Tickets
NC Transportation Museum Lifetime, Family Platinum, & Family Premium Members*
Tickets on sale 3/30/26 at 9am Eastern Time
NC Transportation Museum Members*
Tickets on sale 3/31/26 at 9am Eastern Time
General Public
Tickets on sale 4/1/26 at 9am Eastern
*You must become a member by 3/23/26 in order to receive member presale benefits. You may join after that date to receive member pricing once you have received your membership number.
Ticket Pricing*
Event tickets include all site activities and one train ride with Thomas.
Fridays: $30.60
($25 plus $5.60 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Weekends: $32.74
($27 plus $5.74 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Percy Train Tickets
Percy Train tickets are only available as an add-on after purchasing your Day Out With Thomas™ ticket.
Fridays: Additional $10.70
($10 plus $0.70 in fees and tax)
Weekends: Additional $12.84
($12 plus $0.84 in fees and tax)
Breakfast With Sir Topham Hatt
Available as an add-on to Day Out With Thomas™ tickets only.
$20.97 ($16 plus $4.97 in fees and tax) all ages
Fridays Only – All Day Multiple Ride Pass (limited quantities)
Thomas All-Day Ride Pass: $43.44
($37 plus $6.44 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Percy All-Day Ride Pass: $10.70
Available only as an add-on to Thomas All-Day Ride Pass
($10 plus $0.70 tax) ages 1 and up**
Day Out With Thomas™ is a rain-or-shine event. There are no refunds or exchanges.
*Members receive a $2 discount per Day Out with Thomas event ticket; “All Day Ride Passes” are not discounted.
**Taxes and fees are included and are visible up-front when purchasing tickets.
Reciprocal memberships from participating Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) will NOT be accepted for this premium event. Neither will vouchers for free museum admission/train ride nor free train ride with paid museum admission.
Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll!
September 25-27 & October 2-4, 2026
Quick Links: Activities | Event Pricing | FAQ | All-Day Ride Pass | Breakfast w/Sir Topham Hatt | Photo Opps | Overnight Stay & Play Packages
All aboard for a rockin’ good time! Thomas the Tank Engine, everyone’s favorite #1 blue engine, is coming to town. Day Out With Thomas™ will be stopping at the North Carolina Transportation Museum with a celebration of music on September 25-27 and October 2-4, 2026.
Day Out With Thomas™ is a fun-filled family event that takes place at Heritage Railways across the world. Each ticket includes a train ride with a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine as well as access to a full day of activities for all to enjoy. Optional rides with Percy are also available for an additional cost.
The event at the N.C. Transportation Museum includes Thomas and Percy train rides, pictures with Sir Topham Hatt, a hay bale maze, temporary tattoos, photo ops, character inflatables, giant lawn games, a music show, model train layouts, food vendors, picnic shelters, a large gift shop, plus three exhibit buildings featuring North Carolina’s transportation history with rail cars, antique automobiles, and a Wright Brothers flyer replica.
Activities Include:
- Live Entertainment
- Train Rides: 25 minute ride with Thomas the Tank Engine (included), Optional 25 minute ride with Percy (extra cost)
- Group Activities: Bean Bag Toss, Mini Golf, Hay Bale Maze, Inflatable Games
- Additional Experiences: Bubbles, Temporary Tattoos, Crafts, Coloring Sheet
- Inflatable Fun: Character Inflatable photo ops!
- Museum Components: Heritage Railway Historical Artifacts
Tickets
NC Transportation Museum Lifetime, Family Platinum, & Family Premium Members*
Tickets on sale 3/30/26 at 9am Eastern Time
NC Transportation Museum Members*
Tickets on sale 3/31/26 at 9am Eastern Time
General Public
Tickets on sale 4/1/26 at 9am Eastern
*You must become a member by 3/23/26 in order to receive member presale benefits. You may join after that date to receive member pricing once you have received your membership number.
Ticket Pricing*
Event tickets include all site activities and one train ride with Thomas.
Fridays: $30.60
($25 plus $5.60 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Weekends: $32.74
($27 plus $5.74 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Percy Train Tickets
Percy Train tickets are only available as an add-on after purchasing your Day Out With Thomas™ ticket.
Fridays: Additional $10.70
($10 plus $0.70 in fees and tax)
Weekends: Additional $12.84
($12 plus $0.84 in fees and tax)
Breakfast With Sir Topham Hatt
Available as an add-on to Day Out With Thomas™ tickets only.
$20.97 ($16 plus $4.97 in fees and tax) all ages
Fridays Only – All Day Multiple Ride Pass (limited quantities)
Thomas All-Day Ride Pass: $43.44
($37 plus $6.44 in fees and tax) ages 1 and up**
Percy All-Day Ride Pass: $10.70
Available only as an add-on to Thomas All-Day Ride Pass
($10 plus $0.70 tax) ages 1 and up**
Day Out With Thomas™ is a rain-or-shine event. There are no refunds or exchanges.
*Members receive a $2 discount per Day Out with Thomas event ticket; “All Day Ride Passes” are not discounted.
**Taxes and fees are included and are visible up-front when purchasing tickets.
Reciprocal memberships from participating Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) will NOT be accepted for this premium event. Neither will vouchers for free museum admission/train ride nor free train ride with paid museum admission.
Ticket Prices
Tickets are $30.60 ($25 plus $5.60 in fees and tax) on Fridays, $32.74 ($27 plus $5.74 in fees and tax) on weekends, ages 1 and up. Members receive a $2 discount per Day Out with Thomas event ticket; “All Day Ride Passes” are not discounted. Event tickets include all site activities and one train ride with Thomas. Percy train tickets can be purchased for an additional $10.70 ($10 plus $0.70 in fees and tax) on Fridays or for an additional $12.84 ($12 plus $0.84 in fees and tax) on weekends. Percy Train tickets are only available as an add-on after purchasing your Day Out With Thomas™ ticket. Taxes and fees are included in ticket prices and are visible up-front when purchasing tickets.
All-Day Ride Pass
A limited number of all-day ride passes are available for Fridays, September 25 and October 2. The all-day ride passes allow multiple rides behind Thomas the Tank Engine™ during the day. All-day Percy ride passes cannot be purchased without holding all-day Thomas ride passes. Fans without the all-day ride passes are welcome to enjoy the event activities all day long but are limited to only the one ride time they have selected for the Thomas train and the optional Percy train.
Breakfast with Sir Topham Hatt
Start your day out with a pancake breakfast (pancakes, sausage, a fruit cup and juice) onboard a stationary train car. You will get a chance to meet and get your picture taken with Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of the Railway (picture sold separately). Everyone ages 1 and up must have a Sir Topham Hatt Breakfast ticket to board the breakfast train cars. Children under the age of 1 are free but must sit on the lap of a paying member of the party and will not be served a meal unless a ticket was purchased for them. Seating is limited. Two 45-minute breakfast seatings are offered, from 8:15 am until 9:00 am and from 9:15 am until 10:00 am. Breakfast tickets are only available to those who also have a Day Out With Thomas™ event ticket. Please note that the breakfast train cars are not on a moving train. Breakfast train cars are not ADA accessible due to the vintage nature of their construction, and participants must be able to climb up and down steps on the train car to attend breakfast.
Professional Photo Opportunities
Professional photographers are available to take photos with Thomas, Percy, and Sir Topham Hatt for an additional charge – prices TBA.
Photos can be purchased on the day of the event at the photographer’s tent located near the Thomas train.
Questions regarding tickets or to order by phone?
Please contact the Day Out with Thomas™️ charge-by-phone line at: 1-866-468-7630 (9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST/7 days a week, beginning March 30 for members and April 1 for the general public). For general event information, you can also email the museum at info@nctransportationmuseum.org.
Overnight Stay & Play Package
Overnight Stay & Play Packages can be booked beginning April 1, 2026. The deadline to book the Overnight Packages for Day Out With Thomas™ for the opening weekend September 25 – 27, 2026 is September 22, 2026 at 4 p.m. or while supplies last. The deadline to book for the second weekend October 2 – 4, 2026 is September 29, 2026 at 4 p.m. or while supplies last.
You can earn complimentary Day Out with Thomas™ tickets by booking your overnight stay in a participating Rowan County Lodging property. Pay careful attention to the process, as well as the terms and conditions prior to booking your lodging.
Book your overnight stay in Rowan County during the date you are attending Day Out with Thomas™ at the N.C. Transportation Museum and receive:
1 Night Stay |
2 free Day Out with Thomas™ and Percy combo tickets (while supplies last*) OR a $45 VISA gift card *Please note that Percy train tickets are more limited and therefore will only be included in the package while they last. |
2 Night Stay |
4 free Day Out with Thomas™ and Percy combo tickets (while supplies last*) OR a $90 VISA gift card * Please note that Percy train tickets are more limited and therefore will only be included in the package while they last. |
Questions regarding Overnight Stay & Play Package? Contact the Rowan County Tourism office at 1-800-332-2343, 704-638-3100, or visit their website.