Arkansas
Van Buren, Arkansas is a river town with a six-block historic Main Street, a century-old railroad depot, and one of the few places in the country where you can still ride a restored 1920s-style passenger train through real mountains.
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad runs excursions from Springdale down through the Boston Mountains to Van Buren and Winslow — over high trestles and through a 1,700-foot tunnel — and this independent guide explains how each ride works, which car to pick, how senior and group discounts are handled, when the seasons run, and how to turn a train day into a weekend with Van Buren's Main Street, the Drennen-Scott house, and the frontier history of nearby Fort Smith. We are not the railroad: every ride links straight to the railroad's own pages for current fares, dates and booking.
Historic Main Street, Van Buren
A six-block National Historic District of shops, restaurants and live music, sitting right beside the train depot — where the excursion layover from Springdale turns into lunch and a walk.
Bentonville Guided Golf Cart Tour
A one-hour guided golf-cart ride through Bentonville — murals, museums, gardens and the town's history — for train riders based on the Northwest Arkansas end of the line.
Springdale to Van Buren Train Ride
The full-day classic — a 134-mile round trip from Springdale through the Boston Mountains to Van Buren, with a three-hour layover on historic Main Street for lunch and shopping. Vintage cars, a dome option, and real Ozark scenery.
Van Buren to Winslow Train Ride
The short, scenic one — a three-hour, 70-mile round trip from Van Buren up into the Boston Mountains, over three valley trestles and through the 1,700-foot Winslow tunnel, with lunch served on board.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The full-day classic — a 134-mile round trip from Springdale through the Boston Mountains to Van Buren, with a three-hour layover on historic Main Street for lunch and shopping. Vintage cars, a dome option, and real Ozark scenery.
The short, scenic one — a three-hour, 70-mile round trip from Van Buren up into the Boston Mountains, over three valley trestles and through the 1,700-foot Winslow tunnel, with lunch served on board.
The short ride from the Springdale end — a three-hour round trip up to Winslow and back through the same Boston Mountain trestles and tunnel, without the full day or the Van Buren layover.
A one-hour Christmas ride through the Ozarks — lights, music, hot cocoa and treats, and a visit from Santa. The 2026 season is on the railroad's calendar, with booking dates starting in late November.
A private-feeling way to ride: the railroad's caboose Exeter seats up to ten, on the Springdale to Van Buren day trip or the Van Buren to Winslow ride. This is the one ride with published adult, senior and child fares.
FreeA six-block National Historic District of shops, restaurants and live music, sitting right beside the train depot — where the excursion layover from Springdale turns into lunch and a walk.
Van Buren's century-old railroad depot at 813 Main Street, now home to the Van Buren Visitors Center and the boarding point for Van Buren train rides listed by the city.
An 1838 home overlooking the Arkansas River, run by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and free to visit — antebellum furniture, an 1860 Steinway and ties to the Trail of Tears and the Civil War.
The frontier fort and Judge Isaac Parker's courtroom across the river — the restored barracks, courthouse and jail, the gallows and commissary, and the foundations of the first Fort Smith on the Arkansas River.
A star-shaped riverfront museum in Fort Smith telling 200-plus years of the US Marshals Service — a recreated frontier town, a Bass Reeves exhibit, and a Hall of Honor.
A one-hour guided golf-cart ride through Bentonville — murals, museums, gardens and the town's history — for train riders based on the Northwest Arkansas end of the line.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
North 6th Street, Van Buren
A well-reviewed Van Buren base on North 6th Street with a free hot breakfast, an indoor pool and a short drive to Main Street and the depot.
Check rates →North 6th Street, Van Buren
A straightforward Van Buren motel-style inn next to the Hampton on North 6th, with free full breakfast, a seasonal outdoor pool and RV and bus parking.
Check rates →Downtown Fort Smith
The downtown Fort Smith base — a ten-minute walk to the National Historic Site and the Museum of History, with an indoor pool and an on-site bistro.
Check rates →Bass Pro Drive, Fort Smith
A Fort Smith hotel with free breakfast, an airport shuttle and a pool complex, convenient for flights into Fort Smith Regional.
Check rates →Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith
All-suite rooms with kitchens, a free breakfast buffet, a free airport shuttle and an indoor pool — a good fit for longer stays.
Check rates →Springdale, Northwest Arkansas
A Springdale hotel with a free hot breakfast, an outdoor pool and suites with kitchens, beside the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center.
Check rates →West Sunset Avenue, Springdale
The full-service option in Springdale: an on-site bistro and bar, an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.
Check rates →Johnson Mill Boulevard, Springdale
A quiet Springdale inn with a terrace and garden, free continental breakfast and comfortable bedding.
Check rates →How tickets work on the Van Buren train rides — the car types, what the railroad publishes about senior, child and group rates, the caboose fares that are published, fees and the 48-hour food rule.
When the Van Buren and Springdale excursions run: the year-round and special-event calendar, fall foliage, the Holiday Express, typical times and how to read the railroad's booking calendar.
Hour by hour on the Springdale to Van Buren excursion: choosing a car, what you see, how to use the three-hour layover in Van Buren, and the practical rules.
The three-hour Van Buren to Winslow excursion: what you see, the 1,700-foot tunnel, car choices, where to board, and how to build an afternoon around it.
Quick answers on the Van Buren train: who runs it, how to book, accessibility, delays, what to bring, and what we are and are not.
How the Frisco line reached Van Buren, how the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad began in 1986, how the excursions started, and what survives of Van Buren's railroad past.
