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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.
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 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.
Tickets are on sale now. Please sign up for our newsletter to get updates and other event information.
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
No. While we do not provide shuttles to the site, parking spaces will be available near Golden Spike National Historic Site for you to park your car when you arrive. A $20 ticket for each vehicle is required to access the site; tickets allow entry for all of the vehicle’s passengers and they must be purchased in advance online. Visit Box Elder, Visit Ogden, and Visit Salt Lake are great resources for information about car rental and chartered bus services.
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.
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.
In the event of a government shutdown we are working on contingency plans. We are currently working with local landowners to explore what could occur adjacent to the Historic Site.
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. Visit the National Park Service’s Accessibility for Visitors for more information.
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! The portion of the ceremony between noon and 1pm on May 10th, including the premiere of musical performance As One, will be broadcast throughout the state on our partner station KSL Channel 5 and on 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 Race to Promontory website.
Check www.goldenspike2019.com for Ogden event details and availability of the iconic Big Boy #4014 and the #844 trains.
Yes! The Utah Transit Authority is planning to run additional Frontrunner trains to Ogden Station from May 9 – May 11, 2019. Check the schedule to plan your trip.
Yes! Booths are available at Ogden’s Heritage Festival. Visit Ogden will be opening the vendor application process for booths on February 1, 2019. The application fee is $15. If approved, permits will cost $250 for one day or $500 to be there for all three days. You can direct any inquiries to www.goldenspike2019.com. There will not be vendor booths available at Promontory Summit.
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.
Yes! We are currently accepting applications for volunteers.
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 Transcontinental Railroad toolkit that can be found at local County libraries. With reading recommendations and reference materials, these toolkits contain books and historical resources to bolster your Transcontinental Railroad learning.
