At The Depot
Things to Do at the Verde Canyon Railroad Depot
Begin your Verde Canyon Railroad adventure at the historic Clarkdale depot. Explore the charming grounds and take in the lively atmosphere, with plenty to see and do before your scenic train ride begins.
- Check In to Pick Up your Tickets
- Enjoy Lunch at Copper Spike Café
- Explore the Boxcar Gift Store
- Visit the John Bell Museum
- Stroll along and Read the Storyboards
- Great Photo Ops!
We Can’t Wait to Welcome You!
Once you enter the custom-made doors into the Railroad’s depot, a friendly face will greet you with a warm smile and a pledge to get your adventure started seamlessly. After you’ve picked up your tickets, the rest of the depot and grounds are yours to explore before boarding the train for the wilderness journey ahead.
- Please arrive a minimum of 2 hours prior to train departure.
Tasty Food & Drinks at the Depot
Copper Spike Café
There is a railtastic lunch ready to be served to your liking at the Copper Spike Café located in the depot. The varied menu of regional hot and cold entrees is prepared with locally grown and sourced ingredients. There is a selection to suit everyone’s palate, from the dainty eater to one with a heartier appetite, from a carnivore to a vegetarian.
- Lunches may be enjoyed under the outdoor pavilion or carried onboard the train.
Cupcakes Anyone?
Cupcakes are like friends in the pantry of memories.
– Author Unknown
Will you be celebrating? Perhaps a special birthday or anniversary onboard, or do you think your sugar craving might kick in during the rail journey? The Copper Spike Café specializes in freshly made, oversized cupcakes that will make you the envy of everyone sitting around you.
- PRO TIP: Place your food order when you buy your tickets to ride and save a little money.
Pavilion Beverage Bar
Surrounding the depot are shaded pavilions with bistro-style tables and chairs that create an ideal and comfortable dining venue. The outdoor beverage bar is open during most seasons, and features an assortment of local craft beers on tap, as well as signature margaritas and private-labeled wines. Coffee, tea and soft drinks also are available.
- The pavilion is the place to be for seasonal events like Uncorked Wine Festival and Ales on Rails.
Raptors & Reptiles at the Depot
Year-Round on Varied Schedule
Several days each month prior to the train ride, hawks, owls, eagles and other Raptors at the Depot are crowd pleasers thanks to the educational efforts of Phoenix’s Liberty Wildlife Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. During the summer season, cool cold-blooded lizards, snakes and tortoises take the spotlight and soak up the sunshine during Reptiles at the Rails.
Museum & Gift Shop at the Depot
No Tacky Souvenirs Here
Boxcar Gift Store
Shopping at the Boxcar Gift Store is a traveler’s delight. The quality selection of souvenirs, wearables, home décor and keepsakes is irresistible. The Store also celebrates the talent and creativity of local and regional artists in jewelry, sculpture and books. Consider a copy of Tracking Down the Past: The Verde Canyon Railroad Story written by Linda Durbano, the woman behind the man at the controls of Verde Canyon Railroad. Read about the incredible and inspiring history of this scenic rail line.
John Bell Museum
A stroll through the outdoor pavilion will take you to the John Bell Museum, a vintage boxcar named after a retired newspaper owner and photographer who resided just a quick walk from the railroad for most of his adult life. From 1990 until his death in 1998, Bell rode the train and conveyed timeless insights about the Railroad and Canyon history to willing listeners. His legend lives on through his name and the archival photographs that the amateur historian amassed for over 60 years. The museum also showcases neighboring communities, including Native Americans and canyon dwellers and their connection to the railroad, told through memorabilia and historic artifacts spanning more than a century.
It’s the ideal place to begin the astonishing rail adventure.
Storyboards Educate and Excite
Stories at the Depot
Storyboards, overflowing with details on the Verde Canyon adventure, are installed along the quarter-mile length of the depot’s loading platform. Learn about the megalopolis of plants, animals and people that have imprinted the Verde Valley and the Canyon. Specifics on the Railroad’s iconic FP7 locomotives, only two of 10 operational in North America, are on one of the boards that is sure to fascinate visitors.
Views from the Depot
Jerome, Arizona
There are a few historic sites that can be seen from the depot grounds. About halfway up the side of the mountain is the old mining town of Jerome, where the mother lode of copper ore was discovered and mined. In its heyday, Jerome’s United Verde Copper Company mine produced some of the richest copper ever excavated in the United States. It brought the iron ore to the Clarkdale smelter on an 11-mile railroad line that has since been abandoned. After smelting, it was hauled to mills or foundries on tracks now traveled by Verde Canyon Railroad.
Smelter Buildings
To the north of the depot there are a few buildings reminiscent of when the smelter first fired up its operation in 1915. In 1953, the final flames were doused, smelting ceased, and all that was left was a 45-acre metal-bearing slag pile along with historic buildings that still shine with the glory for their time.
Tuzigoot National Monument
To the east of the depot is Tuzigoot National Monument, a Sinagua settlement that housed several hundred people over 1400 years ago. The Native Americans who built and lived in the 100 rooms of the Tuzigoot pueblo were part of a thriving community with trade connections stretching hundreds of miles. Their lives were part of a vast and complex society that had a deep and nuanced understanding of the world around them. After the population abandoned the valley, sometime in the 1300s, the pueblo stood empty until the early 1930s, when it was excavated by American archeologists and honored with national monument status on July 25, 1939.
Get Ready to Board
Photograph and Celebrate
The entire train is visible from the depot grounds so everyone is encouraged to walk the length to photograph and celebrate their pending train ride. The history and time spent at the depot is an important component before you step onboard for the Verde Canyon journey.
Railroad Central
It wasn’t just the tracks, the iron horses or the mines and smelters that made up Verde Valley’s railroad community, the network also required a depot. Despite the size or complexity of the building, or whether it handled people, product or both, historically the depot was generally the center of the railroad universe. This link to the past still exists at Verde Canyon Railroad.
