Montgomery Co. Miniature Trains, Carousel Open for Spring Break

Come celebrate the arrival of spring by taking a lovely miniature train ride through the spring woods at Cabin John or Wheaton Regional Parks--or take a spin around the carousel at Wheaton Regional Park. Both trains and the carousel at Wheaton will be open for your enjoyment during the MCPS Spring Break. If the weather's iffy, call before heading out; they can't run the trains if the tracks are too wet.

Saturday, April 4 through Sunday, April 12
Admission: $1.75 per ride; 10 tickets for $15.75

• Cabin John Miniature Train
  301-469-7835
  10am - 4:30 pm
• Wheaton Miniature Train and Carousel
  301-942-6703
  10am - 5:30pm

Along with the many fine features in this popular park, both children and adults are entranced by a ride on the miniature train. The train is a replica of the1863 C.P. Huntington, a 4-2-4T steam locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad and named in honor of Collis P. Huntington, President of the Southern Pacific Company. A party room at the Cabin John train station is available for rentals.

Children young and old are enchanted by this historic symbol of bygone days. The beautiful Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel was built by the Herschell Spillman Company of Tonawanda, New York in 1915. It features 33 jumping horses, three zebras and two chariots, making it a mixture of Herschell-Spillman (circa 1905-1915), Spillman Engineering (circa 1920) and Allen Herschel (circa 1920) carvings.

During the 19th century, carousels were common features at city parks, carnivals, state fairs or resorts, and thousands of beautifully decorated, hand-built structures with delightful hand-carved animals were manufactured. Of the thousands produced during that time, only a few hundred survive. From the 1960s until the 1981 this carousel was operated on the Mall in Washington, D.C., when it was acquired by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and relocated to Wheaton Regional Park.

Miniature Train

The miniature train is a replica of the 1863 C.P. Huntington, a 4-2-4T steam locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad and named in honor of Collis P. Huntington, President of the Southern Pacific Company. Passengers depart the train station for a 10- minute tour of the park's forests and meadows, over a trestle bridge and past Pine Lake.