It's fun and easy it is for families to ride Utah's Frontrunner commuter train and Trax light rail system. Here are three fun Frontrunner day trips for families:
Ogden
Ogden was once a major railroad hub, so riding Frontrunner is a good way to begin a day of train-themed fun. The Frontrunner station is located next to historic Union Station where train enthusiasts can see the vintage engines and train cars on display outside.
Union Station is home to the Utah State Railroad Museum, the John M. Browning Firearms Museum and the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum.
Historic 25th Street and The Junction are within walking distance of the Frontrunner station. Historic 25th Street is lined with an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants. The Ogden Farmer's Market (July-Oct) and the Christmas Village are held here each year. A public playground can be found near the top of Historic 25th Street.
The Junction is Ogden's newest place to play. Sure, it's a fun place to find movies, dining, shopping and Fat Cats arcade, plus indoor sky diving, rock climbing or surfing. For extreme fun, try iFly, iRock, or Flowrider in the Junction's Salomon Center.
The Treehouse Museum is a fun and educational place to spend a few hours with younger children.
Related: 5 Favorite Restaurants on Ogden's 25th Street
Farmington
Farmington has long been known as the home of Lagoon, Utah's biggest amusement park. Shuttles run every 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays from the Frontrunner stop at Farmington Station to Lagoon, making public transportation a good alternative.
Station Park is next to Farmington Station, and it's Davis County's new gathering place. This shopping, dining and entertainment center has a movie theater, playground, ice skating rink (in winter), and a fountain designed by the creator of the Fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Station Park's fountain isn't nearly as large, but with shows every hour, it is still impressive.
Related: Tips for Visiting Lagoon Amusement Park
Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City is our most frequent Frontrunner destination because there are so many things to do there. Our most recent trip took us to the Salt Lake City's beautiful library, where we spent most of the day reading. Other favorite family destinations include:
- Discovery Gateway Children's Museum
- Clark Planetarium
- Gateway Mall
- Energy Solutions Arena
- Temple Square
- LDS Church History Museum
- Joseph Smith Memorial Building
- City Creek Mall
- The Leonardo Museum
- Gallivan Center
We ride the train to Salt Lake City each December to enjoy the holiday spirit and decorations downtown. Seeing the Christmas lights on Temple Square is one of our holiday traditions. Riding the train makes the day that much better because we avoid holiday traffic and parking hassles.
Related: Tips for Visiting Downtown Salt Lake City at Christmas Time
David Bailey
Thanksgiving Point is a short walk from Lehi station!
Allison Laypath
Thank you for sharing! I knew it was in the vicinity, but wan’t sure if it was within reasonable walking distance. Thanksgiving Point is a great family destination.
robin
Does anyone know how close to the frontrunner station?
Allison
Lehi Station is west of the Thanksgiving Point buildings you can see from I-15. It is about 3/4 mile from those museums and shops and about a mile from Ashton Gardens and the Museum of Natural Curiosity.
jaredlonghurst
How close does the frontrunner take you to the gateway mall?
Allison Laypath
Frontrunner stops about 2 blocks from the Gateway Mall at the Salt Lake Central Station. We have walked it several times, both day and night. The neighborhood looks a bit seedy, but we’ve never had reason to feel unsafe. If you prefer, you can take Trax from the Frontrunner station for free. Trax has 2 stops at the Gateway Mall. One is on the south, the other is on the east, across from Clark Planetarium. The new Frontrunner stop on North Temple would also be a short walk or ride from Gateway, but we haven’t tried it yet.
Chelsea Allen
Take the FrontRunner to Orem or Provo Station. There’s new (2018 – FREE TO ALL!) UVX buses that can take you to many points between the two. Stops are at Lakeview shopping in Orem, UVU, the Orem University Mall, LaVell Edwards football stadium, Provo Missionary Training Center, BYU, a stop right in front of the Provo City Center temple. 🙂
Allison
Great tip! Thank you, Chelsea!
Toni
Can I get to the Hill Airplane museum on the front runner train ,is it within walking distance from the station?
Allison
Hi Toni! Unfortunately, the Roy Frontrunner station is not within a short walk of Hill Aerospace Museum. It’s about 3.5 miles away. You can take a bus (look up the 604) from the station to the museum.