Climb aboard for a 1 hour and 30-minute journey through the hills and forests of Southern Indiana. The train departs from the historic 1907 Limestone depot located in the heart of French Lick, and only steps from the grand French Lick Hotel.
The trip will take you on a winding ride through the Hoosier National Forest, pass several sites of interest, and through the Burton Tunnel – the second longest railroad tunnel in the State of Indiana at just under 1/2-mile in length.
Built in 1907 the 2,200 foot Burton Tunnel is the second longest tunnel in Indiana, the longest being the Duncan Tunnel which is an additional 2,489 feet long for a total length of 4,689 feet. The tunnel hosted the Southern Railway which ran the branch line from French Lick to Huntingburg Indiana. The tunnel was dug out from both ends and joined in the middle, while you ride our train if you look for it you can see how the angle didn’t quite meet up evenly, and there is a corner on either side of the tunnel walls toward the middle.
Lower Coach Per Seat: $24
Upper Coach Per Seat: $28
Open Air Per Seat: $32
First Class Per Seat: $38
Vista Dome First Class Per Seat: $55
French Lick & West Baden was once known as the home to “America’s Laxative”. The Pluto Water slogan was “When nature wont, Pluto will.” At one point in time, 40-50 train cars were used to ship Pluto Water across the country. This “healing” water naturally contained sodium, magnesium sulfate, and lithium which produced a foul odor. This odor prompted people to say that the underworld couldn’t be far away.
Pluto, the Roman God of the Underworld became a staple symbol in our area. Ultimately, Pluto Water sales were stopped in 1971 when lithium became a controlled substance and was no longer allowed to be sold publicly. However, the Pluto symbol remains and can still be found in many areas locally.
