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| - JD invades AZ Day 2:
The McCormick-Stillman Railroad (MSR) is a 30-acre theme park that's run by the City of Scottsdale on land that was donated by the McCormick family. It's very reminiscent of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad (BJWR) in Los Gatos, CA. There's a lot of train and non-train related activities to get into--so, let's stop wasting time.
Model Railroad Building- This is every child and train enthusiast's dream; it's a huge Exhibition Hall filled with loads of electric trains and model sets that are generously provided by the local train clubs. The entrance is free, but there is a small donation box if you're feeling charitable. I'd also highly recommend going here in the afternoon; it's a good way to get out of the heat but still keep the kids entertained. 4*
Scottsdale Railroad Museum- This features one of only four dining cars that was built by the Pullman Co. for the Santa Fe Railway; the dining car is fully restored with vintage decorations to give you an idea of what the train looked like back when. It also has a huge variety of train memorabilia that are too numerous to list--you need to check it out for yourself. Fun Fact: Presidents Hoover, F.D. Roosevelt, Truman & Eisenhower all rode in that dining car! 4*
Train- This is what you really come here for: to ride the train! The train was donated by Guy Stillman who even had a chance to sell it to Walt Disney, but wanted to keep it in Scottsdale. It's an approximate 8-minute ride around the park that everyone enjoys; there's even a Cattle Car that the kids love cramming into--which is great for us parents as it gives us that moment of Zen we always desire. I was only able to see the Diesel Engine, as I guess they only run the Steam Engine on the weekends. Next time, Gadget... 5*
Carousel- Pretty standard ride on a historic 1950s era Carousel. I'm not a huge fan of Carousels (and neither is the boy), but if it's your thing I'm sure you'll love it. 4*
Playground- There are two separate play areas: one that's a traditional playground -with slides, swings, and such- and the other that's designed to look like an Old Western Town--complete with Bank, Stagecoach, Gold Mine and Hoosegow! They're both pretty terrific, but my one qualm is while there is some shade, it's probably not as complete as one would like from an Arizona Playground. 4.5*
Picnic Areas- Tons of shaded picnic areas with attached BBQ Pits; FYI, the nicer ones are available to reserve-- so be aware on weekends. 4*
Value- The MSR sells tickets at $1/each which is puzzling because each ride requires two tickets--wouldn't it make more sense to sell each ticket for $2? But, I digress... They also sell an All-Day Pass for $10 which is a terrific value because after a few rides and a visit to the museum it's already paid for itself. 5*
The MSR is a great place and is run very well by the Scottsdale City employees. My son and I were there for almost 5-hours and we had a blast. If we lived in the area I'd probably be here way too much. It's a great and cheap way to get in some wholesome family fun without breaking the bank. Highly recommended!
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