PALM DESERT/INDIAN WELLS — National Train Day, a holiday started in 2008, is just around the bend and where better to spend it than at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

The community is welcome to join the celebration at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Train Day festivities include family-friendly activities for all ages, centered around The Living Desert’s 3,300 feet of track at the Garden Railroad. Attendees will enjoy a train-themed treasure hunt and train chats (10 a.m. and 11 a.m.) offering insights to the railroad and train travel. Special trackless train rides around the Zoo and Choo-Choo-churro specials are offered for an additional fee.

The train treasure hunt encourages guests to find the hidden and special features of the train exhibit. All completed train treasure hunts will receive a prize, while supplies last. In addition, a free conductor hat will be given away to those attending, while supplies last.

The Living Desert volunteers maintain more than 3,300 feet of track occupying three quarters of an acre on the zoo’s grounds. The main line travels on 940 feet of track over realistic-looking waterways and past well-known landmarks, including miniaturized reproductions of historic Old Indio, the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore.

National Train Day Event Set at Living DesertWith one full-time staff member and a crew of 25 volunteers, the exhibit is active every day with at least seven trains running continuously at all times.

National Train Day was a holiday started by Amtrak as a method to spread information to the general public about the advantages of railway travel and the history of trains in the United States. It is held each year on a Saturday near May 10, the anniversary of the pounding of the Golden spike in Promontory, Utah, which marked the completion of the
first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.

Train Day is free for members or with paid park admission. For additional information click here or call (760) 346-5694.

About the Living Desert:
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit, accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, ensuring the highest standards of all aspects of animal care, education, conservation, public service, and operations. The Zoo is active in conservation research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the world, as well as in its own community. The Zoo has been a top attraction in the Palm Springs area for nearly 50 years.

The Living Desert is located at 47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260. For more information: (760) 346-5694 or click here.

Image Sources

  • Train at The Living Desert: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
  • Train at Living Desert: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens