DAYTON, Ohio — Since 1950, Carillon Historical Park has been sharing stories of how Dayton changed the world.

On any given day throughout the 65-acre campus, you’ll find tour guides dressed in period costumes, exhibits showcasing life in Southwest Ohio, and for the past year, a special railroad that gives visitors another view of the park.

What You Need To Know

  • The railroad and train ride at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton has been up and running for almost a year.

  • It's a way for visitors to view different parts of the park and take a relaxing ride.

  • Seats are wheelchair accessible and can accommodate more than 100 people at a time.

  • The train runs during normal park hours and costs $5 per rider plus the cost of admission.

It’s a ride you don’t want to miss.

But if you do, don’t worry, another will be along in twenty minutes.

“Welcome aboard! Wherever you want to sit, we’ll open the door for ya,” said train engineer Mike Griffieth.

“I’m the train conductor, so I’m the one who seats them where they want to sit and we enjoy having their story told while we tell them our story,” added conductor Mark Horwitz.

Park President and CEO Brady Kress has dedicated the past twenty years to Carillon Historical Park.

“The train itself is a full-sized reproduction of a small model that our founder Edward A. Deeds had created in 1953,” he said.

The train provides different views of the park that guests haven’t been able to see for 70 years.

“What’s nice about the entire railroad is that we’ve been able to create a mile loop around the historic campus and provide these sort of grand circle tour of Carillon Park for the first time. They’re pleasantly surprised when they see a full-sized train that can carry 120 people. You can bring the whole family in here. It’s wheelchair accessible,” said Kress.

Over its first year, it’s been a good ride.

“It’s very popular, very well-received. Certainly, spring break week was really popular for us. Over this past Christmas, we have a five-week Carillon Christmas celebration. We’re open every night. We had over 27,000 riders during that event,” Kress said.

For Kress, it’s another way to share stories of Dayton and its place in history.

“We don’t want people to leave without knowing what a fantastic region this is in Ohio and how we changed so many things around the world from right here in Dayton,” he said.

Carillon Historical Park is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-5 p.m..

Train rides are $5 plus the price of admission.