Irvine Park Railroad

Boyhood friends John Ford and Steve Horn secured the food and bike rental concessions at Irvine Regional Park in 1986. Over the years, they continuously expanded their operations within the park, adding paddleboat rentals, pony rides, horse rentals, and picnic catering. In 1996, the Irvine Park Railroad was created, a 1/3-scale train that takes children and adults on a scenic loop through the park.

The locomotive of the train is a C.P. Huntington, which was renamed the "N.H. Underhill" in 2003 in memory of a county employee who loved trains. The rolling stock travels on 24-inch gauge track, and eight different engineers are employed to keep the train running seven days a week. Passenger seats are open-air, but covered with canopies for shade and protection from falling leaves or light drizzles.

Groups can use the train for picnics and birthday parties, with discounts applied for a minimum of 20 passengers. There are Party Pavilions, moon bounce rentals, and a full-service snack bar located at the Train Station. The Irvine Park Railroad foundation also holds its own special events, such as Easter Eggstravaganza, Anniversary Celebration, Pumpkin Patch, and the Christmas Train.

Irvine Park Railroad is located at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, California 92869. The hours of operation are from 10am to 4pm daily; closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The cost per person to ride the train is $4 regardless of age; infants less than 12 months old are free. Books of 15 tickets are available for $45.