Scottsdale, AZ
Photo by Az_Manny_322, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
At a Glance
Verified daily- Type
- Heritage railroad & tourist attraction
- Location
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ 7,269 Google reviews
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for McCormick Railroad Park. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
Plan Your Visit
- Parking
- Free lot · street parking
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible parking
- Hours
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMTuesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Find the Depot
The Trains
The 15-inch-gauge Paradise & Pacific Railroad runs on 3,800 feet of mainline track with 1,400 feet of sidetrack, crossing two trestles and passing through a tunnel, with two water tanks, a turntable, and a loading platform along the route; its roster counts three steam locomotives (two operational), three diesels, two cabooses, a coach, three stock cars, and a string of gondola cars. Static exhibits include Magma Arizona Railroad Engine #6, a standard-gauge locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1907 that worked the Magma Arizona Railroad for 54 years, and the Roald Amundsen, one of six Pullman cars built in 1928 and used by Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower — by Eisenhower exclusively during his 1952 whistle-stop campaign. A 7½-inch-gauge live-steam line run by the Scottsdale Live Steamers circles the Xeriscape Arboretum on 3,000 feet of track, and three resident model railroad clubs maintain HO, O, and N scale layouts.
History
See full history
The park began in 1967, when the Fowler McCormicks donated 100 acres of McCormick Ranch to the City of Scottsdale, stipulating that the land serve as a park open to everyone. Guy Stillman — son of Anne and James A. Stillman — had assembled a 15-inch-gauge replica railroad on the property, which he named the Paradise & Pacific Railroad and offered to the city in 1971. U.S. Marines, with backing from Senator Barry Goldwater, supplied the manpower to lay track as the railroad expanded, and the park formally opened on October 4, 1975. First known as McCormick Railroad Park, it took the name McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in 1996 to honor its founder, Guy Stillman. The Paradise & Pacific — the first attraction to operate in the park and still its oldest — continues to run on the 30-acre Scottsdale site today.
Around the Depot
Phoenix Trolley (Arizona Street Railway Museum)Museum·★ 4.1 (25)11 miView →
Arizona Railway MuseumTrain Ride·★ 4.7 (313)19 miView →
Superstition Scenic Narrow Gauge RailroadTrain Ride·★ 4.6 (15186)26 miView →Saint Barnabas on the Desert Book & Gift ShopGift Shop<1 miDirections →Scottsdale Nature AreaPark·★ 4.4 (20)<1 miDirections →Cattle Track Arts CompoundAttraction·★ 4.7 (62)<1 miDirections →Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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Tours & Activities near Scottsdale
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
Browse nearby tours →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.