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All aboard! The Albuquerque BioPark offers two train rides on narrow gauge, ¾ scale trains. The Thunderbird Express loops through the Zoo only, and the Rio Line travels between the Zoo and Aquarium/Botanic Garden with a stop at Tingley Beach. Train rides are available Tuesdays-Sundays. Train rides are closed on Mondays for maintenance.
Due to the large weekend crowds during summer, Rio Line train tickets are not sold on Saturdays or Sundays from May 26 through August 31. On these weekends, the Rio Line train is reserved for visitors with combo tickets or member train tickets to travel between facilities. |
The Botanic Garden also has an exhibit where visitors can get a "bird's-eye view" of trains rolling through villages and rumbling over bridges. This Garden Railroad features 'G' scale model trains and miniature landscapes. This is a small model railroad--not to be confused with our passenger trains!
Please note that operating days and times are different for each train. See below for details.
The Thunderbird Express train, sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed-Martin Corporation, operates in a nonstop loop around the Zoo. Conductors give a behind-the-scenes tour during the 20 minute journey.
Days and Times
The zoo train runs Tuesday through Sunday, at 30 minute intervals from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. (The train does not run on Mondays.)
Train Station Location
Purchase tickets for the Thunderbird Express (Zoo train only) and climb onboard at the "Out of Africa" gift shop and train station in the Africa exhibit. See below for details about the Rio Line train that travels between the Zoo and Aquarium/Botanic Garden.
Ticket Information
The Rio Line train travels between the Aquarium/Garden and the Zoo, stopping at each facility and the Tingley Train Station. Conductors give an interpretive tour and answer your questions as you ride. A round trip journey lasts approximately one hour.
Due to the large weekend crowds during summer, Rio Line train tickets are not sold on Saturdays or Sundays from May 26 through August 31. On these weekends, the Rio Line train is reserved for visitors with combo tickets or member train tickets to travel between facilities. |
Tuesdays through Sundays. (Trains do not operate on Mondays.) Trains run from approximately 10:00am to 3:45pm. The last trains leave the Aquarium/Garden Station and the Asia Station at the zoo at 3:45pm. The last train leaves the Tingley Station at 3:00pm.
Aquarium/Garden Train Station - Located in the west parking lot of the Aquarium/Garden at the intersection of Central and Tingley Drive. Trains usually arrive at 15 minutes before and after the hour. (From November-February, the train arrives only 15 minutes before the hour.) Purchase tickets in the Aquarium Gift Shop. The last train for the day leaves at 3:45pm.
Zoo - Asia Train Station - Located at the north end of the Zoo beyond the giraffes and elephants. Trains usually arrive at 15 minutes before and after the hour. (From November-February, the train arrives only 15 minutes after the hour.) To board the Rio Line train at this station, zoo visitors must purchase a combo ticket or member train ticket at the zoo front entrance. No Rio Line train-ride-only tickets are sold at the Zoo. The last train for the day leaves at 3:45pm.
Tingley Train Station - Located at Tingley Beach on Tingley Drive. Parking is available both north and south of the station. Trains usually arrive on the hour and 30 minutes after the hour. (From November-February, the train arrives only once an hour on the hour). Purchase tickets at Tingley Beach Outfitters, the gift shop inside the station. The last train for the day leaves at 3:00pm.
Seasonal Schedules
Summer Schedule - May 26-August 31
Fall Schedule - September 1-October 31
Winter Schedule - November-February
Spring Schedule - March-May
*Please check the schedules above for details about ticket availability.
Due to the large weekend crowds during summer, Rio Line train tickets are not sold on Saturdays or Sundays from May 26 through August 31. On these weekends, the Rio Line train is reserved for visitors with combo tickets or member train tickets to travel between facilities. |
*Please check the schedules above for details about ticket availability.
The Garden Railroad is on a shaded pathway between the entrance and the Butterfly Pavilion. Two 400 foot loops of 'G' scale brass rails on free-floating tracks run by villages, over trestle bridges and through tunnels. Trains run in all kinds of weather. BioPark volunteers from New Mexico Garden Railroaders operate the railroad and answer your questions.
This Botanic Garden exhibit is included with regular admission.
Hours
The Garden Railroad is currently operating only as volunteer schedules permit. There is no set schedule.
December: River of Lights Schedule
(River of Lights will be November 29-December 30, 2008.)
Wednesday-Sunday, 1:00-4:00pm and 6:00-8:30pm