Trains, Trains, and more Trains.  If my two year old could pick what to do every day it would be to go ride a train.  This is something my eight year old also loved growing up and even my husband and I enjoy a nice train ride when exploring new places.  We took a trip to Grapevine over the summer and one of the activities my family wanted to try during this vacation was the Grapevine Vintage Railroad.  They have three primary routes that you can experience and you can find the details on each one here: https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapevine-vintage-railroad/train-schedule/ .

We decided to try out the Trinity River Train Excursion which is a 45 minute ride that leaves from the Stockyards Station in Fort Worth. We picked this one because we knew our two year old would not last on one of the longer rides, but when our little one gets a bit older we will definitely be back to try the Cotton Belt Route which goes from Grapevine to Fort Worth.  The Trinity River Excursion leaves at approximately 3:00 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through November 21st.

We also really enjoy visiting the Stockyards in Fort Worth so this train ride was a great way to end our day there. We had spent the entire afternoon running around so a nice relaxing ride at the end of the day was just the ticket! We decided to purchase the First Class seats because they are covered with air conditioning and we definitely needed that on the hot summer day. The price was also only $2 dollars more per person than the open air seats so we thought that was well worth it.  You can find all of the prices here:  https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapevine-vintage-railroad/train-schedule/.   They want you there at least 30 minutes in advance of the trip to check in so we got there early and picked up our tickets.  Since we purchased our tickets online they already had our seats assigned and check in was very quick. We even had enough time to grab some ice cream to enjoy before the ride.  Once it was time to board we got on and found our seats.  The boarding process was quick and easy. I highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance online for two reasons 1) sometimes tickets sell out and 2) it was much easier to just pick up our ticket rather than waiting in line to buy tickets the day of.

During the ride they put on a little show where the kids can help railroad detectives figure out the mystery of who robbed the Grapevine Vintage Railroad.  The actors walk through the train cars and get participation from the riders which is fun.  Our 8 year old got to participate in the act so he was really excited about that!  The train ride itself is nice and it stops and turns around once you get to the river which is pretty to see.  This is not an incredibly scenic train ride, but that’s ok with us because my kids just enjoyed the experience.  They do have restrooms on board and they sell snacks like candy and chips which was perfect for us because we needed a little sugar after our long day.

Once we got back to the station we collected our stroller (which they were able to store on the train while we rode) and headed to our car.  It was the perfect way to end our day visiting the Stockyards and we will definitely go back to ride the Grapevine Railroad again.

Below are a few tips if plan to go on the Grapevine Railroad:

-For all of the train rides there are three ticket options (First Class, Touring Class or Economy Class) and there is a price difference per ticket. I recommend considering which ticket you purchase depending on when you plan to visit. For example the First Class section of the train is air conditioned which was crucial for us when we visited during the middle of the summer, however if you go during a more mild weather time of the year you may want to purchase an Economy ticket because it is open air during warmer months and enclosed during colder months.

-Since other train lines also use the same tracks there is a chance of delay or cancellation on the day of your ride.  I recommend reviewing their policy on this if you have any questions.

-During certain holidays they have special events on the trains. You can find those details here: https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapevine-vintage-railroad/events/

-I recommend arriving at least 1 hour before your train ride to make sure you have enough time to park and find the station. The Stockyards can get crowded and it takes a bit of time to get from your car to the train.

-Grapevine Vintage Railroad is usually closed for maintenance during a short time in the winter so if you are planning a visit to ride the train make sure you check the schedule in advance.