BLOWING ROCK — For generations Tweetsie Railroad has been providing families with Wild West themed fun in the NC mountains. This upcoming season, Tweetsie Railroad will be opening three new rides for visitors to take a turn on April 8, just in time for the Easter Bunny to be a featured guest at the amusement park.
“I am most excited to see the park come to life again. All winter our staff has been diligently working on park improvements and installing the new rides,” Marketing Manager at Tweetsie Railroad Meghan Minton said. “I look forward to seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of our guests as they all enjoy these rides.”
One of the new rides that will open to the public this April is the 12-seat Mini Swing. This particular attraction is designed for younger guests who are at least four years old and between 32 and 59 inches tall. The ride includes flying chairs that were custom painted in Italy by manufacturer SBFVisa to incorporate a No. 12 Tweetsie locomotive motif. This ride will be located on Miners Mountain, next to a playground that was completely renovated last year.
“We want our guests to experience a full day of fun with their family — an opportunity to be present and truly enjoy each other,” Minton said. “A day that they will look back on and appreciate time well spent, making memories together.”
Another ride coming to Tweetsie Railroad is the Barrells of Fun, a spinning figure-eight shaped coaster. This rollercoaster is designed for families to enjoy together, accommodating riders between 36 and 77 inches tall.
“I think that they [visitors] expect a certain experience and they get it,” Minton said. “It is fun for younger families, I feel like it is something that their child enjoys but also it is something that they can enjoy with their child.”
The third and tallest new ride coming to Tweetsie Railroad is the 12-seat Buckaroo Drop. This ride spins as it spirals downwards from almost 50 feet in the air. The Buckaroo Drop is located in Country Fair, where guests can take in a birds-eye view of the park.
“There is a shared experience that guests can have so you’re not just the one standing in line watching your kids experience it, you’re experiencing it with them,” Minton said.
Tweetsie Railroad offers events for holidays or just for a fun visit to the mountains. The Easter Bunny, the Fourth of July fireworks, Ghost Trains for Halloween, and Tweetsie’s Christmas events are all enhanced experiences for guests to dive into.
“Throughout Ghost Train we still keep the kid friendly activities such as trick-or-treating or rides that are open at night,” Minton said. “But, it is an evening program so when we hit Ghost Train we see a lot more of the older kids and adults.”