Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway, Arkansas
Heritage railroad with a museumTrain rides2026 season April 18 to October 31
The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway runs narrated excursions and lunch and dinner trains over the restored Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad, from a historic depot yard with a working turntable and stationary steam locomotives.
- Founded in 1981 by the Dortch family
- Hour-long narrated excursion
- Eurekan Dining Car lunch and dinner
- Working turntable and end-of-line wye
- Stationary steam locomotive exhibits
- Free parking across the street
Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway at a glance
- Hours
- Depot opens 9:30 am on operating days: Saturdays from April 18; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday May 9 to October 31 (2026)
- Admission
- Excursion: adults $21.42, ages 4 to 10 $13.26, under 4 free, tax included (2026)
- Train rides
- Narrated 4 1/2 mile, one-hour excursion; lunch and dinner trains in the Eurekan Dining Car
- Seasonal events
- Memorial Day Sunday run, Labor Day Sunday run
- Plan for
- About 1.5 to 2 hours
- Best for
- Families with young kids and couples wanting a dinner train
- Best ages
- Ages 2 to 10
- Parking
- Free parking across the street from the depot
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- Address299 North Main Street (Highway 23 North), Eureka Springs, AR 72632(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(479) 253-9623
- Emailreservations@esnarailway.com
- Websiteesnarailway.com(opens in a new tab)
Follow Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Eureka Springs.
Rally Takes the Train
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A family railroad on the old Missouri and North Arkansas line
The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway was started in 1981 by Robert Dortch, Jr. and his wife Mary Jane, who set out to bring passenger trains back to this Ozark resort town. It is a privately owned tourist railway rather than a nonprofit museum, and it has kept a depot, a yard and a small fleet running for decades.
The trains run on a restored stretch of the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad, the line whose name the railway borrows, heading north from the depot to a spot called Junction and back. The heart of the operation is a 1940-era diesel locomotive, while steam locomotives stand on display in the yard as reminders of the earlier era.
Two things set the place apart from a simple ride. One is the turntable: visitors can watch it swing the engine around, then learn how the end-of-the-line wye does the same job in a different way. The other is the Eurekan Dining Car, which serves lunch and dinner on the move in the style of the 1920s, so a meal comes with the clickety-clack of the rails.
Depot, yard, turntable and the ride to Junction
The depot sits at 299 North Main Street (Highway 23 North), at Hillside, about a mile north of the Grand Central Hotel. Before or after a ride, walk the railway yard to see the stationary steam locomotive exhibits and other equipment, and time it to catch the turntable spinning the diesel around. The Baggage Room Gift Shop sells railroad gifts, snacks and drinks.
The excursion is narrated by the conductor and covers about 4 1/2 miles in roughly an hour, out to Junction and back to the depot. No meal comes with the excursion, so families often pick up a snack in the gift shop first. The lunch and dinner trains use the Eurekan Dining Car and run a little over an hour.
Don’t miss
- The turntableA working turntable spins the locomotive around in the yard, one of the best things for kids to watch before boarding.
- The end-of-the-line wyeThe railway explains how a locomotive can be turned on a wye of track, a second way to reverse a train.
- The 1940-era dieselThe locomotive that pulls the trains, seen in operation every running day.
- Eurekan Dining CarLunch and dinner on rails, served with a 1920s flavor while the train rolls.
- Stationary steam locomotivesSteam engines on display in the yard, a reminder of how the line was first worked.
An hour on the rails, with a turntable show
An hour-long ride is a manageable length for most young kids, and the conductor's narration keeps it moving. Children under 4 ride free, and the turntable and steam engines give kids a reason to explore before the whistle. One local listing notes separate trips for children, so ask about kid-focused runs when you book.
Bring or buy snacks, since the excursion has no meal service, and keep in mind April trains run on Saturdays only.
Plan your visit: tips for Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway
- Buy tickets online for specific train times; availability updates month to month.
- Trolley Stop #71 is at the depot if you are using the Eureka Springs trolley.
- Extra Sunday runs on Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.
- Prices, schedules and menus can change without notice, so check before you go.
A family-built railway
Robert Dortch, Jr. and Mary Jane Dortch founded the railway in 1981, and it runs today as a privately owned tourist line. The best ways to support it are to ride, book the dining car for a special occasion and shop in the Baggage Room Gift Shop.
More rides around the Ozarks
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursions in Springdale are about 27 miles away, and the Branson Scenic Railway is about 33 miles north. Rail fans can add the Frisco Railroad Museum in Springfield, about 62 miles. See Arkansas train museums and rides for the full list.
- Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursion operationsSpringdale, AR · about 27 mi
- Branson Scenic RailwayBranson, MO · about 33 mi
- Frisco Railroad MuseumSpringfield, MO · about 62 mi
- Fort Smith Trolley MuseumFort Smith, AR · about 81 mi
- Tulsa Route 66 Historical Village railroad collectionTulsa, OK · about 127 mi
- Missouri Pacific Depot MuseumNewport, AR · about 148 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
The Eurekan Dining Car makes me think of the moment in our book when Rally presses his nose to an arched window, watches the ocean slide by and says hello to a white bird. Here the view is Ozark hills instead of surf, but the feeling is the same: a meal, a window seat and nowhere to be. Our train books for toddlers list has more window-seat stories.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in Arkansas: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Arkansas
- Halloween train rides in Arkansas
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
- Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway official website(opens in a new tab)
- Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway: 20 rider questions
How much are Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway tickets?
As of October 2026, excursion tickets are $21.42 for adults and $13.26 for children ages 4 to 10, with tax included. Children under 4 ride free. Lunch and dinner train prices are listed separately on esnarailway.com, and the railway notes that prices, schedules and menus can change without notice.
Where do I buy Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway tickets?
Tickets are sold online through the Buy Tickets button on esnarailway.com, where you pick a specific train time, and by phone at (479) 253-9623. Train availability updates month to month, so book early for weekends and the dining car. You can also buy at the depot on operating days if seats remain.
When does the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway run?
The 2026 season opened Saturday, April 18. In April trains run on Saturdays only. From May through October 31, trains run Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and the depot opens at 9:30 am. Extra Sunday runs were scheduled for Memorial Day weekend (May 24) and Labor Day weekend (September 6).
Where is the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway depot?
The depot is at 299 North Main Street (Highway 23 North), at the intersection of North Main and Hillside in Eureka Springs, Arkansas 72632. It is about a mile north of the Grand Central Hotel. Free parking is across the street, and the depot is Trolley Stop #71 on the town trolley.
Does the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway have a dinner train?
Yes. The Eurekan Dining Car runs both a lunch train and a dinner train, serving specially prepared meals in a 1920s style while the train rolls. Each dining trip lasts a little over an hour. Menus and prices are posted on the railway's Dinner Train and Lunch Train pages, and reservations are recommended.
How long is the Eureka Springs train ride?
The narrated excursion lasts about an hour and covers roughly 4 1/2 miles, running along the restored Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad to Junction, Arkansas and back to the depot. The lunch and dinner trains run a little longer than an hour. Add time before boarding to watch the turntable and see the yard.
What is the route of the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway?
Trains leave the depot on North Main Street and follow restored Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad track to a point called Junction, then return. At the far end, a wye lets crews turn equipment, and back at the depot a working turntable spins the locomotive. The conductor narrates the trip.
Is the Eureka Springs train a steam train?
The trains are pulled by a 1940-era diesel locomotive. Steam locomotives are part of the railway's stationary exhibits in the yard, where you can see them up close before or after your ride. If seeing steam is the goal, plan a few minutes to walk the yard.
Who owns the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway?
The railway was established in 1981 by the late Robert Dortch, Jr. and his wife Mary Jane, and it operates as a for-profit passenger tourist railway. For questions about the business, charters or reservations, call (479) 253-9623 or email reservations@esnarailway.com.
Is the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway good for kids?
Yes. The one-hour excursion is a good length for young riders, children under 4 ride free, and the turntable and steam locomotives give kids plenty to look at before boarding. A local listing mentions separate trips for children, so ask when you book. Snacks and drinks are sold in the gift shop.
Is food served on the Eureka Springs excursion train?
No meal comes with the regular excursion, but snacks and drinks can be bought in the Baggage Room Gift Shop before you board. If you want a meal on the train, book the lunch or dinner train in the Eurekan Dining Car instead, which serves food during the ride.
What is the turntable at the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway?
The railway has an authentic working turntable in its yard, and visitors can watch it turn the locomotive around. Staff also explain how the end-of-the-line wye turns an engine another way. It is a favorite moment for kids and a good reason to arrive a little before your train.
Where can I see Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway photos?
The railway posts photos of its trains, dining car and yard on its Facebook page, and its website shows the excursion, lunch and dinner trains. On your visit, the turntable and the stationary steam locomotives make the best photo spots, along with the diesel as it moves through the yard.
What do Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway reviews say?
Visitors tend to mention the friendly conductor narration, the dining car meal as a special occasion outing, and watching the turntable. Some note the ride is short and relaxed rather than a long scenic trip, which suits young kids. Check the railway's Facebook page for current comments and updates.
Does the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway run on Sundays?
Usually not. Regular trains run on Saturdays in April and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from May through October. In 2026 the railway added Sunday runs on May 24 for Memorial Day weekend and September 6 for Labor Day weekend. Check the schedule online for any other changes.
Is there parking at the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway?
Yes, free parking is available across the street from the depot at 299 North Main Street. If you are staying downtown, the Eureka Springs trolley stops at the depot as Trolley Stop #71, which saves hunting for a spot on busy weekends.
Does the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway have a gift shop?
Yes. The Baggage Room Gift Shop at the depot sells railroad-themed gifts plus snacks and drinks for the ride. It opens with the depot at 9:30 am on operating days, so you can browse while you wait for your train.
Can I book the Eureka Springs train for a group or special occasion?
The dining car is a popular choice for birthdays and anniversaries, and groups can ride the excursion. Group rates and private charters are not spelled out online, so call (479) 253-9623 or email reservations@esnarailway.com well ahead of your date to ask what is possible.
Is the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway open in winter?
No. The railway runs a seasonal schedule, and in 2026 it operated from April 18 through October 31. Holiday trains are not listed on its website. Watch the railway's Facebook page and website early in the year for the next season's opening date.
What train rides are near Eureka Springs?
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursions in Springdale are about 27 miles away and the Branson Scenic Railway about 33 miles. The Frisco Railroad Museum in Springfield, Missouri is about 62 miles, and the Fort Smith Trolley Museum, with its downtown streetcar ride, is about 81 miles south.
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