| Recommended Age: | 2+ ONLY |
| Date of next event: | July 19th 2014 |
| Location: | 3008 Rodeo Drive |
| Cost: | $3 per person per ride |
| Company Site: | www.indianalivesteamers.org |
Living in Indiana has its perks and one of them is getting to ride miniature model trains. It is a bit south of Indy but for just $3 you get a 20 minute ride on a little train through beautiful woods in Johnson County Park. They even have different stations to get on and off with trails to walk. So much fun for the whole family.
My kids, along with most kids, love trains. They LOVE riding trains when they get a chance but usually they are the mall train or special occasion trains like at Christmas. The Indiana Live Steamers trains are open on special days in the Spring, Summer and Fall but if you wanted trains for a birthday party they would be able to help you with that too.
Johnson County park is located in Franklin just south of Indianapolis, IN. From Indy you take I-65 south and its about a 30 min drive from the Greenwood area which isn’t too bad honestly. The kids were so excited to ride trains and I was excited because it was only $3 per person. In a family of 4 things like this can get pretty expensive really quick, but we were able to enjoy two trips around easy enough.
When we got there we parked in the grassy area right next to the station where you buy tickets and board the train. It is also next to this very old log cabin but you can’t go inside there. Once you buy your ticket you do have a sign a waiver for yourself and any children riding with you and then you get your hand stamped. The stamp is in case you want to ride again so they know you already signed the waiver. Plus its fun to get your hand stamped.
You have to wait at the station for a train to pull in and your turn. The trains are small ride-on trains that pull cars behind them for people to ride on. These cars don’t have seats or anything so you have to be careful when riding them. They look like those big metal bars used to make buildings, steel girders, but on a smaller or shorter scale. They do have a cushion on the top though so that helped.
Here is a gallery of our adventure at Indiana Live Steamers Public Ride Day.
Someone gives instructions on how to keep your feet on the bars bottom, knees tucked in tight, arms and hands cannot reach out and no leaning from side to side. These are all safety precautions so no one tips the car too far over as they can actually derail the train car or break the train. Also, no pictures or video is allowed (except by media or special circumstances) due to possible leaning or stretching out your arms for those pictures. Here is a short video of our adventure.
Once you are seated your ticket is punched and the rules are given. you start out on your journey. It is a 20 minute ride through the park where you can view a few stations and of course nature. The park is beautiful and peaceful, the kind of park you go on hikes through and explore. It was such a fun ride and the kids loved looking at all the trees and just being on a train. They especially loved the whistle part of course.
Keep checking their Facebook page for the public ride days and make sure you plan on at least two rides. You WILL want to ride again once you have ridden once. We brought snacks and some people brought picnic lunches to eat at tables or on blankets. If you are like me you are always looking for fun new things to do with your kids and Indiana Live Steamers public ride days are a fantastic way to spend time with the whole family.
