Hop on board

The rail journey is an iconic experience in California. Embark on the off-beaten-track expeditions and perusing locomotive-inspired exhibitions that accurately capture the essence of “transportation.”

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
This exciting, four-mile railroad excursion in Yosemite Park will take its passengers into a history filled with powerful locomotives hauling massive log trains through the Sierra Mountains.

Sierra No. 3
Located in Jamestown’s Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, Sierra No. 3 is the most widely seen steam locomotives in the world. This “Movie Star Locomotive” has shared the big screen with film legends such as Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood.

California State Railroad Museum
While visiting Sacramento, step into America’s most visited railroad museum and honour the important role of railroads in the US while learning about how the West developed and prospered as a result of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

Charles O Sweetwood
The Charles O Sweetwood train car at Portola’s Western Pacific Railroad Museum puts a very real face to a historical train car. Not only is it dedicated to the first Western Pacific Railroad carman killed in action as a medic during the Korean War, but it also serves as a rolling blood collection system.

Skunk Train
Skunk Train is a unique travelling experience through Mendocino County offering scenic sights of the rail line among towering old-growth redwood trees, over wooden trestle bridges and through majestic stone tunnels.

Central Coast Railroad Festival
This locomotive-centered festival, hosted by the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, presents historical, educational and recreational events ranging from history walks and talks to excursions and an impressive array of model trains.

South Coast Railroad Museum
The Goleta-based museum explores the fascinating history, technology and adventure of railroading through the Golden State. The museum’s centerpiece is Goleta Depot, a country railroad stationhouse built by Southern Pacific in 1901 during the completion of the Coast Route joining San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Napa Valley Wine Train
The Napa Valley Wine Train features exquisitely resorted vintage Pullman railcars faithfully restored with Honduran mahogany paneling, brass accents, etched glass partitions and luxurious armchairs that evoke the spirit of luxury railroad travel of the early 20th century.

16th Street Station
This significant station was a powerful force in Oakland’s development and made the city a major transportation hub in its early years. And now it is frequently used for special events, movie sets and music video sets.

Railroad Square
This historical train depot, located in Santa Barbara, is home to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society Museum as well as restaurants and boutiques.

Constructed by Italian stonemasons, Railroad Square is one of the few buildings in Santa Rosa that survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and it is also listed on the National Registry of Historical Places.