Tourist railroads across the U.S will be rolling out the fun on Father’s Day Weekend, Saturday, June 19th and Sunday, June 20th. They’ll be welcoming dads, grandpas, brothers and uncles with a roster of Father’s Day train rides. Authentic steam engines and heritage diesel locomotives will be hitting the rails and you can expect Dad-size surprises on board and off!
Many tourist trains will be satisfying Dad-sized appetites with hearty Father’s Day fare. For early risers, the choices range from a Father’s Day Brunch feast aboard the Cape Cod Central Railroad in Massachusetts to a sweet assortment of Donuts with Dad courtesy of Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Not surprisingly, a number Father’s day Trips will be making BBQ connections – among them, Pennsylvania’s Allentown and Auburn Railroad, the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, and Washington’s Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum, In Oregon, Santiam Excursion Trains beef up Dad’s BBQ with a side of Scotch!
This Father’s Day, one of the best things in life can be free! That’s because Dad’s accompanied by a kid will be treated to a free ride at scenic and historic railways across the U.S.. Complimentary tickets await Dads at Maine’s Seashore Trolley Museum, New York’s Arcade & Attica Railroad, Florida Railroad Museum, and South Dakota’s Prairie Village Herman & Milwaukee Railroad and many others. Among rail venues offering discounted fares are Delaware’s Wilmington & Western Railroad, Arkansas’s Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, and the historic Jefferson Railway in Texas.
Many railroads will be taking note of Dad’s special day with special Father’s Day runs. California’s River Fox Train, the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Arizona’s Pueblo Railway Museum, Kentucky’s Bluegrass Scenic Railroad & Museum, and New Jersey’s Whippany Railway Museum are all worth checking out.
Particularly due to the coronavirus, some railways may have not had time to plan and schedule a unique Father’s Day celebration. Nevertheless, of number of scenic and historic railroads will be on track Father’s Day weekend with plenty of fun and, maybe, a few unexpected surprises.
Fathers’s Day train ride schedules vary. While most railroads will host events on Fathers’s Day, Sunday, June 19th; some rides are scheduled on Saturday, June 19th only, while others plan to run special trains on both days. Check with individual scenic trains and heritage railroads for exact dates and times and remember that advance reservations are required or advisable in most instances.
At this year’s Fathers’s Day train ride events, you can expect safe practices like wearing masks and keeping safe distances to be encouraged – or required. Also in effect are stepped up precautionary routines like frequent deep cleaning and sanitizing on board, in the station, and beyond. And while trains may be running at full throttle, outposts like snack bars and exhibition areas may remain closed. Lastly, due to covid-related restrictions, there are no Fathers’s Day train rides scheduled to run at any Canadian railway in 2021.
To find additional scenic trains and heritage railroads planning Fathers’s Day weekend events check out the complete Train Traveling guide to Train Rides.
