The Dairy State’s celebrated for its pizza farms—where family-run farms bake pizzas using ingredients grown on-site and cheese sourced from the area—but lesser-known is Wisconsin’s pizza train. All you have to do is come on board, then sit back, relax, and enjoy just-out-of-the-oven pizza paired with a cool view.
Tucked into a historic passenger rail car operated by Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, the “Family Pizza Train” itinerary runs every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. year-round, chugging along on a 12-mile stretch between the small towns of Spooner and Hayward. In the summer between June 16 and Aug. 28, four more Pizza Trains are added each week, and operate from Tuesday through Friday. For each of these, the trip takes two hours and ends at 1:30 p.m.
Spooner and Hayward are home to just under 3,000 people each, and are popular destinations for fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. This region is just two hours northeast of Minnesota’s Twin Cities (Minneapolis and the capital city of St. Paul), and an hour southeast of Duluth, Minnesota. From the train, you’ll see things like sprawling farm fields, the Namekagon River, and dense forests.
Tickets cost $42 per adult and $34 per child (between the ages of two and 12). Each passenger receives their own pizza—choose from cheese, pepperoni, sausage, or gluten-free (additional $3 charge)—and your first bottled water or soda (Pepsi products). Although there’s open seating on the train, parties can sit together at adjacent tables. Or, there are private-dining compartments for up to six people in a party. A bar serves additional beverages, including those with alcohol.
Founded in 1997, the company has welcomed people onto its trail line, offering a variety of themed experiences. In addition to the pizza train, which is the most popular and marketed as family-friendly, there’s the “Wine & Cheese Train Ride” ($75 per person). Like the “Family Pizza Train,” this is a two-hour trip and puts Wisconsin’s dairy tradition into the spotlight, as the four cheeses served are produced within the state. The wines poured are also made in Wisconsin, and a souvenir wine tumbler included with each ticket is a fun take-home gift. This adults-only experience is offered between May and October only.
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