[Family-Friendly Attractions]All Aboard the Train Ride of a Lifetime at Alishan Forest Railway Locomotive Depot Park

Plan a family-friendly train-themed outing on your next holiday. The Alishan Forest Railway transforms into a kid-friendly attraction at its locomotive depot park in Chiayi City, where you can see historic mini trains from various eras, and even watch operational trains passing through the depot. What boy doesn’t love trains? Bring your kids to experience Taiwan’s only forest railway.

Address: No. 2, Lin Sen West Road, East District, Chiayi City
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00–16:00; Saturday and Sunday 08:00–17:00
Nearby Attractions: Hinoki Forest Life Village, Chiayi Old Prison, North Gate Railway Station

Recommended Reading:

Liu Li-zhang’s Turkey Rice / Alishan Forest Railway Locomotive Depot Park / Hinoki Forest Life Village / North Gate Railway Station & Yushan Lodge Café / 48home Brunch or Laolinjia 1911 or Old Western House 1931 or Old Western House 1955 / Chiayi Old Prison / Song of the Forest

A must-visit free spot in Chiayi for families with kids — the Alishan Forest Railway Locomotive Depot Park. With its massive grounds and moving vehicles, kids can run around freely, and the occasional surprise appearance of a train offers an experience you won’t find in any ordinary park.

No sooner had we arrived at the depot park than an Alishan Forest Railway train passed by.

The Alishan Forest Railway was originally built for logging purposes, and after logging was banned, it was converted into a passenger service. The park still preserves historical elements to educate younger generations.

The depot also serves as a maintenance area for trains, so you can watch them come and go.

Fubao was pretty excited here — it was his first time getting up close and personal with a moving train.

Recommended Reading:

Unscheduled trains are all parked within the depot park. Alishan train tickets can be hard to get and sometimes trains are full, but visiting the depot to see the trains is free, and you can stay as long as you like.

There’s also a turntable used to rotate train engines — just seeing that is worth the trip. (Even though it’s a free attraction!)

Our family had a blast at the depot park, and we even came back again a few months later during another trip to Chiayi. Nearby spots like the Hinoki Forest Life Village and the North Gate Railway Station can easily be combined into one fun day out.

The train Fubao was looking at has quite the history — it used to be a special train reserved for heads of state and VIPs.

Nowadays, Alishan trains run on diesel, but the old steam locomotives are preserved right here in the depot park.

Feeling tired or thirsty after exploring? There’s a souvenir shop in the park selling drinks and railway-themed memorabilia.

How do you know if an attraction is fun? Just look at the smiles on the kids’ faces.

Liu Li-zhang’s Turkey Rice / Alishan Forest Railway Locomotive Depot Park / Hinoki Forest Life Village / North Gate Railway Station & Yushan Lodge Café / 48home Brunch or Laolinjia 1911 or Old Western House 1931 or Old Western House 1955 / Chiayi Old Prison / Song of the Forest

Extended Reading: