Archbold, OH – Sauder Village guests will certainly be smiling on October 4 & 5 as they watch tiny trains travel ‘round the tracks, through tunnels, and pasty tiny homes and community buildings. Whether you are an avid train collector or just a kid at heart, the “All Aboard Train Event” will certainly provide a fun-filled and memorable way to celebrate fall at Sauder Village!
Again this year, the Swanton Area Railroad and Model Club will have a variety of model trains set-up in the Festival Barn. There will also be a garden-scale train display in the Museum Building. Guests of all ages will enjoy looking at these detailed displays, visiting with the train club members and watching the trains travel ‘round the tracks.
Throughout the weekend guests will also have the opportunity to learn more about train and car safety. Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit group from Montpelier, will be on hand to share important safety information with guests.
A visit to Sauder Village would not be complete without a ride on the Erie Express. The Erie Express is the 24-gauge “big boy train” that replaced the small train that was in the Historic Village since 1976. A replica of the C.P. Huntington, the Erie Express has five train cars, including one car that is wheelchair accessible. Guests can ride the train not only for fun but also as a way to travel to Pioneer Settlement, the new 5-acre addition to Sauder Village. With a train stop at Pioneer Settlement, guests can get off the train at this new area to visit historic homes, the log school, church, jail and more!
Guests can also register for a chance to be a “guest conductor” on the Erie Express train. There will be drawings held each day for both youth and adult guest conductors.
There are many fall activities planned at Historic Sauder Village through the end of October. Some of the special events include Fall on the Farm and Scout Day October 11, Community Health Day October 18 and Woodcarver’s Show & Sale October 25 and 26.
Also coming yet this fall is the final program in the free Agricultural Lecture Series. Thanks to the support of the Ohio Humanities Council all programs in the series have been free and open to the public. The final evening lecture will be held at the Sauder Heritage Inn at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 6. Joe Anderson from Mount Royal University in Alberta, Canada will present “The Vacant Chair on the Farm: Understanding Marriage, Farm Management, and Soldiering in the Midwest during the American Civil War.”
