A true treasure lies in the heart of Grapevine, Texas. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad takes passengers ~ from the wee train-obsessed little ones to the Daddies & Pa-Pas who love it too ~ back in time each weekend.
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad has 2 historic locomotives, Puffy (a 1896 steam engine) and Vinny (a 1953 diesel engine) and 6 beautifully restored Victorian coaches.
During the summer, the GVRR offers the Trinity River Run on Fridays, along with their regular Saturday & Sunday runs to the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Friday trips are only one hour long, perfectly timed for those little ones.
Seating was first come, first serve but being that it was only 10:00 am, we opted to sit in the open-air cars. I just love the charm that comes with the conductor punching your ticket.
The beginning of the ride is through Grapevine. We found it charming that folks were so friendly. At every crossing everyone in their cars waved at the adorable little hands waving at them.
You have two options on most rides - The open air coaches, one of which includes a snack bar that features popcorn, candy, and bottled drinks.
Or you can choose to sit in the air conditioned coach. This one is much cooler, but you loose the sounds and smells of the train ride (maybe you want that?).
The hour long ride was perfect for my crew - we enjoyed a quick ride though what looks to be country, as the majority of the ride is through tree-hidden neighborhoods and suburbs. I just assumed we would be looking at roads, stores, and homes the whole ride. Not so. And that added to the charm.
But my favorite part of the ride? This sight - I love watching my kids enjoy themselves.
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad offers fun all year round. Each month, fun events are planned from the Halloween Scream Train in October to the North Pole Express around the Holidays to Easter Bunny Fun Run in April. And I even hear that Thomas the Tank Engine visits each April too. During the summer, the weekend runs are filled with a Train Robbery - my kids would have loved to see that! All of these events are extremely family friendly and very affordable.
10 Fun Things to Do at the Fort Worth Stockyards
While you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, here are more fun things to try:
Texas Travel Facts for Grapevine Vintage Railroad:
Location: Grapevine Mills, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051
Days: September - November / February-May (Saturday & Sunday only)
June-August - (friday, Saturday & Sunday)
Admission: Round Trip Prices : Adults (13 & up): $28(first class) $20 (touring class)
Children (4-12): $18.00 (first class) $10 (touring class)
Recommended Time: 4.5-6 hours
Good to know: Prices & times above based on all day trip down to the Ft. Worth Stockyards; Expect 1 1/2 hours each way with a 1 1/2 hour layover; Snack bar is available
My family and I were invited to take a train ride and were provided admission. I was not financially compensated for this post. All opinions of Grapevine Vintage Railroad are strictly my own based on my experience.
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