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Northwest Railway Museum
1. Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie
Want to make your little train lovers shake with excitement? Take them on one or more of these terrific local rail adventures, starting with the Northwest Railway Museum, a restored train depot in Snoqualmie. Visit the museum, which is free and open seven days a week, and hop on for a scenic train excursion on weekends and holidays.
Special events at the Railway Museum include the hugely popular Day Out With Thomas every July, where the “real” Thomas the Tank Engine drops in for a visit, and the annual Santa Train featuring the big guy in red (tickets go on sale in late summer).
Getting there: Regular trains can be boarded in either Snoqualmie or North Bend, both roughly a 40-minute drive from Seattle.
Ride and cost: Train excursions last about 90 minutes and depart multiple times each weekend. Round-trip tickets on regular trains start at $28 for adults; $14 for ages 2–12; and kids 2 and younger ride free; book online. Special event tickets are pricier.
To visit nearby: The towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend both have small central business districts. Don’t miss the Snoqualmie Ice Cream scoop shop while in Snoqualmie and famous Twede’s Café while in North Bend. A fun time to visit Snoqualmie and ride the trains is during Snoqualmie Days (formerly called Railroad Days), taking place Friday–Saturday, Aug. 18–19, 2023.
Next up: Kitsap scale mini trains
