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    Three Rivers Rambler

    17 Reviews
    #62 of 207 things to do in Knoxville
    Scenic Railroads, Tours
    2560 University Commons Way, Knoxville, TN 37919-5592
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    Review Highlights
    “Great family day right here in Knoxville!”

    I loved the train ride! The Christmas decorations were great, and the staff was very friendly and... read more

    Reviewed 10 December 2017
    McWolfee
    ,
    Knoxville, Tennessee
    “Nice Sunday afternoon ”

    Nice ride,a little history, and some scenery. You do start out in an industrial area but you follow... read more

    Reviewed 25 October 2017
    Jessie T
    ,
    Columbus, Georgia
    via mobile
    Read all 17 reviews
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    Guests aboard the excursion train enjoy a nearly 2 hour trip along the Tennessee River. Beginning the journey in Downtown Knoxville, the Rambler travels past historical sites to the “Three Rivers Trestle” where the French Broad and Holston Rivers join to form the Tennessee River. Along the route, the Three Rivers Rambler passes by beautiful farmland, Knoxville’s first settlement area, and several quarries that were mined to build our nation’s Capital. The uniformed conductor and volunteer staff are well-versed in the local history and welcome questions during the 11-mile trip.

    About Three Rivers Rambler

    Guests aboard the excursion train enjoy a nearly 2 hour trip along the Tennessee River. Beginning the journey in Downtown Knoxville, the Rambler travels past historical sites to the “Three Rivers Trestle” where the French Broad and Holston Rivers join to form the Tennessee River. Along the route, the Three Rivers Rambler passes by beautiful farmland, Knoxville’s first settlement area, and several quarries that were mined to build our nation’s Capital. The uniformed conductor and volunteer staff are well-versed in the local history and welcome questions during the 11-mile trip.
    4.0
    17 reviews
    • Excellent43%
    • Very good29%
    • Average17%
    • Poor11%
    • Terrible0%
    Travellers talk about
    “train ride” (7 reviews)
    “steam engine” (3 reviews)
    “rivers meet” (2 reviews)
    LOCATION
    2560 University Commons Way, Knoxville, TN 37919-5592
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    Write a ReviewReviews (17)
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    All reviews
    "train ride"
    in 7 reviews
    "steam engine"
    in 3 reviews
    "rivers meet"
    in 2 reviews
    "open car"
    in 2 reviews
    "kids and adults"
    in 2 reviews
    "tennessee river"
    in 3 reviews
    "downtown area"
    in 2 reviews
    "ramblers"
    in 5 reviews
    "tickets"
    in 3 reviews
    "stadium"
    in 3 reviews
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    1 - 10 of 17 reviews

    Reviewed 10 December 2017
    Great family day right here in Knoxville!

    I loved the train ride! The Christmas decorations were great, and the staff was very friendly and helpful! I think the hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, story telling, and especially Santa provided a great Christmas atmosphere. This trip was great for the kids and adults. I...More

    Ask McWolfee about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank McWolfee
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Assistant Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 15 February 2018

    Thank you for the kind review! We are thrilled you enjoyed your trip on the Rambler!

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    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 25 October 2017 via mobile
    Nice Sunday afternoon

    Nice ride,a little history, and some scenery. You do start out in an industrial area but you follow along side the river and thru some of the downtown area. The open car was awesome. Overall we had a nice time

    Ask Jessie T about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank Jessie T
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 26 November 2016
    Breathtaking views and a fabulous crew

    The reviews don't do this wonderful trip justice. Each car was beautifully decorated, the staff was professional and courteous and the added touches of providing a Christmas bell, the history of the area, cocoa and a gingerbread cookie were very special. It will be a...More

    Ask rick215 about Three Rivers Rambler
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    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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    Reviewed 3 November 2016
    Three Rivers Rambler--a bit of history in Knoxville Tennessee

    Enjoyable ride through a portion of Knoxville that I had never seen. I especially like the area where the Holston and French Broad Rivers meet to form the Tennessee River. Really enjoyed the live guitar/banjo music that was played in our car for much of...More

    Ask Lori H about Three Rivers Rambler
    1  Thank Lori H
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 18 October 2016
    Wonderful Ride on Steam Engine 154

    We had a great time overall on our train ride. We decided to seat ourselves in the open air car which we normally do on other train rides we've been on. The day was so beautiful you could want to sit inside. We departed the...More

    Ask Jeff S about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank Jeff S
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 21 October 2016

    Jeff, Thank you for the review! We appreciate hearing your feedback and will work to improve in the future! Best, 3RR Crew

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    Reviewed 2 October 2016 via mobile
    Relaxing train ride.

    We enjoyed our trip on the train on a beautiful day. We made a last minute decision to board and really enjoyed the musician, the inexpensive snacks and the rid easler itself. Make sure you choose to ride on the open air portion of the...More

    Ask Jeffro_baller about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank Jeffro_baller
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, General Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 4 October 2016

    Thank you for your kind review and photo - we're glad you enjoyed the open air car and music! Best, 3RR Crew

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    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 9 July 2016
    Base Ball and Trains: Two of my Faves in the Same Day!

    The four of us wanted to take an afternoon train excursion. We learned about the "Vintage Baseball Express" via the Three Rivers Rambler web site and booked our tickets online the evening before the event. Gratefully, the web site clearly explained how to get to...More

    Ask OHWanderingProf about Three Rivers Rambler
    1  Thank OHWanderingProf
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Assistant Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 12 July 2016

    We are very pleased to hear that you had a good experience on your Vintage Baseball trip out to Ramsey House! Thank you for the kind review!

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    Reviewed 15 July 2015
    Okay, But Could Be Better Operated

    Went because I am a railfan and understood that the trip I took would be one of the rare occasions that this operations 1890 built steam locomotive would be operating. The train itself is great if you're a railfan. The steam locomotive and the rolling...More

    Ask Boilerwash about Three Rivers Rambler
    2  Thank Boilerwash
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Assistant Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 9 February 2016

    We are sorry to hear about this bad experience with the Vintage Baseball train. Based on this feedback, we are doubling our effort to inform every passenger of the different timeline of these baseball trains, whether that be on the website, Facebook, by phone or...More

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 30 November 2014
    Could be better

    Family visiting for Thanksgiving, wanted to do something special, didn't want to go far away for a train ride with a Christmas theme. We knew scenery wasn't going to be great but thought we would try it. Train ride started late, 1/2 cup luke warm...More

    Ask Richard G about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank Richard G
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Assistant Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 9 February 2016

    Sorry to hear you had a bad experience! We are always trying to improve and appreciate the feedback. In 2015, we changed our way of taking reservations to include online registration, automatic confirmation emails and emailed tickets to avoid any mistakes such as the one...More

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 15 August 2014
    the train, itself, is the highlight

    The route has some good views, and some not-so-much. The train, itself, is the thing, and railway enthusiasts or families with young children will find it enjoyable. It was a bit confusing to find where we were to wait to board, when I rode, but...More

    Ask macavityok about Three Rivers Rambler
    Thank macavityok
    This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    ThreeRiversRambler, Assistant Manager at Three Rivers Rambler, responded to this reviewResponded 9 February 2016

    Thanks for your thoughts! The Rambler Train Depot at 2560 University Commons Way is now complete which should cut down on boarding confusion in the future! There is now a platform and parking adjacent to our building as well.

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    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    12
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    Ask a question
    Questions & Answers
    Sandra C
    12 December 2017|
    Answer
    Response from Sandra C |
    Is there going to be a train ride in May 2018
    0
    Votes
    Keidre S
    21 October 2017|
    AnswerShow all 2 answers
    Response from ThreeRiversRambler | Property representative |
    Hello. Thank you for your interest in the 3RR. If your grandparents don't like Halloween this trainride might not be a good fit for them. We have decorated each of the cars in a different Halloween/autumn theme. We do not... More
    1
    Vote
    Bea220228
    10 September 2016|
    AnswerShow all 2 answers
    Response from ThreeRiversRambler | Property representative |
    Hello, Our Hoot N' Holler Autumn Express trains are 1.5 hours long while our Christmas Lantern Express trains are just under 2 hours long. We stop for story time on the Christmas train which accounts for that extra 30... More
    1
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