Vintage Coach Train Ride in North Freedom, Wisconsin

All Aboard the Classic Mid-Continent Experience

Climb aboard and experience the magic of rail travel as it was a century ago with a 55-minute train ride aboard historic rail cars. Then explore the museum filled with relics of railroading past, many of which have been faithfully restored to like-new condition.

Included with This Ticket

• 55 minute train ride in early-1900s coach cars with openable windows pulled by a diesel locomotive.
• Admission to museum display buildings
• Self-guided tour pamphlet (provided at ticket window)

Duration

Train ride takes approximately 55-minutes. Suggested additional time to allow for taking the self-guided tour of the museum displays and a visit to the gift shop is about 1 hour. The museum areas can be explored before or after the train ride.

About our Museum and Demonstration Train Rides

Take a memorable, seven-mile round-trip train ride on a former branchline of the Chicago & North Western Railway nestled in a valley between the Baraboo Hills in rural Sauk County. Passengers ride in restored steel coaches built over a century ago. An authentically-attired conductor will call “all aboard!” before the train leaves from a historic wooden depot, built in 1894.

Mid-Continent is much more than just a train ride. Our Coach Sheds are filled with restored wooden passenger cars, freight cars and displays from the Golden Era of Railroading. There you will find examples of Mid-Continent’s nationally-renowned wood railcar restorations such as the Badger #2 “Fish Car”, the exquisite Art Nouveau-motif of the Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western #63, the 1903-built Copper Range coach #60. In our outdoor display yard, you can inspect century-old steam locomotives up-close, including Copper Range locomotive #29, Soo Line #2645 and Kewaunee Green Bay & Western #49. In all, there are over 40 train cars and locomotives on prominent display with many more awaiting restoration.

A free self-guided tour pamphlet is available from the depot ticket office.

What to Know

• Museum grounds are open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on days of operation.
• All trains are powered by diesel locomotives.
• Seating is not assigned.
• Coach Trains are not climate-controlled. Windows can be individually opened for ventilation.
• Wheelchair lift available for Coach seating. Access to some train seating areas may require the use of a transfer chair (provided).
• Food is not available nor permitted on Coach Trains, except for water and infant formula.