Iowa Dinner Train Rides On The B&SV

Published: February 23, 2026

If you’ve ever wished you could pair a leisurely rail journey with a proper sit-down meal—white tablecloths, big windows, and countryside rolling by—the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum in Boone, Iowa is one of the Midwest’s best answers. It’s a classic heritage-railroad experience: restored passenger equipment, a depot-and-museum atmosphere, and excursions that lean hard into what rail travel did better than anything else—turning the journey into the main event.

While the railroad offers a mix of special event trains through the year, its dinner train lineup is where the experience really shifts into “evening out” territory. The signature program is the Wolf Dinner Train, complemented by seasonal variants like the Sunset BBQ Dinner Train and a popular Valentine Dinner Train with a separate menu.

Boone & Scenic Valley's Chinese-built 2-8-2, #8419, leads an excursion over the 156-foot-tall Bass Point Creek Bridge on August 13, 2016. Carol Highsmith photo.

A quick snapshot of the experience

Boone’s operation combines two things that are easy to appreciate even if you’re not a diehard railfan:

Scenery you don’t get from the highway. The line runs into the Des Moines River Valley region, and the railroad promotes the “dinner with this view” concept for a reason—big-sky Iowa landscapes, wooded stretches, and that unhurried pace you only get on the rails.
A golden-age dining vibe. Much of the dinner train atmosphere comes from the railroad’s use of historic passenger cars—often described as 1950s-era equipment—set up for table service so your meal feels like part of the trip, not something rushed before or after.

The railroad and museum in brief

Even if dinner is your main goal, it’s worth arriving a little early (or staying after) to take in the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum on site. The organization presents the museum and train rides together as a single destination—an easy “half-day” or “evening plus museum” plan depending on your schedule.

A nice perk: some dinner-train promotions explicitly note that admission to the museum is included with a ticket (always confirm what’s included on the date you’re booking).

Dinner train options at B&SVR

Wolf Dinner Train

The Wolf Dinner Train is Boone’s flagship evening dining run. The railroad publishes a dedicated Wolf Dinner Train menu and describes it as operating May through November (with other dinner events using different menus).

What to expect:

Dinner + a scenic ride packaged together (it’s promoted as the place in Iowa to get dinner with “this view,” which tells you how central the scenery is to the concept).
A rotating/seasonal menu approach, with the Wolf Dinner Train menu specifically labeled for the main-season operation.
Strong demand. The railroad frequently posts “limited tickets” updates for Wolf Dinner Train dates, so it’s the kind of outing that rewards booking ahead—especially for prime weekends or peak fall color.

Schedule pattern (typical): Boone’s own dinner-train category posts commonly reference Friday and Saturday evening departures, often at 5:00 PM, though exact dates vary year to year. The key move is to use the railroad’s calendar/schedule posts when you’re ready to book.

Price note: Third-party tourism listings commonly cite all-ages dinner pricing around the low $100s, but prices can change, so treat that as a planning estimate and confirm at checkout.

Sunset BBQ Dinner Train

If you like the dinner-train concept but want something more casual—or you’re visiting earlier in the season—the Sunset BBQ Dinner Train is Boone’s spring dinner offering. The railroad posts a separate page and menu for this train, and notes it typically runs on Saturday evenings in March and April.

Why it’s a great pick:

Shorter “seasonal window,” which makes it feel like a limited engagement—perfect for spring weekends when you’re itching to get outside again.
A different vibe than the formal dinner train. It’s still a dining experience, but BBQ and sunset timing naturally read as relaxed, social, and group-friendly.

Valentine Dinner Train

Boone also runs a Valentine Dinner Train, presented as a special annual event with its own menu and published dates (the specific dates change each year; Boone has posted Valentine dinner dates and ticket details as standalone event listings).

What makes it distinct:

Different menu than the Wolf Dinner Train, explicitly called out by the railroad.
High-demand booking behavior. It’s a holiday-driven event, so it tends to sell like a concert or a popular prix-fixe restaurant night—book early, especially for Friday/Saturday seatings.

How the dinner train typically flows

Arrive early and treat the depot like part of the night

Dinner trains are most enjoyable when you’re not sprinting in at the last minute. Give yourself time to park, pick up tickets, and—if it’s open—walk through the museum exhibits. Even a quick look sets the mood and makes the evening feel like a destination, not just an activity.

Pick your “best seat” based on your group

Couples: aim for a two-top (or the smallest table configuration available).

Groups: pick a table size that keeps everyone together; dinner trains are inherently social, and conversation is half the fun.

Scenery fans: prioritize window-adjacent seats if the booking system allows requests.

Spring: Sunset BBQ Dinner Train for that first “patio weather” energy—just on rails.

Summer: Wolf Dinner Train for the classic evening-out format.

Fall: Wolf Dinner Train again—especially for color season, which guests regularly rave about.

February: Valentine Dinner Train for the most date-night-forward version of the experience.

Boone sells tickets online and also provides phone purchasing options during business hours in some event listings. If you’re coordinating a group, have dietary questions, or need accessibility guidance, calling can be the quickest way to get a confident answer.

Why Boone belongs on a Midwest dinner-train shortlist

Plenty of places offer “dinner on wheels,” but Boone’s appeal is how naturally the pieces fit together: a scenic route, a heritage setting, and dining programs that aren’t an afterthought—they’re clearly a core pillar of the railroad’s seasonal calendar. Between the main-season Wolf Dinner Train, the spring Sunset BBQ Dinner Train, and the romantic Valentine Dinner Train, you can match the experience to your time of year and the occasion you’re celebrating. To learn more and planning your trip please click here to visit the railroad's website.