Tweetsie has been entertaining families between Boone and Blowing Rock since 1957, and it still runs on steam. The heart of the park is a three-mile, roughly 20-minute train ride through the hills, complete with Wild West skits along the way. Engine No. 190, the Yukon Queen, is the one pulling the coaches right now while No. 12 is being restored.
One ticket covers unlimited train rides, live shows, the Deer Park Zoo, classic amusement rides and gold panning, so it’s easy to fill a whole day. Parking is free.
Good to know: Tweetsie is seasonal. It opens on weekends from April, runs five days a week through the summer (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), then goes back to weekends until early November. In the fall, the Ghost Train runs on Friday and Saturday nights, and Tweetsie Christmas lights up select evenings from late November. Buy tickets online, and if you arrive after 3pm you can come back free the next operating day.
