Enjoy all the comforts of roam aboard our 100-mile heritage railroad, linking Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio!

The Indiana Rail Experience preserves and makes railroad history with family-friendly train rides, all-day excursions, themed events, and 21-and-over occasions that feature mid-century passenger trains and historic locomotives. Enjoy accommodations in our vintage first-class cars or charter a train for your very own adventure.

Join our mailing list to get first access to events and climb aboard!

ALL AGES EXPERIENCES

Book a trip aboard our Ice Cream Trains, Picnic Trains, Steam Excursions, Fall Color Trains, or upcoming Christmas Trains

2025 Schedule

View our 2025 timetable and join our mailing list for ticketing reminders!

TOUR OUR TRAIN

Visit our vintage train set and historic locomotives and find a seat for your next adventure.

VOLUNTEER

We're welcoming new car hosts and train crew members to help us preserve and make railroad history.

DONATE OR SPONSOR

Tax deductible gifts support our non-profit community outreach and preservation work

EXPERIENCES, EVENTS, AND EXCURSIONS

Click on an event below to learn more or book tickets.

Charter Your Own Train

Reserve a private passenger car or charter a train set for a company retreat, party, special occasion, weddings or field trip.

Tri-State Steam Excursion

June 14th, June 15th

Father’s Day Weekend

All-day steam excursion between Edon, Ohio, and Michigan on Father's Day Weekend.

Indiana Ice Cream Train

May 23–25, June 28-29, July 4-6, and special events in August

Beat the heat and enjoy complimentary ice cream from Scoops Ice Cream on a train ride through the Indiana countryside featuring coach seats, table seats for families, and lounge seats reserved exclusively for adults

Wine & Whiskey Train

July 12

Revel in a summer evening train ride with appetizers, the spirit of your choice, and enjoy coach, first class tickets, a private car for groups, and our cigar car.

Picnic Train

June 28th, 29th, August 10th, 16th

Pack a picnic basket, bring the family, and invite your friends for a summertime outing aboard a vintage, diesel-powered train during the evening or afternoon.

Steam & Steel Motorcycle Ramble

Coming Soon

Join Janus Motorcycles for a special summer group ride, guest speakers, vintage vehicle show, whiskey and beer tasting, live music, photo shoot and steam excursion in Pleasant Lake.

Throttle Time

May 26th, June 12th, June 13th, July 11th, 12th, 13th

Step into the cab of a historic steam or diesel locomotive and become an engineer or fireman for a 45-minute session while you operate the locomotive over the railroad.

Indiana Railroad Camp

July 28, July 29

Immersive summer camp for high school age students ages 13-17.

Cigar Train with Rocky Patel

October 4th

Diesel-powered cigar train featuring cigars, drinks, lunch, and more! Departing Pleasant Lake, Indiana.

Brunch Train

October 5th – Coming Soon

Coming soon

Pleasant Lake Station

Our Route

Learn the heritage of the 100-mile heritage railroad our trains travel over.

Bike Train

August 16th

History cycles back for a diesel-powered train ride from Pleasant Lake, Indiana to Fremont, Indiana, and a bike ride return for a gathering at the historic Pleasant Lake depot.

Pullman Golf Outing

September 21

Join the Norfolk and Western Business Car 300 Preservation Society at the Zollner Golf Course for a charity fundraiser and 2-hour train ride and luncheon to support a special rail preservation effort.

Fall Color Steam Special

October 17th, 18th, 19th

All-day steam-powered fall color excursions in Indiana and Michigan departing Pleasant Lake, Indiana. Tickets start at $119.00.

Autumn Limited

October 24th, 25th, 26th

2.5 hour, diesel-powered train rides departing Pleasant Lake, Indiana, for Reading, Michigan. Tickets start at $45.00.

Christmas Caboose

November 21–23, 29–30

20-minute train rides with Santa about his Christmas caboose, departing New Haven, Indiana.

Indiana Christmas Train

December 5–7th, 12–14, 19–22

90-minute diesel-powered Christmas trains departing Pleasant Lake, Indiana. Tickets start at $35.00 for children and $45.00 for adults. Family packages, first-class tickets, private suites, and private cars are also available.

NOW DEPARTING

Our excursions depart various stations throughout the Tri-State region

In 2023, we acquired the historic Lake Shore & Michigan Southern station in Pleasant Lake, Indiana. This structure is currently under construction as we develop our Pleasant Lake campus. Many of our trips depart Pleasant Lake, Angola, Edon, Ohio, and Hillsdale, Michigan, so be sure to check your ticketing and boarding information.

Our historic station is located at
1469 West Main Street,
Pleasant Lake, Indiana

Please consult the specific ticket and event details for parking and boarding information.

Northeast Indiana's Newest Attraction

The Indiana Rail Experience

At the turn of the 20th Century, Northeast, Indiana was powered by over a dozen railroads and interurban lines. Our communities were connected to every major city in the nation by high speed passenger trains and the revered steam locomotive. Very few lives were untouched by the rhythm of the rail.

The Indiana Rail Experience is a celebration of this remarkable history made possible through a special partnership with the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and the Indiana Northeastern Railroad.

YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE HAS ARRIVED