I booked a first class dome car seat on the Zephyr route. Check-in/boarding: Check in was effortless- the ticket counter was adjacent to front door and clearly marked. I was given a color-coded ticket. While waiting at the museum to board, the restrooms were conveniently located. The boarding process was organized and quick. Service: In the dome car were my two hosts (real-life sisters): "Thelma and Louise" (not their real names, LOL). Both were kind, gracious and funny. They seemed to really enjoy hosting, and being a part of the museum. Food: This was not my main reason for riding, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. They served two beverages (either with or without alcohol), a small charcuterie tray and a heavy, delicious chocolate chip brownie. Lastly, dinner mints - all food/beverages were complementary! It was a delightful way to spend 75 minutes on a Sunday morning! read more

Booked our 10 year anniversary trip to Duluth 6+ months in advance and one of the things we wanted to do was take a train ride. Paid for 2 lake side seats in the dome car and we were excited that this was how we'd begin our anniversary together with views of Duluth. 3 weeks before our trip, NSRR calls and says, "we have a cruise coming in and are needing to make room so we want to offer a free upgrade to you to change your train schedule". They wanted us to change from our 70 minute 11am ride to a 2.5 hour 2:30pm ride. I declined the offer as that would take a majority of the prime part of our day on our anniversary and we had other plans for the day. I also checked that train before I called and the only seats available were scattered seats on the non-lake side of the train. This was not a desirable option. The rude guy on the phone says, "Well alright, if we can't make enough room for the group you'll hear back from my boss". What is that supposed to mean? Also, this "upgrade" had a value of about $5 more than what I already paid for. Let's not call that an upgrade. Fast forward 2 weeks. A week before we travel to Duluth for our anniversary. I get a phone call. They sold our seats and our options are either take the option I already declined, move down to coach seating, or be refunded. Are you kidding me? I called back and the first person was unable to help me and handed the phone off to the rude person I talked to weeks prior and the one who left me the voicemail, "Josh". Said I was calling about my Sept 12th 11am reservation that I am told I no longer have. I said I booked this 6 months ago how could I possibly not have it? He says, "ooh, that sounds like a question for my boss". To which i replied I'd love to talk to your boss once you finish processing my refund. Transfered me to his boss, can't remember his name but it's unimportant because I'm sure that's who will reply to this review to do damage control with some kind of excuse. I asked him why my tickets were available for sale to someone else if they were purchased by me 6 months ago? He said "unfortunately this happens from time to time and we needed to make room for a group". Excuse me? It doesnt need to happen at all, YOU are in charge of the business and sold tickets, those spots were unavailable. Do people sell tickets to football games after they've been sold already? Do people continue to constantly sell airplane tickets months after the plane is full? How come this group wasnt sold the coach seats I was being forced into? I didnt pay for coach seats, I paid for an experience for my wife and I to celebrate an exciting milestone in our marriage. The entire staff I talked to on the phone did not care at all that this was our anniversary plan or that we were upset. The manager said, "can i offer you spots on our dinner train?" No, I dont want to treat my wife to pepperoni pizza on your train for our 10 year anniversary dinner. I clearly couldn't rely on you to keep that reservation anyhow and I'm not trusting you with another anniversary plan. How about offering me the seats I bought when there was still snow outside that you sold to someone in September? I couldn't possibly recommend this business less. I'll be telling anyone I know going to Duluth to not waste their time with this business and I genuinely hope karma comes back to the people who likely had a good laugh with each other after they got off the phone about how upset I was about this. Glad it was funny to you, I could tell by your passive aggressive sarcastic tone on the phone that you couldn't have cared less about how the situation impacted us. Bad business practices. Steer clear and find something else to do while you're in Duluth. If you are on the September 12th 2025 cruise in Duluth and in the 11am train in the dome car, enjoy your seats, North Shore Scenic Railroad ruined our 10 year wedding anniversary plans so you could have them. read more

NICOLE is the most pleasant hostess, please come visit and you will love the scenic exploration! I only wish the experience was longer! read more

What an amazing adventure! This is a great experience if you want to go on a train and have a nice view of the lake. The price point is about where it should be. I suggest having something to eat before jumping on board. I definitely recommend giving it a try read more

So much fun! Loved that our train ticket purchase got us a half off ticket to the museum. My hubby and I enjoyed the ride up the shoreline of Lake Superior, seeing all the wonderful fall colors along the lake. Only wished it was a longer ride. Snacks were very reasonably priced on the ride, too. The museum has so many different types of trains, cars, and train related memorabilia. We loved exploring them, and learning about the engines. Definitely want to try a dinner excursion next time. read more

See all

This was a cool experience! First class tickets come with 2 drinks (can be alcoholic), a 2 skewer charcuterie (salami and cheese) and a very dense big brownie! The view was good from first class and recommend the Duluth zephyr 1.5 hr ride. It has somewhat scenic with the train not going very fast on the first leg and the switch over pretty lengthy. You get some history on a soundtrack playing throughout the car. You will see the lake about once and see people's backyards for the rest. It all thing you can see from the highway. We had only 2 very well behaved kids on our ride. If you like trains and are looking for something to do I would recommend. If you are thinking this is like a European scenic cruise, I would say its not worth it. The museum was interesting and was half under construction when we were there so we accidentally kinda ended up in it by going through the back. The staff was professional and helpful. We departed and arrived back on time. Its a nice way to escape the heat if its a hot day. read more

We have taken this trip several times but I have failed to review. I have taken the short trip which basically travels the rail along the shoreline within city limits. The other trip travels to Two Harbors/Knife River. The train moves at a reason speed and offers many scenic views. This trip we chose to rent the caboose. The caboose is available for groups up to 10 people. With covid19 going on we wanted to limit our exposure even though the railroad had cut the number riding the train in half. Well worth the money spent!! Plenty of seats and the cupola offered spectacular views! read more

See all

This was a funny excursion. Go first class and sit in the dome car, great view and wonderful service. If you can't hear the tour ask for a transcript. read more

I took an hour long ride up and down the north shore in the first class section. The host was so vivacious and sweet. The ride itself was cool and I learned a couple things. The cabin was kinda bougie in a fun, cute way. But good. God. It must have been fifty degrees. One young woman was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and I noticed her blowing into her hands to warm up. I was goosepimpling all over and my nose and ears were icy. A couple people mentioned to the host that they were "looking forward to getting off the train to warm up" and she said "well I like it cold because I'm moving around." So.....as long as the host is comfortable......? It was cold enough to be distracting and I was counting down the minutes until I could get off. It would have otherwise been an enjoyable experience but geez read the room! read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

It was a super fun and promising idea, especially for my train enthusiast 4 year old. We were even okay with $70 for coach since first class was sold out. We immediately headed to the open air cart, which was NOT crowded and had plenty of seating for our family of five, next to the gate with room where my short kiddos could see out and look at the boats and other trains. We were thrilled, because the other cars seemed crowded and we didn't want to be elbow to elbow for the ride. Hence why we picked the open air car from the beginning and settled in for our ride. But... There's little to no staff, paid or otherwise, on this train. They exist only to sell overpriced drinks and snacks. Adults had no issues knocking my 4 and 6 year out of the way for selfies and just to stand there. I remained seated, and other adults had no issues standing directly in front of our actual seats with their behinds inches from our faces. My husband got up from his seat to rescue my children who couldn't move because of grown people pushing them into the iron gates, and people who'd been seated two cars up immediately ran and took his and the kids' seats, digging elbows into our sides. I'm posting this from the train, but am thoroughly unimpressed (and about to have to leave our seat for a new one because they've been taken and quite literally have pushed us off the bench). If you're okay with a cattle train and being forced to either stare at someone's butt or get up and move seats mid-ride, it'd probably be good for you. Not kid friendly at all, because kids are overlooked and abused so grown adults can get the view they want I'll include our $70 views. read more

See all

Our family paid for first class seats. Was a little disappointed that the dome too wasn't done all the way over the top. There were two screaming children next to us, the charcuterie snack box wasn't that great and the views weren't as much of the water as we were expecting. The staff was very friendly and some of the views were nice. We couldn't quite hear all of the information that was shared over the intercom but the ride was pretty nice. read more

Unfortunately, the day we took this trip, the AC was broken and we weren't told this until my parents happened to call the next day. This could've been better handled by announcing prior to boarding that the AC was broken and allowing passengers to rebook their trip or get a refund. There were numerous kids and elderly on the trip that looked downright sick of heat exhaustion and I know my family personally would've chosen to forgo the trip had we known before we were boarding that we had a 2.5 hour trip with no air flow on a 90 degree day. I would say that during the summer, there isn't a whole lot to see besides green trees which is nice, but not too diverse. This would be a much nicer train trip during fall to see the beautiful colored leaves. read more

I have taken this train ride twice. This trip was coach on the steam train. Overall was nice with fall colors, and the sounds of the whistle were historic. People lined up along route to watch and take photos. I commend the volunteers that keep the trains maintained and running. My major complaint is the windows need immediate attention. They are dirty and hazy. This really impacts the ride. People kept running around the entire ride to find a clear window. In addition parents let their kids go out of control running up and down the length of train playing. That's rude and inconsiderate of others. At almost $200 a couple, it's expensive torture if you want calmness and reasonable level of noise on this excursion. Our trip was as quiet as being at a day care center after kids were pumped up on sugar. Parents today simply allow kids to control everything. You cannot expect quiet virtually anywhere. If you like yelling and screaming kids, loud adults yelling and laughing, don't care about seeing sites, but just want an expensive ride on a train, it's ideal. Don't expect comfort, seats are knee to knee with people facing each other too. It was weird, basically just a ride on a packed train without comfortable seats or windows that a photo could not be taken out of. The museum is the best part, but adds cost. read more

I thought this was a very fun experience and a fun little ride offering you a great way to see more of Duluth, Lake Superior and learn about the history of the area. During COVID they were not operating the longer ride that goes further up the shore/lake and offers meal however they are offering the sorter ride up the lake. The short ride is still a good amount of time and offers a great opportunity to see what area as well as learn, I have no complaints whatsoever. The train has different seating options allowing you a different view and or ambience depending on what car you choose. The open air car is what I will do next time, but this time we sat in a sort of rustic car with fairly comfortable bucket style seats. After the train ride, tour the museum. It makes for a great time and will offer you many memories to share with your loved ones. read more

We almost didn't do this fun trip after reading some of the other reviews. This isn't Disneyland so they didn't plan out every section of the scenery to be an amazing view -- though there were plenty! We had quite a bit of fun on this ride -- great opportunity to introduce the family to train rides while enjoying the sites and sounds of Duluth on the North Shore of Lake Superior. read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - COVID nonsense had a mask requirement that wasn't strictly enforced...so a few of our kiddos played nurse/doctor on the ride. - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

What a fantastic experience! We took my elderly parents on their first scenic train ride. We were hoping to do the Fall Colors trip, but it was already sold out and the leaves were a bit late in turning this year. Still, we decided to try out the shorter trip and upgraded for the dome car and foid/drink inclusions. It was the perfect length of time and the views were good with an informative host. We learned a lot about the area and heard some terrible jokes! It was a good time for all. read more

See all

I'm basing my one start review on boarding and ADA support. Here's an idea--let's board the seniors and the disabled persons first. The first car closest to the wheel chair lift was full of college kids on a group trip so my 85 year old mother had to struggle through the narrow hallways with her walker around other peoples ill behaved children as we looked for a seat. Not a good start. read more

totally ripped off. we are here to see scenery and windows are dirty and foggy. can't see anythig from top side. read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

See all

I first want to say that this is a review for the "Christmas Tree Train" event that the North Shore Scenic Railroad hosts. That being said this was our first time doing this train and it was a poor experience. Let me dive into our experience with the event and I will go over the pros and cons we had to deal with. Experience: My wife and I live in Maple Grove and had to drive about 2 hours and 15 mins to get to the North Shore Scenic Railroad. Which we didn't mind cause we usually do the trek out there for Bentleyville at least once a year. We woke up early, got there right on time and entered a building to get our tickets. They people were quick and gave us our tickets with no problem. We than boarded the train and found our seats. The train was nicely decorated with Christmas lights, garland, and had music playing. There was a nice man that was giving us facts about Duluth and the trains as we rode an hour down the tracks to go to Kniferiver. We were having a great time looking at the lights, watching the snow, and just relaxing thinking about the trees we were about to pick. Once we pulled up to the Kniferiver depot is where doom started to set in. We pull up to a depot that has about 20 short and scraggly trees resting against a trailer. We get out and start asking questions and the people running the show didn't even know what the process was. They said just grab a tree, but we prepaid for a 10 foot tree. The tallest we could find was a thin 7 foot tree. We start asking around to other customers there and they were all pretty upset and confused as well. It took about 20 mins for a worker to come over to even talk to us about wrapping our tree up and what to do next. Everyone was very unhelpful and just seemed like they didn't even want us there. Once we got our tree wrapped up we walked inside the depot cause we were told there was plenty of food for everyone in there, but we weren't told that it came at a hefty cost. We didn't buy anything and just got back on the train due to our boredom and frustration. We sat on the train for another 15 mins watching other people fight over the trees and watched everyone bored. Once most of the trees were picked up a car with a trailer came by. This man comes out and started to unload more trees. Bigger and fuller ones at that. My wife and I started to boil in our seats and I got off the train and ran over to the nicer newer ones. I brought one over to the people loading the trees and asked to switch mine out. The man laughed at me and said they couldn't do that. I said I didn't want the old one anymore and wanted a refund and then the man switched my tree out. I then reboared the train and we had a sombre ride back to our original depot. Once back we were told someone would load them onto our cars for us but then the man just handed us rope and said we had to do it. I had to ask for help 3 times before someone would help. I have never done that before and wanted it to be secure for our 2 hour drive home. We got it all loaded up and then we went on our way. Pros: Nice train, well decorated. Knowledgeable train conductor. Food if you have cash. Pretty sights on the train. Cons: Poorly managed. Rude staff. High costs for food. High costs for trees. Trees all looked like rejects from Home Depot. Unwilling to improve our experience. Unwilling to help load our tree. Kept taking pictures of us without our approval. Overall: This was a poor experience but they did let me switch our tree out for a better one. Otherwise I would've given it a 1 star. We would be open to doing it again but drastic changes and an overhaul on staff would need to be in place first. read more

See all

We had a great time riding the train! We did pay for the 1st class seats, $44 each. Plenty of room, comfortable seats, big windows to look at the scenery. The staff were all amazing, super friendly. read more

I honestly don't like writing bad reviews. The museum was great. The staff was super friendly. But the train ride wasn't as pleasant. They really need an adult only car. For 2.5 hours we sat listening to screaming children. As a mother myself, I get kids can get grumpy and that other people don't want to listen to it. But having a child free car would make the experience better. read more

We had a wonderful time! I went with my parents and two youngest children and we all had a fantastic experience. We did the pizza train which the kids were very excited for. Before riding the train we walked through the museum which we found very informative and interesting. Because of covid-19 there was social distancing so every other seat group was closed which made for a nice small group of people. It was very easy to practice social distancing. We will definitely be back! read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Museum - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

See all

Views were not good. Train was stopped for 15+ minutes at a time to switch tracks. Crowded & loud.

This is not a good experience if you are obese. Maybe coach seat would have been fine but we got tickets for the bbq ride and the dining seats are not for overweight people. I was so humiliated and upset. read more

I've been on this a few times both the steam train and diesel train. I would always suggest the steam train experience. I was a lot of fun! The kids loved it. Ive been on several train rides in the US and Australia and granted its not up there with Colorado but for where you're at its a fun time. Great scenery of the lake shore and other areas. I would go online and book ahead as steam train tickets sell out weeks in advance. read more

See all

A great way to experience Duluth and the North Shore for visitors and locals alike! The North Shore Scenic Railroad is a gem in the local Duluth community providing a wonderful experience from the moment you first walk into the Depot. Take a step back in time and explore the historic passenger rail cars that chug along some of the most historic and important rail lines in Northern Minnesota, right along the most beautiful of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior. The train features restrooms and a snack car if you have a hankering for anything along the way. You are free to move around the train to explore other cars from different eras or enjoy the views from the open air car! Definitely worth a visit for everyone looking for something fun and enjoyable during their time in Duluth. All aboard! read more

Overall good experience! It was fun! We opted for the 1st class cabin, where you get a few snacks and drinks. I am glad we were up there, but I am not sure it was worth the extra money. We walked to the back of the train twice - which was fun for the kids. Since we didn't sit up there the whole time, not sure we should've paid for the first class cabin. I love the that the whole experience was only 1 hour and 15 minutes - perfect amount of time. Overall, I like this experience and am glad we did it, but it wasn't very exciting. I think driving up the scenic road is just as good, if not better. It was something different - so do it to get a ride on a train, but realize you pretty much just sit there and look out the window. The views were not that spectacular. It was interesting to hear about the history of the North Shore on the trip. read more

We participated in one of the rare North Shore Scenic Railroad Dinner Tours along Lake Superior in July of 2009. It was enjoyable to ride in the "upscale" section of this train that featured dining cars from the historic Empire Builder. We had made plans on the assumption that the rail line ran along the shore, which is the case for the first third of the trip. The rest of the way the train is nestled back in the trees which obscure the most impressive views of Lake Superior. The dinner train consists of a $48 fee for the meal and ride. We were a little disappointed with the one-selection fixed menu. The food itself was very tasty, but I felt like we had spent nearly fifty dollars on a business model like a school lunchroom. The dinner train is coupled with a "pizza train" and people in formal wear are thrust in the company of people in cut-off jeans and NFL Jerseys. The dining car itself was an elegant way to waste several ours in the company of friends. If I lived in Duluth, I would probably enjoy this as a fun way to spend an evening with my spouse, but if you are visiting the area there are much more impressive sights and meals to be had nearby. read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Empire Builder Cars for the Dinner Excursion - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Chigga...chigga...chigga... Choo Choo!!!! All aboard the North Scenic Railroad. My family and I went on a train ride during Easter weekend in Duluth. This was our first time on a real train! I adored the original seating, bathrooms, and decor. We enjoyed the flexibility of various seating options (Inside, outside, standing, or sitting). We spent 1/2 of our time inside and 1/2 of our time outside. My nephews (ages 6, 11) loved riding at The Cabooze of the train. They waved at all of the bystanders as we rode by. I enjoyed the scenery observed during the train ride. We appreciated the snacks and drinks that were available for purchase on board. They offer various beer, wine, soda, and snacks. Next time we visit, we hope to upgrade to the dome seating option. read more

See all

So much fun! We were trying to get a feel for Duluth! This gave us just what we wanted sights and fun history! The open air train was so enjoyable! Thanks it was well worth the $20 fee! read more

I took my two munchkins on the NSSR pumpkin train this fall. Best pumpkins ever. No really, I'd like to know where they bought the pumpkins bc those babies were solid. Considering every ticket included a pumpkin, I'd say this was a straight up bargain. The train ride was nice. Its a good way to wrap up a weekend in Duluth if you're a bit tired from walking around a lot already. The kids had a lovely time looking out the windows. I was glad to sit still after two days of hiking and chasing kids. It was pretty busy though. I imagine pumpkin train is a big draw. If you have a big group, you'll want to get in line early bc there are no reserved seats. And parking was unclear on their website. There are a few street signs that we were lucky to happen to see, otherwise who knows where we would have ended up? Bring quarters for the meters. And pack a lunch, or at least some snacks. There were some kidless folks on the train. I think I might have even seen a newly dating 20 something couple. Why? Why ruin a date surrounded by small children and grandparents? If you are a small child or grandparent, you should go. read more

We came from Austin Texas and this was the most amazing thing we have ever done! The staff was so nice! They do whatever they can to help and are always friendly. There was live music and pizza when we came. They serve alcohol as well and it wasn't as costly as we thought it'd be. If you are visiting you have to make this a priority!! read more

For the cost, this train ride wasn't worth it. My son loves train so I thought this would be a great way to see the lake. Instead, you move slowly through tree and old homes. There is barely any views of the lake the entire trip. The turn around bridge is one spot that offers a "view." You spend 10+ minutes switching tracks and "waiting" for unknown reasons. At one point we were sitting for so long my 7 year old said, "are we supposed to get off?" If you are looking for a scenic train ride, the 90 minute trip isn't for you. read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Thomas, lots of activities for the kids and barely made it thru the museum before we had to call it quits for a late lunch and toddler nap! Thanks to the staff for a great experience! read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Enjoyed the 1.5 hour trip to Lester River Beautiful scenery and comfortable ride Narration was very informative. We rode in first class car- service was very good. We just wish they did the Two Harbors trip during the week. read more

North Shore Scenic Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

To start this amazing experience off, station manager Josh was so accommodating and kind. Jill and Jamie, a sister duo, had great hospitality with not only their humor, but there attentiveness was outstanding. My friend who was visiting from Arizona (never been on a train before) and talked about the ride/them for the rest of the trip. Honestly you should consider yourself lucky if you come into contact with any three of these people upon your north shore scenic experience. Thank you so much for making our day & girls weekend so fun. read more

Had an amazing time! Jill and Jessica did a great job serving and entertaining! Great scenery! Would definitely recommend!

I agree with the other reviews that the train tour is a waste of money. The sad part is how much potential they have to be fantastic! We didn't get boarded until 30 mins after we were supposed to start, and the whole 1 1/2 hr tour took less than an hour. The longest part was looking at people's backyards while they turned the train around. A majority of the train cars didn't have working A/C. There was no PA system narrating anything. Only about 5 minutes of the entire tour is "scenic". Very disappointing and wished I would have spent my Saturday doing something else. read more

Great Experience. We purchased the 1st class tickets and were very pleased with the amenities and service. Our group included a person with special mobility needs and the entire staff was amazing in helping her enjoy the experience. The view for the tour was questionable. I'm glad we had the seats at the top. However the information was good and overall a fun way to spend a couple hours. read more

The Fall Colors Two Harbors tour was as relaxing as combing my hair with a shotgun. The train broke down over a hour and nothing was done to make people comfortable. An hour stuck with a 3yr is an eternity. Got to a town where only one restaurant was open. ONE. Would have been nice to know our destination was a ghost town on Sundays. Horrible experience overall. Save your time, money, sanity and drive the route. read more