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Closed until Apr 6, 2024
Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until Apr 6, 2024
About
Opening date: April 6, 2024. Experience an action-packed day of Wild West Adventure at North Carolina's first theme park --Tweetsie Railroad, where you can hop aboard a historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive, enjoy classic amusement rides, feed the animals in Deer Park Zoo, pan for gold, participate in live entertainment, and more! Special annual events: Day Out With Thomas, Ghost Train, and Tweetsie Christmas.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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See what travelers are saying
- Robin FAiken, South Carolina61 contributionsTweetsie steams into the hearts of grandkidsWe took our 2 and 7 year old to Tweetsie Railroad on our family vacation. The kids had the best time. They loved riding the train. The fight scenes were great because the kids could see that no one was really getting hurt, I truly appreciated that. The deer park was great the kids got to pet and feed deer, the 2 year giggled so much when they liked her hand. The rides were age appropriate for kids and allowed parents to ride with them most of the time if needed.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten June 29, 2023
- KENNETH DDenver, North Carolina203 contributionsA day on the trainThrowback to the old-style roadside attraction. Who doesn't love a steam engine train? Enjoy the train loop through the mountain views. The "acting" is a bit corny but directed at the kids. Nice selection of children amusement rides to keep them smiling. They have done away with their one-time cup purchase and unlimited refills. You now pay a premium for the cup and $3 to refill. Meal options are okay but not gourmet or upscale. Overall a good experience if you are taking younger children or younger grandchildren. The price is a bit high in my opinion for what they offer.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 6, 2023
- KristynPBaltimore, Maryland7 contributionsFun family-friendly activity!Adventure park perfect for younger kids! We enjoyed the 3 mile loop on the train - the show was entertaining and the young actors did a great job! Our niece loved going on rides (the kind you’d find at a county fair) and the bumper cars. A great family-friendly activity- we spent about 2.5 hours.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 24, 2023
- duffey3700Richmond, Virginia2,596 contributionsGreat Park for Kids & AdultsCool place for kids and adults too!! Lot of rides and things to do, plan on spending at least 4-5 hours to take most of it in. Our granddaughter really enjoyed the animal park, big selection of kid friendly animals. Train ride was so good we rode it twice. Hoping to go again next year.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 27, 2023
- Adam PColumbia, South Carolina104 contributionsBudget Friendly Theme ParkIt’s a local, cheaper, high country, budget friendly version of Dollywood or Disney World where they don’t price gouge you. The lines don’t have rides and are all you can ride. You can feed the animals for 50 cents. The food prices are affordable with options under $4. The people are friendly. The laughs and smiles are all day.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 6, 2023
- Carlan BMoline, Illinois13 contributionsGood Family fun, but overpriced - No Vet DiscountVery nice place and our grandkids enjoyed it a lot. Our stay had to be cut short due to rain but got in several things. However, one bug downside to this is the lack of a Veteran Discount. Sure, a discount is given to active military, but what about those of us that served in the Vietnam war as well as WWII and Korea, etc.? Actually, we felt this was overpriced, even though things were done well.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 9, 2023
- Jamie TJacksonville, North Carolina115 contributionsExpensive but fun for a few hoursFun family atmosphere. Very friendly and professional staff. Not crowded. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough staff to cover all rides and one worked had to bounce between 3 rides, so wait times were long for so few people. Enough to keep teens and small kids occupied for a few hours. Petting zoo was awesome. A bit expensive for the value compared to other theme parks.Visited August 2023Written August 18, 2023
- luvbooksandbloomsCedar Bluff, Virginia232 contributionsGreat day of funI took two grandkids along w their parents for a day at Tweetsie. The 6 & 7 year olds were the perfect age, didn’t get tired & tall enough for most rides. The parking lot was full but we didn’t have long lines. We packed lunch fixings and tail gated as food is typically expensive. The workers were exceptionally polite and pleasant & the park was clean. My only complaint was the lack of water stations to refill water bottles.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 26, 2023
- Barb JGrand Rapids, Michigan234 contributionsGet Your Spooky on The Ghost Train!We did the GHOST TRAIN adventure and it was awesome! From ticket purchase to entry, visiting the park and riding the train, this place is organized and well oiled! The park was beautifully lighted for Halloween and not an inch was missed! The train ride was great and fun and I won't give away what goes on, but you have to do it! There were 8 rides open without waiting, there were ample shops and food and restrooms and haunted houses! The music was great, there were street dancers and everyone was participating. Great job Tweetsie Railroad, we will be back!Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 28, 2023
- Lisa T.Richfield, North Carolina12 contributionsNice family outingThis is a nice family attraction, the cost has gone up like everything else. The price of food is expensive, but this is to be expected. Advice, take in a few snacks or have some in your vehicle. The lines for food are extremely long, especially if you go in October when the leaves are changing colors. The train ride is lots of fun as well as the Mouse Mine train at the top of the mountain..Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 22, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,089 reviews
Excellent
610
Very good
315
Average
112
Poor
29
Terrible
23
Nancy F
4 contributions
Jul 2021
My husband and I visited the Tweetsie Railroad on July 8 on a rainy day since they advertised that they had some indoor shows: a can can show, a magic show, and a clogging show as well as the railroad ride. The price of $52 was steep for value received as each show was only 15 minutes long. They didn't disclose the length of the shows in their descriptions. We assumed they would each be at least 30 minutes long. The ride on the railroad is short but the train stops for a good and bad guys cowboy routine that children should enjoy. It was interesting riding on a train pulled by a coal burning locomotive. We would only recommend the Tweetsie Railroad if you have children and are interested in the rides they offer.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ThePac
Denver24 contributions
May 2019
I went in spring of 2019, and to be honest I was expecting this place to suck. Boone isn't exactly Orlando, and I figured Tweetsie would be a second rate backwater kind of park. But it's surprisingly good, especially for younger kids. First off the steam train ride alone was worth the price of admission to me. It was just that enjoyable. I do wonder if the PC crowd will force Tweetsie to change their train robbery skit though as it is very much as one would expect from dated 50's cowboys and indians television show. But riding on a fully functional steam nicely restored engine belching steam and ash was quite an experience, and the cheesy train robbery is entertaining enough for the kids.
The rest of the park while on the smaller side is very clean and well maintained. The rides for the most part are pretty tame and best suited for kids less than 10. Older kids may get bored quickly if all they want is thrill rides, but there's enough to do in the park to make a day out of it for everyone else. I gotta be honest, for young children (especially Thomas fans) this is every bit as good as a Disney theme park. And I mean that in every way, from cleanliness to attentive staff to era-appropriate detailed costumes. It's very well done, especially considering it didn't come from a large multinational corporation with deep pockets. I think the main thing holding this place back is it's location. If Tweetsie were closer to a large metro area it would be jam packed full of people and probably 2x as big if not larger. As it is this is a gem located a little bit off the beaten path.
The rest of the park while on the smaller side is very clean and well maintained. The rides for the most part are pretty tame and best suited for kids less than 10. Older kids may get bored quickly if all they want is thrill rides, but there's enough to do in the park to make a day out of it for everyone else. I gotta be honest, for young children (especially Thomas fans) this is every bit as good as a Disney theme park. And I mean that in every way, from cleanliness to attentive staff to era-appropriate detailed costumes. It's very well done, especially considering it didn't come from a large multinational corporation with deep pockets. I think the main thing holding this place back is it's location. If Tweetsie were closer to a large metro area it would be jam packed full of people and probably 2x as big if not larger. As it is this is a gem located a little bit off the beaten path.
Written April 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel L
Apex, NC656 contributions
Jun 2021
Tweetsie ride itself is brilliant. Great performers who interact with the children on the train make it such a joy for the young ones.
However, when you look past the train ride - it's hard to justify a head price of over $50, which might as well get you a real train ticket. There's a tiny collection of second-rate carnival rides, a mass of trinket stores, and a chairlift to a gem mining zone - where you have to pay extra to sift through. All that money had better be going to those great cowboy actors, and not to opening more gift shops.
The place is basically one attraction, which is five stars, and then a tourist trap exterior, which is one star. Whether it's worth fifty dollars per person for a 30 minute train ride, that is up to you.
However, when you look past the train ride - it's hard to justify a head price of over $50, which might as well get you a real train ticket. There's a tiny collection of second-rate carnival rides, a mass of trinket stores, and a chairlift to a gem mining zone - where you have to pay extra to sift through. All that money had better be going to those great cowboy actors, and not to opening more gift shops.
The place is basically one attraction, which is five stars, and then a tourist trap exterior, which is one star. Whether it's worth fifty dollars per person for a 30 minute train ride, that is up to you.
Written June 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
funmom
Hickory, NC41 contributions
Dec 2020
We visited Tweestie Christmas and my kids loved it. It had just snowed a few nights before, and it was really magical to see the snow everywhere during the train ride. The train ride was relaxing with Christmas music, but very COLD. Make sure you dress with winter hats, gloves, thick coats and dress in layers if you visit. I think the food prices were reasonable compared to Dollywood and Disney. My son and I had a slice of cheese pizza at $3.25 a slice, and we ordered hot chocolate at $3.25 a cup and it was amazing actually. I wish I knew their recipe! Admission tickets were expensive and I just wish there were more rides open. But, the parking was free and our tickets were checked in very quickly. So, that helped alot since things went so smoothly. The park and train are very beautiful with all the Christmas lights. I have always wanted to visit Tweestie Christmas for years, and I'm thankful my family got to visit.
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blonde38
Waxhaw, NC8 contributions
Nov 2020 • Family
My husband, son and I visited Tweetsie Railroad for their Christmas Train ride last night. The train, lights and rides were fun and my son had a blast, but I was shocked that so many people were not wearing masks and Tweetsie did not enforce masks anywhere! They did disinfect rides after each turn and their were a few signs posted about social distancing, but Those efforts seemed pointless when people are crowded in their shops and walking about with no masks. With Covid rates skyrocketing this is appalling and people should be aware before visiting and putting yourself and others at risk.
Written November 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
terrymdorr
Lake Wales, FL36 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
We should’ve known when we couldn’t raise a live person by telephone that this experience was not going to be for us. Despite the lack of sufficient information we decided to give the Tweetsie railroad a try. This $52, 40 minute experience was good for the crowds of preschoolers and their parents and grandparents, but a complete waste of time for the six adults in our group.
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GunSlinGer
Fayetteville, NC68 contributions
Oct 2019 • Family
It’s a experience for the whole family. We get tickets through the motel so you get a deal there. If you go after 3pm. You can get in the next day on the same ticket. The old shops, saloon and dancers, cloggers, shows up top for the kids, ride the chair lift or ride the bus. Petting zoo and rides up top and rides down the hill. Train ride with cowboys & Indians and feeling like your back in time is the best to me. I went as a kid and we have been taking our grandkids right before they start school. Now we’ll be taking great grandkids.
You can’t go wrong just being in the mountains and Tweetsie steps it up for the whole family. 👍🏻🇺🇸
They have some good food as well.
You can’t go wrong just being in the mountains and Tweetsie steps it up for the whole family. 👍🏻🇺🇸
They have some good food as well.
Written September 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelliu
Hilton Head, SC4,113 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
The Christmas train ride, amusement rides and visit with Santa and Mrs.Claus were so much fun. We have a 3 year old and she especially loved that she could ride rides by herself (most had a max night of 48in and no min. height). The train ride was not as cold as we thought it would be. Even though they are open air cars, the train goes very slow so it’s not windy. Train cars 3-4 seemed to be the best. We opted to eat before as food was very limited. Plan to be there 2-3 hours to get everything in - we did a 7pm train, arrived at 5:30 and were done around 8pm. Definitely worth getting tickets early as quite a few people were turned away as they were sold out.
Written December 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CoastalCode
Sanford, NC232 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
So much to uncover! We had a great time with 2.5 year old obsessed with trains and 11 year old, he enjoyed the rides most! Great weather mid-October, a little crowded but could have been much worse. Waited about 30-40 minutes to ride the train. The rides had little to no wait and was convenient that tickets weren’t required. Most of what we explored was inclusive, fed the goats/mini horses, rides, chair lift, train ride, mini train ride. Gem mining was fun and cost $12 for a medium size bucket.
Written November 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WannaTravelMore
Gatesville, NC86 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Went here 5 years ago and the kids loved it. This time, took a teenager and 9 year old while their mama and sister were at High Gravity for the day. It was either Tweetsie, sit in hotel all day or drive around and waste gas. Wish we had picked 1 of the other 2. A number of places/rides weren't open.The 14 year old was bored, not worth 50 bucks for her. The train ride 'show' has middle school aged jokes now. The highlight was riding the Chair lift. We went to ride it up one last time at 515 but it was already closed even though the sign said 530. I do NOT recommend taking a teenager.
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Violet R
United States
Is AAA discount tickets to tweeie railroad in Boone NC
duffey3700
Richmond, VA2,596 contributions
Yes
AV73
Cary, NC91 contributions
I can see right now that they are only open Saturdays and then Sundays for the Ghost train. Does anyone know if there are terribly long lines on Saturday right now? I've also heard they are still under staffed and many rides are closed. Anyone been there lately that may know what's going on with this place? Any help appreciated.
Becky Y
Clemmons, NC1 contribution
Are there lockers where we can store our lunch?
DannaBanana
Athens, GA11 contributions
We did not see any lockers. Appeared those with lunch were using back packs.
Help!! Left our tickets for Day out with Thomas at home but have email with confirmation number and amount of tickets we bought. Can even show proof it came out of bank account. Will we still be able to get in?
Is there steps to get into the train? I have some mobility issues that make stairs and steps difficult. Would love to take my grandson in the spring
lmn
18 contributions
They do have staff to assist, but there are also ramps that you can use to get up into the train. You just need to check with the ticket area. We had a wheel chair in our group and she was able to ride right onto the train....
Jake&Maggie
Georgia43 contributions
Is it worth a visit for the July 4th Fireworks? Buffet and VIP Seating?
pongdidlydong
Draper57 contributions
I have never been for fireworks but think they would be awesome...
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Claim your listingTweetsie Railroad - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Tweetsie Railroad
- Tweetsie Railroad is open:
- Fri - Sun 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Hotels near Tweetsie Railroad:
- (0.46 mi) Stunning Mountain Views - Boone/Blowing Rock, NC
- (3.15 mi) The Homestead Inn
- (3.55 mi) Art of Living Retreat Center
- (3.81 mi) Gideon Ridge Inn
- (2.99 mi) Alpine Village Inn
- Restaurants near Tweetsie Railroad:
- (0.50 mi) Blue Deer Cookies
- (2.14 mi) Mint Cuisine of India
- (3.26 mi) Stick Boy Bread Co
- (3.81 mi) The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge
- (2.23 mi) Come Back Shack
- Attractions near Tweetsie Railroad:
- (0.10 mi) High Gravity Adventures Zip Line & Aerial Park
- (0.60 mi) Doc's Rocks Gem Mine
- (0.57 mi) The Blowing Rock
- (0.59 mi) Mystery Hill
- (1.88 mi) Sky Valley Zip Tours