Riverside & Great Northwest Railroad

What a nice place to visit. Good old fashioned family time! We enjoyed our visit last week with our grandson! Very scenic and educational train ride! Thanks for helping us make memories with our family!

I had heard from my sister that this was a fun spot and honesty it really was. My husband and I took our 3 yr old son that is obsessed with trains there and it was really cute! We printed $ 1 off coupons online from their website, but honestly the cost to ride the train was not that bad at all! $ 12 each for adults! In the Dells that’s a deal! The whole operation is run by volunteers, many who are senior citizens that just love the trains and working with people. The train is really adorable and not a bad ride for a plus sized person with a child. My husband and I were fairly comfortable during the ride. The whole thing runs off donations so we were sure to put some money in the jars in hopes little gems like this don’t disappear by the bigger attractions in the Dells.
Bottom line: well worth the money! It’s educational as well as fun for children and adults. You also don’t walk away feeling ripped off.

I usually don’t buy into the whole «fun for kids and adults alike!» thing because it typically translates into «fun for kids and comparable to the sensation of having your genitals mauled by coked up sea lions for adults!».
But… I have to be honest: This place somehow manages.
The train itself is a greatly scaled down model of an actual train, of course, but not so much so that it makes for an uncomfortable ride. It’s staffed by knowledgeable older looking people (a stark and fresh contrast to the rest of the Dells) and they do a decent job making the experience engaging.
It’s an open air train and with the way the seats are configured, each family (2 – 4 people) gets their own ‘car’ in which to ride.
Along the winding path that cuts through dense forest, they’ve situated multiple animal statues (coyotes, wolves, deer… etc) because a certain amount of cheese is a requirement in the Dells. I personally think the cheese factor could’ve been forgiven had they placed a few random diplodocuses and ankylosauruses throughout, but that’s just me. Why? Because dinosaurs, bitch.
During the trip, they stop the train periodically (it’s a surprisingly long voyage, considering) to answer questions and look around at the scenery. At the end of the line they turn the entire thing around, which is rather entertaining to watch, and give you a little history on the railroad itself.
All in all, it’s long and fun enough to not be a rip but not so long that your kids will be eyeballing sad nursing homes to dump you in later in life.
THAT’S A WIN-​WIN, AMIRITE?
Once you’re done with the train ride, there’s a gift shop (WHAT A TWIST!) that sells a myriad of things. It’s sort of a mini museum, as well, as it’s peppered with pictures and snippets on trains in general.
All in all?
*insert creepy, uncharacteristically cheery voice*
It’s fun AND educational!