Tweetsie Railroad Review and Park Tour (Blowing Rock, NC)
Tweetsie Railroad is the oldest theme park in North Carolina! It originally opened on July 4, 1957, with a train ride on coal-fired steam locomotive #12.
Interestingly, Dollywood wouldn’t exist today without Tweetsie Railroad. Grover and Harry Robbins developed Tweetsie Railroad as well as another train ride near Pigeon Forge called “Rebel Railroad.” Eventually, that train ride would evolve into “Silver Dollar City” (not to be confused with Branson’s Silver Dollar City, and then Dollywood once Dolly Parton became a part-owner in 1986.
Park Tour
We visited every inch of Tweetsie Railroad in July 2022, so make sure to check out the park tour on YouTube. We also have a playlist of Tweetise Railroad on-ride POVs and shows.
Review
Is Tweetsie Railroad worth visiting? Absolutely. But, let’s break down the individual aspects of this park.
Cost
As of July 2022, ticket prices are $58 per adult and $39 per child, plus fees. if you’re visiting for more than 2 days, you’ll want to upgrade to the “Golden Rail Season Pass,” which runs $134 per adult and $90 per child, plus fees.
The Ghost Train and Tweetsie Christmas tickets are separate, but you can save money if you have the Season Pass.
One very important tip: if you enter after 3 PM, your ticket will also be valid for the next day’s admission!
Parking is completely free.
Must-do Rides
Tweetsie Railroad has amusement rides in three different areas of the park! Unfortunately, Tweetsie does not have a roller coaster, but there is a good selection here.
If we had to pick the absolute must-dos, here’s our list:
The Wild West Train Adventure is technically a ride and a show! You may want to ride it twice since it’s slightly different every time. If you don’t do this ride, did you even go to Tweetsie Railroad?
The Chair Lift to Miner’s Mountain can be a bit scary if you aren’t used to the old skiing chair lifts. The good news is that there’s bus transportation up to Miner’s Mountain if needed.
Tweetsie's Ferris Wheel (Country Fair area) just turned 100 years old! It must be one of the oldest operating Ferris Wheels in the world. By the way, it’s completely safe! Since it’s perched on the mountainside, it’s also a bit more thrilling than you might expect.
The Turnpike Cruisers (Country Fair area) aren’t too special, but the ride itself is pretty rare. These cars aren’t manufactured anymore, so there are probably very few in operating. Only 167 cars were ever built by the original manufacturer, the Streifthau Manufacturing Company. It’s nice to ride in a miniature car that doesn’t have a rail in the center.
Mouse Mine Train (Miner’s Mountain area) is an absolute must-do for everyone visiting Tweetsie Railroad. The miniature train is also part dark ride since it goes into a cheese mine! If you’re a fan of dark rides, you’ll love it.
Tip: They sell a miniature version of the Mouse Mine Train in the gift shop on Miner’s Mountain.
Shows
Tweetsie Railroad has four shows, in addition to the Wild West Train Adventure.
Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue is the most famous show by far, and you’ll want to catch it at Tweetsie Palace - which features a snack bar and a balcony overlooking the stage!
The Magic Show at Tweetsie Palace is also entertaining, but in our opinion, it’s not a must-do if you’re short on time.
Hopper and Porter’s Musical Celebration over at the Miner’s Mountain Theater is fantastic if you have little ones. Hopper and Porter are the park’s mascots, and this is a surefire way to catch them.
The Tweetsie Railroad Country Clogging Jamboree is worth catching at the Miner’s Mountain Theater if you have additional time.
Tip: Stick around after the show to take photos with the performers and characters.
Deer Park Zoo
Tweetsie Railroad is home to a pretty large walk-through petting zoo! You can buy animal feed at the entrance ($0.50 a cup), and you’ll see goats, deer, emus, llama, burros, miniature horses & donkeys, and sheep!
Tip: There are sinks for kids at the exit, but adults will want to visit a regular restroom facility to wash their hands 😁
Food and Drink
Tweetsie Railroad is a family theme park; therefore, you’ll find a lot of kid-oriented foods like pizza, ice cream, hot dogs, popcorn, burgers, and nachos. Alcohol is not served at Tweetsie.
The best place to eat is the Feed & Seed, which overlooks Main Street. The restaurant also has additional food items like burgers, chicken fingers, BBQ, and chicken sandwiches.
Tip: The upstairs “Remember When dining room” is a quieter place to eat at the Feed & Seed. Park employees know this too and will often take their breaks there.
Overall
Buying a Season Pass seems like a no-brainer if you’re within an hour of Blowing Rock.
If you aren’t local, then we recommend a full-day visit with two Wild West train rides. The Ghost Train and Tweetsie Christmas events are also worth visiting if you’re in town at the right time. Keep in mind that only a few amusement rides operate for those events.
Improvement Areas
Unfortunately, the limited food menu doesn’t seem to accommodate special diets. Also, you won’t find many healthy options on the menu - a grilled chicken sandwich or salad is probably the best you can do. However, Tweetsie does pretty good on food quality for a small theme park.
The park could also improve by adding a thrill ride or two. Having a junior or family coaster on the property would be great. However, there isn’t a lot of space, so that probably is wishful thinking.
Other area attractions
If you’re in the area, you may also be interested in the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster and Adventure Course., which operates year-round in rain and snow. It’s 30 minutes away from Tweetsie.
Directly next to Tweetsie is High Gravity Adventures, an aerial adventure park.
