Days of operation: Saturday and Sunday (April through September)
Hours of operation: every hour on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Departure location: Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Old Sacramento (located on Front Street between J and K Streets).
Tickets: $9 adults, $4 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free. For passengers desiring a ride aboard the first-class car El Dorado, tickets are $15 per person.

 

The El Dorado observation-lounge car

Upgrade to first-class and be a VIP aboard the El Dorado, an elegant 1920s Southern Pacific observation-lounge car. Sit back in luxury—and air conditioned comfort.  Enjoy a scenic ride along the Sacramento River as you are served lemonade, water and cookies!  

All aboard!  The California State Railroad Museum’s popular excursion railroad--the Sacramento Southern Railroad--officially returns to operation on Easter weekend, April 3 & 4.   2010 marks the 27th consecutive season the excursion trains have been operating in Old Sacramento.  Once underway, excursion trains depart every hour on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends through September. 

Since 1984, more than one million guests have taken a ride aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad, served by all-volunteer crews fully trained and certified under Federal Railroad Administration regulations.  Each spring, the Sacramento Southern Railroad takes center stage as visitors enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of an authentic, working steam locomotive as it rolls along the levees of the Sacramento River.  Appealing to all ages, the experience offers guests the chance to experience train travel from an earlier era.

Excursion trains depart from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Old Sacramento (located on Front Street between J and K Streets). Guests are treated to a six-mile, 40-minute roundtrip excursion along the levees of the Sacramento River. The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, and open-air “gondolas” with bench style seating. Regular excursion train tickets are $9 adults, $4 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free. For passengers desiring a ride aboard the first-class car El Dorado--a beautifully restored 1920s lounge observation car which offers large picture windows, plush seating and air conditioning--tickets are $15 per person.

 Tickets for Sacramento Southern Railroad excursion train rides (including first-class upgrades to ride in VIP style on the beautifully restored El Dorado observation car) are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Sacramento Southern Railroad ticket office, located on Front Street between “J” and “K” Streets in Old Sacramento. Passengers may purchase tickets earlier in the day for a later train departure that same day. However, the only advance reservations accepted are for groups desiring exclusive use of the first-class car El Dorado (for a flat usage fee regardless of group size) which must be made two weeks in advance by calling 916-445-3145.

Operated by California State Parks with assistance from the nonprofit CSRM Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most-visited railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-sq. ft. Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill buildings in Old Sacramento. 24-hour info: (916) 445-6645 or www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org.