Wisconsin Dells Advice » Riverside and Great Northern Railway

Wisconsin Dells City Pass Updated for 2009

Dells Advice — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:14:43 +0000

The popular Wisconsin Dells City Pass, which debuted last year, is back again for 2009 with a couple of changes to the program. The 2009 pass features 12 different Dells attractions (up from 9 in 2008). The price has increased from $79 to $99, although passes for senior citizens aged 65 and older and children 42″ or less are reduced to $89. There have also been some changes to the participating attractions this year. The Rick Wilcox Magic show is no longer participating, and there are four new participants. The list of participating attractions is as follows:

Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
Riverside & Great Northern Railway (new for 2009)
Dells Army Ducks
Christmas Mountain Golf
Dells Comedy Club (new for 2009)
Wisconsin Deer Park
Mark Twain Boat Tours
Chalet Lanes Bowling (new for 2009)
Shipwreck Lagoon Mini Golf
Top Secret
Wild Thing Jet Boats
Castle of Terror & Haunted Crypt (new for 2009)

Although the $99 price tag might seem high, it can be an incredible value if you take advantage of all of the offerings. The pass won’t be available for use until May 23rd, however it can be purchased anytime on the Dells City Pass website. I will certainly have more to say about the City Pass as the summer tourist season comes closer.

Santa Train on the Riverside and Great Northern Railway

Dells Advice — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:02:03 +0000

The Riverside and Great Northern Railway will be operating their Santa Train again this year. Santa will be arriving the day after Thanksgiving, November 28th, and be appearing all weekend long, and the following weekend, December 6th and 7th. Kids can come and see Santa, and families can take a ride on the charming Riverside and Great Northern Railway through the beautiful Wisconsin Dells woods and countryside.

Train rides cost $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $8 for children 4 and up. Admission to the museum and learning center is free. You can use this coupon from the Riverside and Great Northern Railway website for $1 off each admission.

Check out the Riverside and Great Northern Railway website for hours and additional details.

The Pumpkin Train on the Riverside and Great Northern Railway

Dells Advice — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:19:58 +0000

A couple of years ago, my family and I stumbled upon the Riverside and Great Northern Railway in the Dells. They offer a really charming train ride through 3 miles of beautiful scenery adjacent to the Wisconsin River north of Wisconsin Dells. The train that they operate is on a 15″ gauge track (much smaller than the typical 4′ + track of a full sized train). When we visited in 2006, the train went 3 miles or so into the woods, and then drove backwards back to the train station. Going backwards on the train was a little odd, to say the least. Since that time, they have installed turntables at both ends of the line. When the train reaches the end of the line, the engineer unhooks the engine, turns it around on the turntable, and then hooks it to the last car and makes the way back to the station. They repeat this procedure once they get back to the station.

In the month of October, the Riverside and Great Northern Railway operates its Pumpkin Train. The Pumpkin Train can make for a very nice fall family activity. The ride is the same, but on the way back the train stops about halfway back so everyone can get out, and the kids can pick out a pumpkin. The entire trip takes about 40 minutes. Once you are back at the station, there is a train museum and learning center, plus a train museum store.

The Riverside and Great Northern Railway is run by a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring steam powered, light railway trains. Train rides cost $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $8 for children 4 and up. Admission to the museum and learning center is free. You can use this coupon from the Riverside and Great Northern Railway website for $1 off each admission.

Check out the Riverside and Great Northern Railway website for hours and additional details.

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