by Brandilyn Mitchell
At Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California, history comes to life with vintage steam trains, a working roundhouse, and the timeless Sierra Railway Shops, a designated California Historical Landmark.
The Skeleton Starlight Train Rides has been on my bucket list for about a decade. My kiddo is finally old enough to enjoy the festivities and we HIGHLY recommend you check out next year’s Skeleton Starlight ride!
You can spend an hour or two before the ride checking out the history of the railroad in California with a tour guide (or a self-guided tour). The docents are knowledgeable, entertaining and kind. The park itself is not very interactive so young littles may need extra care to keep them focused on the tour. Trains are pretty darn cool though, and there’s LOTS of them, so you have that going for you. It helps to grab a scavenger hunt page from the customer service window beforehand, so littles can find the objects on the page and cross them off. You will also learn about blacksmithing and how important that was in the construction and maintenance of the railroad. You will learn some train conductor signs, too! 
When it was time to board the train, we bought some waters and popcorn and found the perfect seats, right under two skeletons! There were also LED candles hanging from the roof of the car which were extra cool once the sun went down. 
Different spooky characters visited us throughout the ride to interact with us, give us candy and take photos with us. We were told silly Halloween jokes and listened to kid-friendly Halloween music. The whole ride was filled with spooktacular fun! I think this is likely best for kids 5 and up, but you know your kid best-if witches, goblins and skeletons make them laugh instead of scream, this is YOUR ride! 
They have several themed rides throughout the year, and the Polar Express train is coming up! Enjoy hot cocoa and a visit from Santa himself! For tickets to Polar Express, go here. Parking is free. The park is open daily.
