These brilliant ideas for family days out with Thomas and Friends are the pinnacle of excitement for toddlers and young children who love the brightly coloured trains and the fun adventures of the whole motley crew.
Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt have travelled all the way from the Island of Sodor for some family fun! Meet the characters, take train rides and enjoy all the extra activities on offer.
A host of popular train activities and events for super fans of the famous blue engine and his friends take place across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and beyond.
Ready? All aboard for a memorable day out!
Thomas Land Theme Parks
Thomas Land at Drayton Manor, Staffordshire, UK
Thomas Land at Drayton Manor is the ideal theme park for Thomas fans! This unique family attraction is great for young thrill seekers and first-time coaster riders.
With 25 rides and attractions based on the beloved tank engine, it’ll be heaven for train-loving tykes with Toby’s Tram Express, Flynn’s Fire Rescue and loads more. Parents of train obsessed little ones often visit for that alone. So it’s all aboard to a theme park that is certain to delight the entire family!
Edaville Family Theme Mark, Carver, MA
Edaville Family Theme Park in Carver, MA is the largest Thomas & Friends attraction in the USA.
Thomas Land USA opened in 2015 with 11 rides and attractions, as well as stage shows and activities, based on the Drayton Manor Thomas Land.
Families will enjoy the opportunity to see Thomas and all his friends, including Harold the Helicopter, Cranky the Crane, Toby and the Troublesome Trucks.
Thomas Town at Kennywood, PA
Thomas Town at Kennywood brings to life everyone’s favourite engine, along with his friends and favourite destinations from the Island of Sodor.
A trip to Thomas Town includes a ton of fun to be had on five family rides themed to characters from the beloved children’s series, including a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine.
Young conductors and their families can experience thrills with Thomas, Cranky, Harold, Flynn, and Diesel, plus an interactive live show featuring Sir Topham Hatt and some of his Really Useful Engines!
Have a Day Out with Thomas & Friends (UK)
Activities, prices, and facilities may vary depending on location so check below to find your nearest station and details. For more information and booking details, check the Day Out with Thomas website.
Whistlestop Valley, Yorkshire
Activities include unlimited platform rides with Thomas, Toby and Mavis, a pre-booked train to Shelley Station and back, singalongs and performances from Sir Topham Hatt and Rusty & Dusty, storytelling sessions, bubble zone, and more.
2022 Dates:
- March 12-13
- May 21-22
- July 16-17
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Activities include a train ride with Thomas, meet Sir Topham Hatt, unlimited train rides with Percy, unlimited rides on the miniature railway, a Thomas & Friends activity hunt, singalongs and performances from Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty & Dusty, and lots more.
2022 Dates:
- June 1-2
- July 23-25
- September 3-4
- October 22-24
East Lancashire Railway
Activities include a train ride with Thomas, meet Sir Topham Hatt and Diesel, singalongs and performances from Rusty & Dusty, fun fair rides, magician, face painting, balloon modelling, and Imagination Station play zone with Thomas & Friends activities.
2022 Dates:
- April 30-May 2
- August 6-7
- October 1-2
Caledonian Railway
Activities include a train ride with Thomas, the chance to meet Diesel, Percy, Mavis, Terrance and Sir Topham Hatt, fairground rides, miniature railway rides, entertainment from Rusty & Dusty, and brakevan rides.
2022 Dates:
- July 16-17
- August 27-28
South Devon Railway
Activities include a train ride with Thomas, meet Sir Topham Hatt and Diesel, rides on the Miniature Railway, singalongs and performances from Rusty & Dusty, magician, a Thomas nature trail, and visit the Dartmoor Otters and Buckfast Butterflies.
2022 Dates:
- April 15-18
- September 23-25
East Anglian Railway Museum
Activities include unlimited rides with Thomas, Percy and Daisy, the chance to meet Toby and Henrietta, re-enactments of classic Thomas stories by Sir Topham Hatt and Rusty & Dusty, unlimited rides on the miniature railway, a train-themed children’s playground, model railway, and lots more.
2022 Dates:
- April 15-18
- August 27-29
- October 29-30
- December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18
Swindon and Cricklade Railway, Wiltshire
Activities include unlimited rides on the miniature railway, mini shows and re-enactments with Sir Topham Hatt and Rusty & Dusty, face painting and more.
2022 Dates:
- August 27-29
The Watercress Line, Hampshire
Activities include three new mini shows with Sir Topham Hatt and Rusty & Dusty featuring Percy, Diesel and Toad, vintage fairground rides, a round trip on a big train to Alton, unlimited rides on the miniature railway, Thomas & Friends storytime sessions, and more.
2022 Dates:
- May 28-June 5
- August 6-14
Don’t Miss…
From the infamous to the insane and quirky to cool, fun is guaranteed with these unusual places to visit in the UK – perfect for a memorable family day out!
Have a Day Out with Thomas (USA & Canada)
Thomas the Tank Engine is rolling into town for a day of BIG dreams and even BIGGER smiles!
Jump on board Thomas for an interactive train ride, pick up your Dream Pass and head to the Play Pod or say ‘Hello’ to Sir Topham Hatt. For the little engineers who want a little more excitement, check out the Dream Big Corner for photos ops, lawn games and more.
This year, visit Thomas at heritage railways across the US and Canada:
Florida Railroad Museum, Parrish, FL
- March 11-13
- March 19-20
Tennessee Valley Railroad, Chattanooga, TN
- April 23-24
- April 30
- May 1
Strasburg Railroad, Ronks, PA
- April 29-30
- May 1-2
- June 17-20
- September 16-19
Heritage Park, Calgary, AB
- May 7-8
- May 14-15
B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD
- May 13-15
- May 20-22
The Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Derborn, MI
- May 13-15
- May 20-22
West Coast Railway Heritage Park, Squamish, BC
- May 28-29
- June 4-5
Essex Steam Train, Essex, CT
- May 28-29
- June 4-5
Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park, Cordele, GA
- June 4-5
- June 11-12
- June 18-19
Medina Railroad Museum, Medina, NY
- June 10-12
Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, NC
- June 10-19
Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie, WA
- July 8-10
- July 15-17
- July 23-24
Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL
- July 9-10
- July 16-17
North Shore Scenic Railroad, Duluth, MN
- August 5-7
- August 12-14
The Delaware River Railroad Excursions, Phillipsburg, NJ
- August 12-14
Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad, Flint, MI
- August 19-21
- August 25-28
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, Boone, IA
- September 10-11
- September 16-18
Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, CO
- September 10-11
- September 17-18
- September 24-25
North Carolina Transport Museum, Spencer, NC
- September 23-25
- September 30
- October 1-2
Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Grapevine, TX
- October 7-9
- October 14-16
Roaring Camp Railroads, Felton, CA
- October 15-16
- October 22-23
- October 29-30
Southern California Railway Museum, Perris, CA
- November 5-6
- November 11-13
Have a Fun Day Out with Thomas & Friends (Australia & NZ)
Puffing Billy Railway, Belgrave, VIC
Your day begins at Emerald Station, where you will travel to meet up with Thomas at Lakeside, before continuing through to the picturesque forests of Cockatoo and back. Once back at Lakeside, enjoy plenty of stopover fun in the Lakeside Visitor Centre and surrounding park precinct.
2022 Dates:
- March 5-6
- March 19-20
- March 26-27
NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere, NSW
Tickets include the chance to meet Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, climb into the driver’s cab and toot his whistle, a short ride with Toby the Railmotor, unlimited mini-train rides, unlimited jumping castle rides, face painting, Imagination Station, storyteller sessions amongst the trains in the Great Train Hall.
Additional tickets can be bought to include a 40-minute steam train ride hauled by Donald the black engine from Thirlmere to Buxton and back.
2022 Dates:
- May 13-15
- May 21-22
Zig Zag Railway, Clarence, NSW
- 2022 Dates TBC
Glenbrook Vintage Railway, Auckland, NZ
- 2022 Dates TBC
Have a Fun Day Out with Thomas & Friends (Japan)
Oigawa Railway, Shizuoka Prefecture
Take a trip on Thomas along the Oigawa main line from Shin-Kanaya Station to Senzu Station. Enjoy the excitement as you puff along, with activities to enjoy at both ends of the trip.
At Senzu Station, see the gorgeous lineup of Thomas, Hiro and Percy, as well as more favourites. Don’t miss the Thomas shop next to the station, which has a wide range of limited-edition products that Thomas fans will love!
At Shin-Kanaya Station you can take a close-up tour of the Thomas Maintenance Factory and see how Thomas and friends are kept in tip-top shape. Discover how the real steam locomotive Thomas the Tank Engine works and meet more characters, including Flynn the red fire engine, Bertie the bus, and Bulgy the double decker bus.
Tickets are available on a lottery basis.
2022 Dates:
- April 29th to June 27th
About the Author: Emily Manning
