interested in reserving the entire VIP car for a regularly scheduled ride need to do so in advance by calling 916-322-7112.