Do you have a kid in Columbia, SC who is obsessed with trains?
Whether they want to watch a real freight train rumble by, drive a model train themselves, ride the rails, or unwrap presents from Santa aboard a real locomotive, the Midlands has more train fun than you might expect. Get aboard and check out our list of the best places to have fun with trains near Columbia, SC!
This article features where to:
Where to Watch Real Trains Go By (Or See Real Train Things)
Earlewood Park
Tucked into the Earlewood neighborhood just north of downtown, Earlewood Park sits right where Recreation Drive dips under a train trestle bridge crossing North Main Street. Let the kids burn off energy at the playground, disc golf course, or walking trails, and keep an eye (and an ear!) out for a train rumbling overhead.
The Blossom Street Train Trestle in Five Points
Right in the heart of Five Points, the Blossom Street Train Trestle has been dressed up with fresh paint and landscaping, making it a charming (and still active) spot to pause and watch for a train while you’re grabbing ice cream or browsing the shops nearby.
The Vista Greenway Rail Tunnel
Near Finlay Park in the Vista, the Vista Greenway runs through a 100-year-old former railroad tunnel that stretches about 400 feet under Lincoln Street. It’s a fun, easy walk or bike ride for kids who love imagining the trains that once rolled through, and it connects right up to Finlay Park’s playground and splash pad for more fun afterward.
Where to See Model Trains
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If your kid loves the tiny details of a miniature train chugging through a miniature town, Columbia has two fantastic (and free!) spots to explore.
AMROC: Associated Model Railroads of Columbia is FREE
Located directly across from the Governor’s Mansion, AMROC opens its doors to the public completely FREE every Thursday evening (except the first Thursday of the month) starting at 7 pm. We checked it out for you, and it was SO fun.
Members of this model train club are eager to show off their large “G Scale” and tiny “N Scale” trains, answer questions, and even let kids take the throttle to drive a train themselves, blow the whistle, and make steam appear! AMROC also hosts seasonal events like Track or Treat in October and a Christmas Show in December.
Read our full review of AMROC for all the details.
Associated Model Railroad of Columbia 1800 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC
South Carolina State Museum
The South Carolina State Museum has plenty for train-loving kids on its third floor. There you’ll find a full-size replica of the Best Friend of Charleston, complete with its tender and a passenger car labeled “South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company,” set against the museum’s original brick wall. This was the first-ever passenger train in America, so it comes with quite a bit of history to explore.
Right nearby is a detailed model railroad diorama depicting a 1920s South Carolina rail town, complete with a rail yard, factory buildings, and mountains in the background. The same floor includes other transportation history exhibits, a schoolhouse, and a general store, so plan to spend some time here.
Read our full review of the South Carolina State Museum to plan your visit.
South Carolina State Museum 301 Gervais St, Columbia, SC 29214
Where to Ride a Real Train
Spots & Stripes Railroad at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
While you’re visiting the animals at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, swing by the wooded area near the Riverbanks Farm for the Spots & Stripes Railroad, a passenger train ride that’s a hit with younger kids. Even if you skip the ride, it’s fun to stop and watch the little train make its way around the tracks. Riding requires Explore More credits (or an Explorer membership with unlimited ride credits), which can be purchased throughout the zoo.
South Carolina Railroad Museum
Just a short drive from Columbia in Winnsboro, SC, the South Carolina Railroad Museum offers a scenic, roughly hour-long train excursion along the Rockton, Rion and Western Railroad, with seating options ranging from a coach seat to an open-air caboose car. The train doesn’t get going much faster than about 15 mph, so kids get a great, unhurried look at the surrounding countryside.
Museum admission itself is free, and all the museum’s train cars, whether running or resting, are recognized historic artifacts on the National Register of Historic Places. Check the museum’s calendar for regular excursions and special events throughout the year.
South Carolina Railroad Museum 110 Industrial Park Rd, Winnsboro, SC 29180 803-635-9893
Trains Around the Holidays
The South Carolina Railroad Museum in Winnsboro truly shines during the fall and winter holidays, offering two can’t-miss seasonal train rides.
Pumpkin Patch Express
Each October, families can board the Pumpkin Patch Express for a 3-mile scenic ride out to a local pumpkin patch. Kids 12 and under get to pick out and decorate their own pumpkin, plus enjoy festive games, face painting, a maze, and food vendors before re-boarding for the ride back.
Ticket prices range from $17 for a coach seat up to $120 for a caboose compartment, and children under 2 ride free.
Read our full Pumpkin Patch Express review for all the details.
Santa’s North Pole Express
Come December, Santa’s North Pole Express turns the museum into a full-blown winter wonderland. Santa himself boards the train and visits with every child car by car, ringing in the holidays with cookies, popcorn snowballs, and a stop at the museum’s gift shop, where kids can play with a large wooden toy train set while you shop.
Tickets are $17 per person for ages 3 and up.
Read our full Santa’s North Pole Express review before you go.
AMROC’s Seasonal Events
Don’t forget that AMROC also gets in on the holiday fun with a Track or Treat event in October and a Christmas Show in December, both great free ways to see the model trains dressed up for the season.
Fireflies Express at Segra Park
Downtown at Segra Park, the Columbia Fireflies’ Fireflies Holiday Lights event features the Fireflies Express, a trackless train that loops around the concourse through more than a million twinkling lights.
The ride loads near the giant Christmas tree in center-left field, and runs $3 per rider (children under 4 must ride with an adult, and infants under 1 ride free with a paid adult).
It runs the same hours as the lights, typically 6–9 pm nightly from late November through early January, and there’s an ADA-accessible car available.
Learn more about the Fireflies Holiday Lights in our review!
Train-Themed Places to Eat
California Dreaming at Historic Union Station
Housed inside Columbia’s historic 1902 Union Station, California Dreaming has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the old rail tracks stretching from the inactive platform to the main terminal, so train-loving kids can spot the history all around them while you eat.
Railroad BBQ
True to its name, Railroad BBQ leans into a train theme, right down to a menu item called “The Caboose.” It’s a great, casual stop for barbecue after a morning of watching or riding trains around town.
Blue Marlin
Just a block from the Vista Greenway rail tunnel, Blue Marlin is a Lowcountry seafood restaurant housed inside the fully restored 1904 Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger depot, which served rail passengers until the early 1990s, when the downtown tracks were rerouted and removed. Train-loving kids (and their parents) will get a kick out of eating inside a real historic train station, original platform and all.
A note for planning: this is an upscale, sit-down dinner spot rather than a casual kids’ meal. Entrées mostly run in the $20s to $30s (think hand-cut ribeye, crab cakes, and fresh seafood plates), the dining room leans elegant with white tablecloths, and it’s busiest in the evenings, so it’s best suited for an older, patient kid or a special-occasion outing rather than a quick weeknight bite. If you want the historic-depot charm without the higher price tag or formality, save Blue Marlin for a birthday dinner or date-night-with-kids treat, and stick to Railroad BBQ or California Dreaming for a more relaxed family meal.
Where does your train-loving kid like to go near Columbia, SC? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for even more train fun? Head to Greenville, SC
Find more trains just a short day trip away in the Kidding Around guide: Where to Take Your Child to See Trains Near Greenville, SC.
For more ideas, check out our full list of things to do in Columbia, SC.
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