All Aboard! Eli the Train is Back!

Eli, our beloved steam engine here at Worlds of Fun, has been a faithful member of our park since our inaugural year in 1973. Kids and adults alike have loved Eli for almost half a century, and the nostalgia the green steam engine brings is more than most any other ride in the park. 

For the past few seasons, many guests have noticed a quintessential sound of the park has been missing: Eli’s famous “CHOO CHOO” that filled park-goers with so much joy. As we know, Eli’s boiler needed some work and has been off getting the necessary repairs, so he could be back in tip-top shape for Worlds of Fun guests. 

Eli finally returned to the park in June of this year, and it didn’t take long for guests to spot him from atop our wooden coaster, Prowler. After some final, in-park adjustments and plenty of test runs, Eli was finally ready to show guests around Worlds of Fun once again during the final weekend of Grand Carnivale! 

Our lead train engineer, Mike White, shared, “The excitement that I have is not only driving the train, but it’s also the excitement of the kids and the smiles that they have on their faces, as well as the parents and the grandparents!” Worlds of Fun is so happy to continue spreading the love and nostalgia of Eli for years to come!