All Aboard: Fun with Trains in KC

Screaming in the tunnels, listening to the rhythm of the tracks, and waving at passersby… memories of train rides are a highlight of childhood. Kansas City is home to several affordable train rides and attractions for families. 

Ride the Rails:

Agricultural Hall of Fame Train  Ride a narrow-gauge Union Pacific miniature train through the site. Explore museum exhibits and living history displays. Season: spring-fall.

Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad The BG&KC offers excursions running south from Belton on a 5-mile, 45-minute round trip. Season: May-December.

Kansas City Northern Railroad The three restored G-16 open air trains operate on a half-mile of track. Season: first weekend of May-last weekend of September.

Kansas City Zoo Train The zoo features an open air, large-scale train. A highlight of the ride is a trip through the tunnel. Season: year-round; operates daily if the weather is above 50 degrees.

Midland Railway Train rides feature a more than 20-mile round trip from Baldwin City to Ottawa Junction. Season: June-October.

Watch & Enjoy Trains:

Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant Model trains travel around the perimeter of the restaurant delivering burgers and fries to your table.

Overland Park Arboretum 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park, KS. Enjoy the magical Train Garden, where trains wind through bluffs, over streams and through an old town.

Union Station 30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, MO. Union Station celebrates it’s rail history as a station for Amtrak, home to an 8,000-square-foot model train exhibit and the KC Rail Experience.