Chad Dallman · Oshkosh, WI
City of Oshkosh ↗The City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin operates a municipal park train attraction that runs seven days a week through Menominee Park and its adjoining zoo, carrying up to 24 riders on a fifteen minute narrated tour. For generations the original train was a favorite stop at the park, but it ran on fixed tracks, and the cost to maintain the rails and equipment had climbed past what the city could sustain. The attraction was headed for closure.
After residents made clear how much the ride meant to them, the Common Council chose to reinvent the train rather than retire it. The city selected a Wattman Maxi Express Signature Edition, an electric trackless attraction train that needs no rails and runs on the existing paved paths. That decision removed the track repair and replacement costs. The new route winds through the zoo and across the park while onboard audio narrates the park's history. The Maxi Express seats up to 24 riders and is independently certified to ASTM F2291 and ASTM F770, the recognized standards for amusement rides. The parks department expects the trackless ride to cost less to operate than the system it replaced.
“Wattman was the best choice for Menominee Park. It is easier to maintain, it shows off the whole park, and it keeps alive a tradition our community fought to save.”
- Chad Dallman, City of Oshkosh, Oshkosh WI
A public private partnership funded the project, with the Oshkosh Community Foundation, Discover Oshkosh, and the WHW Oshkosh B'Gosh Foundation offsetting the initial investment and the Wyman family sponsoring free rides on opening day. Since the May 23, 2026 ribbon cutting, the municipal park train attraction has run seven days a week through Labor Day, with about three departures an hour. It now draws visitors deeper into the park and the zoo, supports the local economy, and gives a new generation a reason to return.
