My nephew is coming to visit and he LOVES trains. Does anyone know if there is a train anywhere in the area he could ride? I know about the Grapevine train that goes to the Stockyards but that is way too long for a two year old! Does the Dallas or the FW zoo have trains? I am new to the area and would love your help!
Thanks
Hello, Someone may have already responded with this same information. The Ft. Worth zoo does have a short train ride. It is actually separate from the zoo so you pay additional for the ride. It is outside of the zoo entrance. Fun little ride especially for train loving kids!
The Fort Worth zoo is great and has a train that you can ride through the zoo. We walk up the zoo and look at all the animals and then ride the train back to the entrance.
Hey (again) A. -
Ride the TRE (Trinity Rail Express) it goes from Dallas to Fort Worth, it has more stops but goes faster than the one in Grapevine. (We rode the one in Grapevine on a school field trip one day...I was not impressed). It is really funny you see all different things, and believe it or not....just being on the train will be enough to keep the 2 yr olds attention. Something else great about it, since it is a business travlers train they have tables, so on the weekend when it is not that bussy you can get 4 seats around a table so you can have a snack or a book to look at with ease. Check out the TRE website, it has all the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) lines and schedules, as well as the T (the Fort Worth one). A day pass to get on all of the transportation is like $5.50 for adults and the kids are free. They even have lines that go to both Dallas & Fort Worth Zoos so you can do either the train or the monorail at those.
And think about this. Riding the buses is an experience in itself for the little one, but the money you will save, parking alone at both zoos is $5.00. So your train ride has paid for parking, not to mention the gas. Also in Forth Worth is the Water Gardens that has been re-opened, it is neat to walk around, and Dallas has the Dallas World Aquarium. Both Cities offer awesome things to do.
The DART websire also has a day trip planner on there page, with a list of business in Dallas that you get discounts from when you show your ride ticket!. If you have any more questions email me privately. Also check out your local Half-Prices Books for a book in the Travel Section called, Traveling with Kids in Texas. It has all kinds of hidden treaures in it since you are new to the area.
~Mis
A., our daughter is 4 and loves trains as well. Believe it or not, we took her ride to ride the Dart Rail from the Parker Rd in Plano location to City Place, near downtown and back. She loved the ride and looking out at the traffic on the roads and other dart trains travelling in the opposite directions. It was nothing fancy but it was the only train we could find for her to ride that when we can get off when we wanted it and it made her VERY happy.
Carrollton/Farmer's Branch area has a fun amusement park called Sandy Lake Amusement Park. They have lots of fun rides that are suitable for very young children, as well as older ones (separate rides), and they have a cute train that runs along the perimeter of the park. There are other things to do there, as well, and food/drink stands, or a picnic area for you to use with your own picnic food. Click on this link for more info:
The Dallas Zoo has a monorail. The Ft. Worth zoo has a small train ride (and is a much nicer zoo). You can ride the DART for a short ride - just get on at your station, ride to the next stop or two, then get off, look around or get an ice cream, and ride back. Also, most of the malls have a small train ride for about $2 that 2 year olds love. I know Collin Creek and Town East do.
I think DART is going to be your closest option: www.dart.org.
The Dallas zoo has a train that you can ride to look at the animals.
The FW Zoo has a train and it would be just the right length for a 2 yr old. Also, the zoo is wonderful!!! We took our 2 yr old son a couple of months ago and had to practically drag him out! The only thing that saved us is that he was too exhausted to fight much...LOL! He still talks about it nearly everyday. Hope your nephew has a good time and ya'll have a great visit. Welcome to Texas!
There is a little train at Trinity Park in Fort Worth that runs on the weekends. It is a miniature train that my two year olds LOVE b/c it is longer than most rides but not too long. It goes from the park, over the river, through a lot of trees and by the zoo. This isn't the train that is at the zoo. There are stations near the zoo or on the n. side of I-30 near the playground picnic area.
Dallas Zoo has the monorail that goes around parts of the zoo. I would think that Ft. Worth Zoo would, too. There is also a trolley, like the one on Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood, that travels around the CityPlace Rail Station at 75 and Blackburn. Welcome to Dallas! I am fairly new too.
Just outside the zoo is the Forest Park Mini train and my son just loves it. It has limited hours in the colder months, mainly on the weekends, but you can go to their website at http://www.fpmt.us/ and see their hours. It is 45 minutes round trip. It goes 20 mins one way and stops at another train depot to pick up passengers for 5 mins and then heads back. We rode it twice one day and I had to drag my 2 yr old off of it! Have fun!
My young grandsons love to ride the DART rail.
When Travis was 3, he and his Daddy were riding from Plano to downtown Dallas. Travis was enthralled by the sights. He suddenly got excited and and wanted to get off. He recognized landmarks that were close to grandmas house!
Anyhow I think your 2 yr old would like the Dart and as others said you can get off anytime. You can get a Dart map from the internet.
Have fun!!
Ft. Worth Zoo has a train, but I wouldn't ride it unless the weather is nice.
We love riding the train at the Ft. Worth Zoo. My kiddos are now 10 and 11 and they still love to ride the train. We always take a picnic and eat at the Trinity park. Then we head over and ride the train around. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. You will stop on the other side and you can buy popcorn and drinks. It only costs $3 for the adult and either $1 or $2 for the kiddos.
someone may have already mentioned this. But the train at the Stockyards also has a shorter route that does not go all the way to Grapevine. It is about 1 1/2 hrs total
It starts at the stockyards and ends up back there.
Also there is some event with Thomas the Train coming up at the Dallas Railway Museum: http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/
I know the Frisco Heritage Museum has trains, but don't think you can ride on them?
There's a faster train that goes from Centerport Landing on Trinity Blvd (near the airport) to Dallas. You can look up the routes on the DART website. You change trains once and then end up at the West End where you can eat some lunch, walk around and then he'll probably nap on the train ride home.
Have fun!
M.
"Our pediatrician misses us. So does the pharmacist."
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You could take the DART train down to the Dallas zoo! My grandson loves to do that and he was about 2 when we did it the first time.
Have fun!
K.
A.,
We take our kids to the Frank Buck Zoo up in Gainsville a lot over the summer (it's a GREAT zoo for little kids - very small and easy to walk). They have a train there as well. We always go to the zoo and then ride the train when we're finished. www.frankbuckzoo.com
Also, the Fort Worth Zoo (I'm not sure if it is with the Ft. Worth Zoo or a separate attraction) has a super cool train that runs through the city and is great for a 2 year old. It has a halfway point that drops off at a park so you can play and then get back on the train to go back.
We have done the little train ride at Grapevine Mills. It is small -just a loop, but you go around several times. My son is 19 months and loves it. I think it is $3.50 to ride it. They also have some play areas there, and you can buy an all-day pass that lets you do all of them. The mall has a Rainforest Cafe and carousel as well, so there are several kid-friendly things to do.
There is a fun store in the Grapevine Mills mall that sells train stuff, has several train tables up, and a play place. They also had a sign up that said train rides on it, so although it is not exactly what you are hoping for, it might help with something fun to do. The Ft Worth zoo does have a train, as does the Frank Buck Zoo, which we LOVE!! It is great for the younger kids, and it is super cheap! It is a bit of a drive, but seriously, well worth a day trip. I hope you find something fun to do!! And welcome to Texas. I know from experience that Utah to Texas is a big change, but you will love it! Enjoy ~A.~
