Silverwood Steam Engine Train in Athol, Idaho
Outdoor rail parkTrain ridesRuns on the theme park's seasonal calendar, roughly May to October
Silverwood's Steam Engine Train runs behind No. 7, a 1915 Porter steam locomotive that has carried riders on a 3.2-mile loop through the park and the north Idaho woods since the park opened in 1988.
- 1915 Porter steam locomotive
- Engine No. 7
- 3.2-mile loop through the woods
- Running since 1988
- Included with park admission
- Open to all riders
Silverwood Steam Engine Train at a glance
- Hours
- Seasonal on the park's operating calendar; check daily hours on the Silverwood website
- Admission
- Train included with park admission; ages 2 and under free; prices vary by season and day
- Train rides
- Steam train loop of 3.2 miles, included with admission on park operating days
- Seasonal events
- Silverwood Anniversary (May), Kids' Weekend, Grandparents Weekend, Community Appreciation weekends, Scarywood (October)
- Plan for
- About 30 minutes for the train; a full day for the park
- Best for
- Families with young kids and steam fans visiting north Idaho
- Best ages
- All ages, especially 2 to 8
- Accessibility
- The park posts an accessibility page online; check it before you go.
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Silverwood Steam Engine Train? 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 Athol.
Rally Takes the Train
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A real steam train at the heart of a theme park
Silverwood Theme Park opened near Athol, in north Idaho, on June 20, 1988, about 47 miles from Spokane on US 95 near Coeur d'Alene. In those first days the park was modest: a small group of carnival rides, a Main Street lined with shops and places to eat, and an authentic steam train. The train was part of Silverwood's identity from the start, and it has been running since that first season.
The locomotive is Engine No. 7, built by Porter in 1915. Rail fans describe it as a 2-6-2, and it runs on narrow gauge track, pulling open cars on a 3.2-mile route around the park and out into the surrounding forest. It is not a museum piece on a short spur: it is a working steam engine that carries passengers every operating day of the season.
Silverwood has since grown into what it calls the Northwest's largest theme park, with more than 70 rides, slides, shows and attractions, four roller coasters and the Boulder Beach water park. Through all of that growth the steam train has stayed, a 1915 machine still giving rides more than a century after it left the builder's shop.
Main Street, the back woods and a holdup
The train boards from Main Street, near the carousel that greets most visitors as they enter. From there No. 7 takes you around the park and into the back woods at a top speed of about 10 miles per hour, a gentle pace that lets small children watch the trees and the engine up ahead. The park rates the ride low intensity and open to all riders, so there is no height requirement.
Along the way, the park warns, these parts have been known to see the occasional train robber, and riders encounter a comic holdup staged in the woods. It is a short, playful bit of Old West theater rather than a scare. Back on Main Street, the carousel and shops are steps away, and over in Country Carnival the Antique Cars let kids take the wheel of a vintage-style car, which keeps the old-time transportation theme going.
Don’t miss
- Engine No. 7The 1915 Porter steam locomotive has pulled Silverwood's train since the park opened in 1988.
- The train robberyA staged holdup in the back woods turns the ride into a little Western show for kids.
- The back woods stretchThe 3.2-mile loop leaves the midway behind and runs through north Idaho forest.
- Main Street station areaThis is where you board and the best spot to watch the steam engine up close between runs.
- Antique CarsA low intensity ride in Country Carnival where kids can steer a vintage-style car, a good pairing with the train.
Gentle enough for toddlers, with a robbery for the big kids
The Steam Engine Train is rated low intensity and open to all riders, so it is one of the rides the whole family can take together, from babies on a lap to grandparents. The slow speed, the chuff of the engine and the pretend robbers make it a favorite with preschoolers and early grade schoolers. Little ones who are too short for bigger rides can also find the carousel, Kiddie Wheel, Frog Hopper and the Climbing Trees and Polliwog Park in Critter Camp.
The park posts a height guide online, which is worth checking before you go so kids know which rides they can do. The park is mostly outdoors, so plan for sun and summer heat.
Plan your visit: tips for Silverwood Steam Engine Train
- There is no separate train ticket; the ride comes with general admission.
- Online tickets have been priced lower than gate tickets.
- Ride the train early, then head to Critter Camp for little-kid rides.
- Kids' Weekend has offered free admission for ages 3 to 7.
- Groups of 15 or more can contact group sales for discounts.
Silverwood fills its calendar with family weekends, from the May anniversary and Kids' Weekend to Grandparents Weekend in September, and in October the park turns into Scarywood. The park does not say on its train page which rides run during Scarywood, so ask before you plan around the steam train. For more fall ideas, see our list of Halloween train rides in Idaho.
Keeping a 1915 engine in steam
Silverwood is a privately run theme park, and the steam train is operated as one of its rides. Families support the train simply by visiting and riding, and the park also runs community programs, such as Silverwood Read 2 Ride and a donation request program, listed on its website.
Pair the steam train with north Idaho rail history
The Historic Sandpoint Train Depot is about 24 miles north, and the Spokane Inland Empire Railroad Historical Society is about 40 miles west. Heading east, the Wallace Depot Museum is about 49 miles away. See every train museum in Idaho to plan more.
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
A loop that runs out of the sunny park and into the shady back woods sounds a lot like the tunnel in our book, where everything goes dark for a moment and then there's a big bright light and happy cheers. Rally holds still between Mom and Dad until the light comes back. My mom imagined that moment years ago, before she died in 2021. Kids who love it can color the scene on our coloring pages.
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 Idaho: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Idaho
- Halloween train rides in Idaho
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Silverwood Steam Engine Train?
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
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Silverwood Steam Engine Train: 20 family questions
Does Silverwood Theme Park have a steam train?
Yes. Silverwood's Steam Engine Train is pulled by a real steam locomotive, Engine No. 7, built by Porter in 1915. It carries riders on a 3.2-mile loop around the park and through the back woods, and it has been part of Silverwood since the park opened in 1988.
How old is the Silverwood steam engine?
The locomotive was built in 1915 by Porter, making it more than a century old. Rail fans describe it as a 2-6-2 steam engine, and the park still runs it as a working ride for passengers on its 3.2-mile narrow gauge route.
Is the Silverwood train ride included with admission?
Yes. There is no separate train ticket. The Steam Engine Train is included with general admission to Silverwood Theme Park, so once you are in the park you can ride as often as lines and the schedule allow.
How much are Silverwood tickets?
Silverwood prices change by season, day and whether you buy online or at the gate, with separate rates for ages 8 to 64, youth 3 to 7 and seniors 65 and up. Children 2 and younger are free. Check silverwoodthemepark.com for current prices, since online tickets have typically cost less than gate tickets.
How long is the Silverwood train ride?
The track is 3.2 miles long and the train travels at a top speed of about 10 miles per hour, so the loop is a relaxed ride rather than a quick spin. It circles the park and heads out into the back woods before returning to Main Street.
Where do you board the Silverwood steam train?
The Steam Engine Train is in the Main Street area of the park, near the carousel that most guests see first after entering. Check the park map, available online and at the park, for the exact station location.
What happens on the Silverwood train ride?
Riders travel around the park and into the woods behind No. 7, and along the way they meet a staged train robbery, a lighthearted bit of Old West fun. The park says those parts have been known to see the occasional train robber, so tell kids to watch for bandits.
Is the Silverwood train robbery scary for little kids?
It is meant as playful theater, and the ride itself is rated low intensity for all riders. Very young or sensitive children may be surprised by the actors, so it helps to tell them in advance that the robbers are part of the show.
Is there a height requirement for the Silverwood steam train?
No. The park lists the Steam Engine Train as open to all riders, with no minimum height. Silverwood posts a full height guide on its website for other rides, which is useful for planning a day with young children.
What are Silverwood's hours and season?
Silverwood runs seasonally, generally with a spring season starting in May, a summer season through early September, fall weekends in September and Scarywood in October. Daily hours change through the year, so check the operational calendar on the park's website before you go.
Where is Silverwood Theme Park?
Silverwood is at 27843 N Hwy 95 in Athol, Idaho 83801, in north Idaho near Coeur d'Alene and about 47 miles from Spokane, Washington. The park website has directions and parking information on its park info pages.
Is Silverwood good for toddlers?
Yes. Besides the all-ages steam train, Critter Camp has the Climbing Trees, Kiddie Wheel, Frog Hopper and Polliwog Park, and Main Street has the carousel. Some rides need a minimum height or an adult along, so check the park's height guide first.
Does the Silverwood train run during Scarywood?
Scarywood is Silverwood's October Halloween event, but the park's train page does not say whether the Steam Engine Train runs during it. Call (208) 683-3400 or check the Scarywood ride list before your visit if the train is a must for your family.
Can groups get discounts at Silverwood?
Yes. Silverwood offers group tickets, group picnics and school outings for groups from 15 to 1,500 people, and it publishes a sales kit online. Group sales is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, at (208) 216-4300 or groups@silverwoodthemepark.com.
Are there free days for kids or grandparents at Silverwood?
The park has run promotions such as Kids' Weekend, when children ages 3 to 7 got in free, and Grandparents Weekend in September, when a grandparent could get in free under the posted terms. Dates and rules change each year, so check the park's events page before you plan around a deal.
Is Silverwood wheelchair accessible?
Silverwood posts an accessibility page and offers interpreter information on its website. Ride access rules vary, so check the accessibility page or call (208) 683-3400 to ask about boarding the Steam Engine Train with a wheelchair or mobility device.
How long should I spend at Silverwood?
Allow about half an hour for the steam train itself, including the wait. The whole park, with more than 70 rides, slides, shows and attractions plus the Boulder Beach water park, easily fills a full day, and the park sells multi-day tickets.
Is the Silverwood train a narrow gauge railroad?
Yes. The Silverwood railroad is described as a narrow gauge steam railroad, using track narrower than mainline railroads. The 1915 Porter locomotive and its open cars run on that narrow gauge line around the park.
How do I contact Silverwood Theme Park?
Call (208) 683-3400 or email customerservice@silverwoodthemepark.com for general questions about tickets, hours and rides. Group and season pass questions go to groups@silverwoodthemepark.com. The mailing address is 27843 N Hwy 95, Athol, ID 83801, and the website has a contact page with more addresses.
What train museums are near Silverwood?
The Historic Sandpoint Train Depot is about 24 miles north, the Spokane Inland Empire Railroad Historical Society is about 40 miles away, and the Wallace Depot Museum, in a 1901 Northern Pacific depot, is about 49 miles east. The Inland Northwest Rail Museum in Reardan is about 58 miles off.
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