Incredible experience to say the least!!! The staff will do everything in their power to make your experience something to remember. Joyce was the many who attended our car. She made our experience wonderful!!! Some of the passengers were rude with my autistic brother who moves slowly. The staff assisted us and upgraded him to a higher class car. They made us feel like royalty. Totally recommend this experience for the entire family! Quite the adventure!!!

We had such high hopes for this place and sadly left feeling almost hustled out of the prices of our tickets. From the get-go, things didn't seem right. The website is outdated and gives false information about the experience. Even when you call and listen to the song on the voicemail, the lyrics of the song are wrong. We booked our hotel based on what the website said and only found out that it was wrong because of an email that stated we'd be departing from Palestine and not Rusk as implied. The website did say that booking 3 people on a 4-person booth that there was a chance of having someone sit with us. But what they did instead was split my daughter and wife to one booth and myself across from them on another seat with 3 other people. The train itself was well maintained, but the views along the path were very restricted. There's no reason for us to ever return. I will say that the staff on the train were friendly.

We had our anniversary adventure riding the rails with the Texas State Railroad yesterday & it was such a great experience! We had tickets on Car 42 with the big comfy couches. Ms. Joyce was our hostess & she was absolutely amazing! She is so knowledgeable & friendly. The appetizers, food & complimentary champagne toast were all delicious. This was most definitely worth the 3.5 hour drive (as we drove from Lake Charles, LA) & was so very memorable! The only thing that was missing was the train robbery skit that they used to have. That would’ve been awesome to participate in. I would recommend y’all bring that back. I’m a sucker for history & that would’ve made learning about it so much fun!

Had the place to ourselves. Very beautiful campground, with full hook ups.

We had a wonderful time! We rode the steam engine train. When we first got on board, we were seated on a comfortable couch and served a cute container with some tasty appetizers. There was some over the speakers music and commentary but Joyce wanted to do the talking. She had trouble with her microphone several times that day but she didn't give up. Her knowledge of the history of the railroad was very entertaining and educational. She also knew how to handle lunch. Even if you've ordered your lunch in advance (which you definitely need to do), there is a long line. Joyce made sure we knew that as soon as the train stopped, we needed to "GET!". Because of her instructions, we were third in line for lunch. The rest area at the Rusk depot was beautiful. We sat in a covered picnic area right by the lake. Not a lot of scenery during the train ride, except for lots of trees, but that was to be expected. I think all ages would enjoy this train ride. Be sure to book your journey on Presidential Car 42 so that you will have Joyce as your host. She was the best part of the trip!

It was fantastic! This was my very first time riding on a train and I thoroughly enjoyed it all! Our host Joyce was so nice and entertaining! She was full of knowledge and so much fun! I can't wait to do all the other rides they offer!

Joyce and Tiffany we great hostesses today. We had such a great time.

We rode in Car 6 and the experience was phenomenal, incredible, amazing!!! Our party included a seventeen year old, 2 60+, two 70+ and our 90 year old mom! We all enjoyed it so much!!!

Arrived here exploring area and looking for what might be here. Had followed signs with no clue where they might lead to. Found a closed but beautiful depot. I am looking forward to return trips, train rides, and seasonal special events/rides.

Our trip was October 21, 2023. My wife and I had been looking forward to it and we were not disappointed. We were in the first class car, so we were seated across the table from two people we did not know, but by the end of the trip had made friends with them. The harvest lunch was absolutely wonderful. The tables were set up under the trees at the Rusk depot and the food was great. Our attendant was personable and...well he tried to be funny, so he'll get and E for effort. The only thing that would have made our time better would have been if more attention had been given to the amenities at both depots. There really was not much to do but sit around while waiting to board.

We had a great time! Definitely a family oriented afternoon. Our 7 month old was the only baby on board and seemed to enjoy the view. We can’t wait to return for the polar express!

After a 4-hour trip from our little town we got out of our car to see a beautiful well kept train. We went with the first class tickets the leather seats are comfortable clean and well maintained. We have two children so it was very nice to have the table available to snack and play and look out the windows. It was a cold day outside but it was well tempered in the cart. And they ended with a very fun trivia highly recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The tide from Palastine was enjoyable and relaxing. The meal was delicious

This was my first time riding the Texas State Railroad and i had the best experience ever. We rode car 42 on the little couches, it was super comfortable and relaxing. Our tour guide Ms. Joyce was very informative and friendly, just all around perfect. I love that even after doing her job for 12+ years she still excited and thrilled to welcome new people aboard and tell them all about the historic experience. The ONLY thing that could have made it better would be if they brought back the train robbery skit Ms. Joyce told us about. I believe in traditions and history.