Ride a train through a holiday light display at a unique valley railroad park
By Joanna Dodder Nellans
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is likely the only place in Arizona where someone can ride a train on a figure-eight track that winds through a continuous Christmas display featuring an old-fashioned western town.
“Everything is centered around the train ride,” said the park’s Special Events Coordinator Darryl Grimes. “You don’t have many places where you’re on a train to see Christmas lights.”
Other holiday lights and features also are spread across the 30-acre park, trees, and buildings.
“It’s like a magical winter wonderland,” Darryl said.
Ironically this train park is located in Scottsdale, which never had a commercial train running through it. But Scottsdale did have a huge railroad fan with enough spare money to make his dream come true and share it with others.
The park is located on the former 4,200-acre McCormick Ranch, purchased in 1942 by Anne and Fowler McCormick, grandson of John D. Rockefeller and mechanical reaper inventor Cyrus McCormick. Anne’s son from her first marriage, Guy Stillman, also lived on the ranch. Guy’s father was the president of what is now Citibank. Guy loved trains so much he had one circling his home to ride with family and friends (the Scottsdale Plaza Resort now occupies his home site).
The family donated land to Scottsdale for a park in 1967, and in 1971 Guy moved his Paradise & Pacific steam locomotives to the park. Volunteers laid the track, and the rail ride opened to the public in 1975.
The park has since added an antique carousel ride, as well as a small train ride through the park arboretum that train club enthusiasts, operate on weekends from October through May.
The park also features the Scottsdale Train Museum and a Model Railroad Building with model engines and cars from local train clubs riding the tracks. The grounds include three historic Arizona train depots, a Pullman car used by several U.S. presidents, and Arizona’s “Merci Car.” After WWII, residents of France filled 49 “Merci” rail cars with gifts and delivered one to each U.S. state and Washington, D.C., to thank Americans for their aid in winning the war. Now through May, some Merci Car gifts including thank-you notes will also be on display.
“There’s a lot of history at this park,” Darryl said. These days, the rest of McCormick Ranch is filled with homes and shopping centers.
On the new side, railroad park officials hope to open a 10,000-square-foot train-themed indoor play facility in early 2024 to kick off the park’s 50th anniversary. It will provide an alternative to the park’s outdoor playgrounds during hot summer days.
For more information, visit https://www.therailroadpark.com.