Since 1957, Tweetsie Railroad has provided generations of memories with a family-friendly Wild West amusement park. North Carolina’s first theme park features live shows, amusement rides, petting zoo, train excursion and more. It’s located between Boone and Blowing Rock, about 18 miles from Sugar Mountain.
The park has many areas to explore – from the Old West Main Street to the Country Fair. The star of the park is the legendary Tweetsie’s historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive, so we suggest riding it first to see more areas of the park to explore. Watch out for bandits during the 3-mile trip.
On Main Street, saddle up on horses and browse the General Store and other shops. At the zoo, see African Pygmy Goats, European Fallow Deer, Nubian Goats, Emus, Llamas, Burros and Southdown Sheep. Play arcade games in the Country Fair. Enjoy live entertainment at the Tweetsie Palace with the can-can revue and magic show. At the Miner’s Mountain Theatre, get some laughs with Hopper the Rabbit and Porter the turtle.
Children of all ages love the thrill of amusements rides, including the carousel, ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl, round-up, tornado, freefall, planes and helicopters. Ride the chairlift to Miner’s Mountain for gem mining and playground. Enjoy pizza, hot dogs, ice cream and more at the Cowboy Cantina and many other food outlets.
2026 Dates & Admission
- April 4 – May 25: Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day Monday
- May 27 – August 9: Thursday – Monday (Closed Tuesday & Wednesday)
- August 9 – November 1st: Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day Monday
- The park will open for nighttime operations during Ghost Train and Tweetsie Christmas (read more)
2026 Special Events
June 12-15 & 18-21 – Day Out With Thomas™ at Tweetsie Railroad
July 4 – July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza at Tweetsie Railroad
July 25-27 & July 30 – August 2 – K9s In Flight® Frisbee Dog Show at Tweetsie Railroad
August 8 & 9 – Riders In The Sky – America’s Favorite Cowboys at Tweetsie Railroad
August 29 & 30 – Railroad Heritage Weekend at Tweetsie Railroad
Friday & Saturday Nights, Sept. 25 – Oct. 31 – Ghost Train®
Select Evenings Nov. 27 – Dec. 30 – Tweetsie Christmas®
Open April-December. Go to their website for tickets & hours.
Location: Along US Highway 321. GPS Address: 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 (about 18 miles from the main entrance of Sugar Mtn)
Events and special train rides include the Ghost Train and Tweetsie Christmas.
For more details, go to the Tweetsie Railroad website.
For more things to do near Sugar Mountain: Spring Guide | Summer Guide | Fall Guide