We love all sorts of things that go – cars, trains, airplanes…you name it! So I was excited to see that there was a park with a train near us just perfect for our toddler and preschooler.
Oak Meadow Park is next to Vasona Lake County Park and is a favorite all-in-one park for toddlers in Los Gatos. I learned about it through a local parenting group, and we have enjoyed several visits there over the past year. The number one feature for us is the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, but the carousel and playground would be fun on their own, too.
The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad is a miniature open-air train that runs from Oak Meadow Park through the nearby Vasona Lake County Park, offering views of the hills and park. The one-third scale train uses a diesel or steam powered locomotive to take patrons on a loop through the park. The trip was maybe 10 minutes long, just the right amount of time for a wiggly toddler to enjoy seeing some trees, crossing over a creek, and waving at everyone walking on the Los Gatos Creek Trail.
After the train ride, we enjoyed a ride on the historical W.E. “Bill” Mason Carousel. It is more than 100 years old! It was built in Great Britain and shipped around the Horn of South America before the building of the Panama Canal for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, then was a part of a traveling circus before settling in Los Gatos in the 1980s.
Tickets:
Tickets to ride the railroad or the carousel are $3 per rider age 3 and over and can be purchased at the ticket booth with cash or credit card.
Hours vary by season, so be sure to check their website for the current details.
Accessibility:
There is also a custom-built wheelchair car with ramp access on the train, and guests with disabilities ride for free on both the train and the carousel. The path from the parking lot is flat and paved, and lots of strollers were parked near the ticket booth while families enjoyed the day.
There are picnic tables and restrooms by the carousel, and there are also some picnic tables under trees beside the playground area. Food is available from the snack shack by the carousel, and the menu even includes some hot meals around lunchtime.
Other attractions:
Even without a ride on the train or carousel, we would enjoy the playground. Young aviation enthusiasts scramble over the decommissioned US Air Force T-33 jet trainer aircraft that has been at the park since 1974. An old-style fire truck and a railroad play structure complete the transportation theme.
The playground area isn’t entirely enclosed, but there is a fence between the playground, parking lot and road. There are larger and smaller more traditional playground structures with slides, too.
The Los Gatos Creek Trail passes through the park, and there is currently a story exhibit from the Los Gatos Library where visitors can enjoy reading a book one page spread at a time on the paved path between the playground / parking lot area and the carousel / railroad area.
The dedicated parking lot may be full if you visit on a weekend, but a few minutes of waiting and watching can pay off with a spot right beside the playground. If you don’t have that level of patience or want to burn off some extra energy, you can also park at the adjoining Vasona Lake County Park (for a $6 daily fee) and follow a pathway to walk across the bridge and through the park. There are also pedestrian entrances from up the hill on University Avenue.
Ideas for extending learning:
Books:
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Ciao, Baby! Ready for a Ride by Carole Lexa Schaefer
Everything Goes board book series
Play:
A play table train set provides all sorts of possibilities to design tracks for a train to run on.
We have a KidKraft activity table and a set of felt transportation items that frequently get set up all around the house.
Some sidewalk chalk could also make tracks for trains or roads for other vehicles.
If you have a tiny person in your home that also enjoys things that go, Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos should definitely be on your list of parks to visit in the Bay Area. Do you have other suggestions for places we should explore? Let us know in the comments!
