If you are looking for something historical in Northern Utah, look no further than Golden Spike National Historical Park. Located at the site where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads converged in 1869, Golden Spike is a fascinating look back at how our country developed.
Golden Spike National Historical Park is part of the National Park Service and we were able to visit it with Tyler’s free Every Child Outdoors Pass. If you’re visiting, you really want to try to get to Golden Spike before 10:00 a.m. Just outside of the Visitor’s Center there is a railroad and a large viewing area with dozens of benches for visitors to sit during the Ranger Program.
At 10:00 a.m. the Central Pacific Railroad’s Jupiter engine pulls right up and the Ranger begins telling the story of what happened on May 10, 1869 – the day the last spike was hammered into the railroad. Filled with wood and blowing white steam, this engine came in from Sacramento, and is an exact replica of the original. The Park Ranger filled us in on all of the details that led up to that train arriving at the Golden Spike site, starting with President Abraham Lincoln commissioning this first transcontinental railroad in 1862.
When she was done, we had an opportunity to see the engine up close. We also read each of the displays located just outside the Visitor’s Center. The boys learned a ton about how the railroad was constructed and about the local area at the time as they completed their Junior Ranger books.
Then at 10:30 a.m. the Union Pacific Railroad’s 119 engine pulled up and the Park Ranger continued the story. This engine, which came in from Nebraska, was powered by coal. It was also an exact replica of the original. She talked about the differences in each train and each railroad company. She also talked about how in 1869 it look 4-6 months for someone to travel from the east coast of the United States to the west coast. The promise of the transcontinental railroad was that it would only take 10 days now. That’s a huge difference! And since it took us only 5 hours to go from Florida to Utah, it was really fascinating to think how far we’ve come since then.
A few times a year, visitors are treated to a full reenactment of the ceremony that took place on May 10, 1869 and we were fortunate enough to visit on one of those days. When the second train arrived, someone who worked for Western Union set up his telegraph equipment so that he could relay to everyone across the country exactly what happened at Golden Spike. Men representing each of the railroad companies made presentations along with other notable guests. It was a real treat to get to see them take two golden spikes and add them to the railroad in front of us and then hammer them in (or attempt to – apparently they both missed that day!)
In total, we spent about an hour visiting Golden Spike National Historical Park. We enjoyed a step back in time and learned a lot. The trains are both available for viewing from the time they arrive in the morning until 1:00 p.m. when they begin to depart. I highly recommend being their for their arrival, if possible. There are also walking and driving tours that are available from the Visitor’s Center and picnic tables if you want to bring your lunch.
Things to Know Before You Go:
- There is plenty of seating outside of the Visitor’s Center, but you are outside and there is no shade, so be prepared with appropriate clothing, sunscreen and water.
- About 30-minutes from Golden Spike is the Spiral Jetty – a piece of public art in the Great Salt Lake. It would make a great addition to your day.
- About 10-minutes from Golden Spike is the Northrop Grumman Rocket Garden – another interesting site in the area.
