Getting on the Railroad
At the front of the Zoo: Board the train at the Chrysler Main Station near the admission booths. The train will take you directly to the back of the Zoo.
At the back of the Zoo: Board the train at African Station, located in the far northeast corner of the Zoo past the rhino habitat. The train will take you back to the front of the Zoo.
Find on MapRailroad History
The Tauber Family Railroad was presented to the Zoo in 1931 by the Detroit News. The miniature railroad consists of two complete trains of six coaches each and one standby. All three locomotives were donated by the Chrysler Corporation in the 1950s. In the ‘80s, the locomotives were renovated, and new coaches were fabricated through a fund-raising campaign co-hosted with The Detroit News. The locomotives were refurbished again in 2008 with new coaches, rebuilt engines, gears, gauges, wheels and bodies. The train serves more than a half million passengers per year.