Ride the round-trip Piney Woods Express Steam Excursion for a scenic celebration and receive a beautiful commemorative coin celebrating these milestones and admission to ALL the day’s activities! The excursion will depart from the Palestine Depot at 11:00AM and return at 3:00PM.
Not riding? Gates open for General Admission at 3:00 PM at Palestine Railroad Depot for a day and evening of family fun: games, concessions, beer tent, cornhole tournament with cash prizes, historic equipment displays, face painting, and vendor shopping.
Finish the night with an outdoor concert headlined by KOLBY COOPER, with support from Jordan Nix, Joint Custody, and 79 South.
Purchase your General Admission Ticket today, as this will be a celebration not to be missed!!!
Tickets and info below, reserve your spot today!
General Admission is included in the Train Excursion ticket. Gates for General Admission open at 3pm.
No Entry Fee! But you must have a Train Ticket or a GA ticket to play!
If you purchase an excursion ticket to ride the train departing from PALESTINE at 11:00am and returning at 3:00pm your ticket includes all activities at the PALESTINE DEPOT following your ride. There will not be a separate ticket needed to enter the corn hole tournament or attend the concert or other activities. You will be responsible for any food, beverage or vendor purchases.
Yes! We will be offering a General Admission (GA) ticket for all attractions and events apart from the train excursion. GA gates open at 3:00pm
Pets are prohibited on all train excursions and festivals. Service Animals, as defined by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II and Title III, are allowed on excursions. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT or “COMFORT” animals do NOT have rights under the ADA and will not be permitted on excursions. Service Animals with rights under the ADA are permitted on all coaches.
Yes! Lawn chairs and blankets are permitted for the festival.
No! Coolers, ice chests or outside food will not be permitted at the festival. There will be a variety of food trucks and drink vendors at the festival.
On the train excursion, our concession car will be open, offering snacks and both non-alcoholic drinks and alcoholic drinks during your journey.
General Admission gates open at 3:00pm CST. There will be vintage steam locomotives and equipment set out for an up close and personal viewing and photos. We will have a 9-hole mini golf course, games, face painting, an inflatable maze, food vendors, local vendors and a cash prize corn hole tournament. In addition, there will be a beer garden and a great live music bill! 79 South, Joint Custody, and Jordan Nix will be supporting Anderson County’s own Kolby Cooper!!!
The only requirement for entry into the corn hole tournament is that you either purchase a train ticket for the excursion or a general admission ticket for the celebration that begins after the return of the train at 3:00pm.
Texas State Railroad 50th Birthday Train Ride tickets are refundable with 14 (Fourteen) day notice however a $15 cancellation fee per ticket will be charged. Cancellation and refund requests made within 14 (Fourteen) days of the departure date will NOT be refunded. This includes tickets purchased within 14 (Fourteen) days of the event.
No. GA tickets are not refunded.
No. Parking is free
Most vendors will accept credit card transactions; however, you may want to bring cash in the event credit or debit cards aren’t accepted.
THERE IS NO ATM ONSITE.
ADA-Compliant Car Available– Please contact our Reservations Desk directly at 855-632-7729.
A $3.00 Historical Preservation Fee will be added to the individual ticket rate at checkout. This fee goes directly towards, our depots and the railroad and is used to protect, enhance buildings, places and objects of historical and cultural significance.
Please see further details in our FAQ section. This car must be booked by calling our reservations desk directly at 855-632-7729.
Due to inclement weather and for the safety of our guests and crew, all Texas State Railroad train excursions scheduled for Thursday, June 12, Friday, June 13, Saturday, June 14, Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, 2025 have been cancelled.
What this means for you:
Please monitor our website and social media channels for updates on resumed operations. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon, under better skies!
Stay safe, and thank you for your continued support.
The Texas State Railroad Team