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Yes! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Access to the site between May 10 – May 12, 2019 is by private car or chartered bus only. Space is limited so a ticket will be required to park your car at the event site. Ticketed parking includes entry for all individuals in each vehicle. Visit Box Elder, Visit Ogden, and Visit Salt Lake are great resources for information about car rental and chartered bus services. Get your tickets here.
We expect to celebrate with more than 10,000 visitors on May 10th. To facilitate parking adjacent to the site and help offset the costs of the 150th Sesquicentennial Festival and Celebration, tickets are required for all personal vehicles. The $20 fee per vehicle covers entry for all passengers in the vehicle for all activities on May 10th. Tickets must be purchased in advance online and will not be available on site.
Yes! Lodging is still available in Salt Lake, Ogden, and Box Elder counties. Visit Box Elder, Visit Ogden, and Visit Salt Lake are great resources for information about availability and details.
Promontory Summit is located in Box Elder County in northern Utah. The site is approximately a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City. On May 10th, please allow for at least three hours to drive to the site and pass through ticket and security checkpoints.
From Downtown Salt Lake City
Get on 1-15 N from 400 S
Follow 1-15 N to Exit 365, UT-13 N/Promontory Rd in Box Elder County.
Turn left and follow UT-83 N to 22000 W Rd/Golden Spike Rd
From Ogden
Take 1-15 N/1-84 and UT -83 N to 7200 N Rd in Box Elder County
Continue on 7200 M Rd. Drive to 22000 W Rd/Golden Spike Rd
Additional directions can be found on the Golden Spike National Historic Site website.
To facilitate charter bus parking adjacent to the site, tickets for buses is a $250 fee per bus. This covers entry for all passengers in the bus to the Golden Spike National Historic Site and all Festival activities. Tickets must be purchased in advance online and will not be available on site.
The event at Promontory Summit will occur rain or shine. Golden Spike National Historic Site is located in a high desert environment on the north end of the Great Salt Lake. The lake and channeling of winds through the valley, where the site is located, can cause very unique weather conditions. Please check forecasts before coming to the site and come prepared for changing weather conditions.
Train reenactments and steam demonstrations run on a daily schedule from May – September at the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Special steam demonstrations and reenactments will will be held on site during the weekend of May 10th.
The iconic Big Boy #4014 and the #844 trains will be at Ogden Union Station. Check Visit Ogden’s Frequently Asked Questions page for an event schedule, parking instructions, and how to see the trains.
No. Camping is available at campgrounds in the surrounding area. We recommend looking into free/paid camping in Box Elder County. Visit Box Elder has lodging and accommodations recommendations and contact information.
The site is located in a remote valley on the north end of the Great Salt Lake. One paved road leads into and out of the site and cell phone coverage is limited. The nearest fuel and other services are more than 25 miles from the Festival site.
The Sesquicentennial Festival Area will be held in the field to the south of the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Please wear sturdy footwear to navigate uneven terrain.
Seating will not be provided. Each guest may bring a chair to the event.
Food trucks and free water will be onsite during the Festival. Guests may also bring their own snacks and lunches.
Yes. We’re committed to making the celebration accessible for everyone. When purchasing your ticket for parking please let us know if you have an ADA accessible parking permit so we can accommodate you. Please have your ADA permit visible in your vehicle dashboard along with your vehicle ticket so our volunteers can direct you to the appropriate parking. Visit the National Park Service’s Accessibility for Visitors for more information.
No. Due to the expected number of visitors, only ADA certified service dogs will be allowed at Golden Spike National Historic Site from May 10 – May 12.
No drones will not be allowed on site from May 10-12.
No, National Park Passes are for entrance fees only, which will be waived May 10-12, and will not be accepted for parking, which is being provided by a private entity. All park visitors during the weekend of May 10-12 will be required to purchase a parking ticket for your vehicle. The parking ticket will be used to facilitate parking on private land adjacent to the site and help offset the costs of the 150th Sesquicentennial Festival and Celebration. Tickets are required for all personal vehicles.
Passenger vehicles and vans with a seating capacity of up to 15 people are considered a car and should register for a vehicle ticket online. If your vehicle has a seating capacity over 15 people please register as a charter bus ticket online.
Yes! Please reach out to info@spike150.org for directions about how to register your school bus through our online ticketing system.
The parking area for your vehicle ticket is in a primitive dirt field adjacent to the Golden Spike National Historic Site. The field will be accessible from a dirt road near the turnoff to the site. Walkways will provide access to the site from the parking area. Remember that Golden Spike National Historic Site is located in a high desert environment on the north end of the Great Salt Lake. Please check forecasts before coming to the site and come prepared with a vehicle capable of navigating muddy/wet conditions as they may exist.
In the case of inclement weather, we are developing a plan for shuttle service from a nearby site with paved parking. Please check the weather and look for an email with ticket holder updates from Spike 150 about this service.
Please reach out to Brittanie Hewlett at brittanie@spike150.org if you have questions about the vehicle ticket you purchased.
To efficiently move traffic from Interstate 15 to the parking area we ask that you print the ticket that was emailed to you and place it on your dashboard. There will be a series of traffic checkpoint volunteers to check your ticket and direct you to the parking area.
If you purchased a vehicle ticket for the May 10th celebration weekend during the sale of our first block of tickets you do not need to purchase another ticket when the second block of vehicle tickets go on sale on April 1st.
If you purchased a ticket during the first block of sales you should have received a registration confirmation email from Spike 150 Commission with the subject, Thank you for registering for Spike 150 Ticket for Golden Spike Sesquicentennial Celebration and Festival. This email includes a link to view and print your ticket, helpful instructions, FAQ’s, and other house-keeping items for attending the celebration.
No, if you have purchased a ticket for May 11th or May 12th and are interested in attending the event on May 10th, please purchase a vehicle ticket online on April 1st for the May 10th event. Vehicle tickets are only valid for the day they were purchased.
You will need to use a different email if you wish to purchase multiple tickets.
No further tickets will be opening for this date. There are still tickets available for May 11th and 12th.
Yes! The portion of the ceremony between 12:30-1:00 pm on May 10th, including the premiere of the musical performance As One, will be broadcast live throughout the state and streamed live on our partner station KSL Channel 5. KSL will also be broadcasting a prerecorded program from 12:00-12:30 pm.
The 12:30-1:00 pm live broadcast will also be available through the Utah Education Network. Ogden and Brigham City are also hosting watch parties.
Heritage trains from Union Pacific’s fleet will be on view at Ogden’s Union Station. The iconic Big Boy #4014 and the #844 are scheduled to arrive the first week of May and will be available to the public through the celebration weekend. Follow their progress to Utah on Union Pacific’s 2019 Steam Schedule website.
Check Visit Ogden’s Frequently Asked Questions page for an event schedule, parking instructions, and how to see iconic Big Boy #4014 and the #844 trains.
Yes! The Utah Transit Authority runs Frontrunner trains to Ogden Station. Check the schedule to plan your trip.
We are partnering with communities around the state to organize more than 150 events this year. To find an event in your community visit the Statewide Events page on our website.
Yes! We are currently accepting applications for volunteers.
Spike 150 is an initiative of Utah’s Transcontinental Railroad 150th Celebration Commission. The Utah State Legislature and Governor Gary Herbert established the Commission in 2017. Utah’s Transcontinental Railroad 150th Celebration Commission will celebrate the historic 1869 “wedding of the rails” with events throughout the state including the Sesquicentennial Festival at the Golden Spike National Historic Site on the weekend of May 10-12, 2019. The Commission is also engaged in promoting other commemorative events and activities that inspire, unify, educate and advance the legacy of this historic moment.
No. In 1904, the Southern Pacific Company constructed the Lucin Cutoff, a 102-mile railroad line that runs from Ogden to Lucin, Utah. This cutoff bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad route. However, the original railroad grade is preserved at the Golden Spike National Historic Site. In 1942 the rails leading to Promontory Summit were removed and re-laid in military depots in support of the war effort during WWII.
The Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, the State Board of Education and Spike 150 have partnered with the Utah Education Network to develop lesson plans and general educational resources for Utah students in K-8th grade.
The Utah Department of Heritage and Arts has created a history of the Transcontinental Railroad. A toolkit with reading recommendations and reference materials, books and historical resources to bolster your Transcontinental Railroad learning can be found at local County libraries.
