The Main Line

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The Napa and Calistoga Railroad was extended in the 1860s to bring tourists and spa-goers to Calistoga. The depot in Calistoga is the second oldest in the state and is a beautiful building. The Napa and Calistoga, starting in the 1900s was electrified. Passengers took a ferry from the Ferry Building in San Francisco to Vallejo to catch the electric interurban to Calistoga. The electric depot (not the old depot) was converted to the firehouse in the 1930s and was torn down once a new firehouse was built. The line was taken back to St. Helena, after the last passenger train ran from Calistoga in 1963. The line from Napa to St. Helena is used by the railroad for the Napa Valley Wine Train [1] [2] [3]. Though the track from St. Helena to Calistoga has been ripped up, may artifacts remain like pieces of track, a bike path, a flatcar and more. Check out the map for pictures (coming soon). Wouldn't it be wonderful if people could take the train to Calistoga today? I hope the line gets resurrected as an electric line.

When in Calistoga, be sure to visit the Sharpsteen Museum.

Also check out Indian Springs and Dr. Wilkinson's, both in Calistoga.