If you want to experience a bit of magic, take a ride on a vintage railway. A century ago, a trip like this represented both ordinary life and extraordinary progress. It was a golden era, a time when people dreamed about a future filled with technology, opportunity, and convenience, and a simple stretch of train tracks presented unlimited possibility. It’s still a special ride and a Sauk County museum has your ticket. Just head to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum and enjoy a trip on a vintage train through one of the most scenic areas of Wisconsin. Here’s what’s waiting for you on the train.
The Mid-Continent Railway Museum is located in North Freedom, a village with just 700 people along the Baraboo River. It’s near some of the state’s most popular vacation destinations – the Wisconsin Dells, Baraboo, and Devil’s Lake State Park.
The railway was not originally built as a tourist attraction. It was built as a spur off a Chicago and North Western Railway mainline to service the iron mining industry.
While the railway briefly helped transport ore from the mines, its time as an iron mining railway here was relatively short lived. Water infiltrated the mine shafts, making iron mining expensive and difficult. But, the railway continued to serve quartzite mining operations nearby until 1962.
About 60 years ago, railway enthusiasts in Milwaukee obtained a steam locomotive and other railway cars and reached an agreement with the railway for a venture offer public train rides.
Every summer since, rides have been offered to the public on North Freedom. A small rail yard was gradually built to hold a growing collection of preserved rail equipment.
The ride covers seven miles and it’s a spectacular journey through a valley in the Baraboo Hills. Trains leave from North Freedom, pass through the former mining community of La Rue, and turn around at a rock quarry, returning on the same route. It’s a ride you won’t forget!
Learn more about train rides, ticks and schedules on the Mid-Continent Railway Museum website. If you enjoy riding the rails, here are some more amazing trips in Wisconsin that you can take by train.
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