Stay aboard a Caboose!

Photo gallery for Stay aboard a Caboose!

A pond with rocks and a wooden barrel.
An outdoor seating area with two chairs and a fire pit.
A stationary train car with the letters "SOO" on its side, situated in a grassy area with trees in the background.
A small, narrow room with a white table and two chairs, a red patterned rug, and a bed with a red blanket.
A compact room with a bunk bed, a small window with curtains, and a door marked with the number 34.

Reviews

10 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Dog-friendly
  • Barbecue
  • Air-conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Non-smoking

Explore the area

View map
Sparta, WI
  • Place, Sparta City Hall
    ‪14 min walk‬
  • Place, Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Place, LaCrosse River Trail
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Airport, La Crosse, WI (LSE-La Crosse Municipal)
    ‪26 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Sparta

Sparta is home to this cabin. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Howard Huff Park and Evans-Bosshard Park, while Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum and Area Community Theatre are cultural highlights.
View more Cabin rentals in SpartaOpens in a new window
Map
Sparta, WI

What's nearby

  • Howard Huff Park - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Westside Park - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Sparta City Hall - 14 min walk - 1.2 km
  • Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum - 16 min walk - 1.3 km
  • LaCrosse River Trail - 3 min drive - 2.5 km

Getting around

  • Tomah Station - 22 min drive
  • La Crosse, WI (LSE-La Crosse Municipal) - 28 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Club16 - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Burger King - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Culver's - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪El Vallarta Mexican Rest - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Stay aboard a Caboose! pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 453 kg per pet.

What time is check-in at Stay aboard a Caboose!?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Stay aboard a Caboose!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Stay aboard a Caboose! located?

Situated in Sparta, this cabin is within a 15-minute walk of Howard Huff Park, Evans-Bosshard Park and Sparta City Hall. Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum and Westside Park are also within 1 mile (2 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 24 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 24 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 24 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 24 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 24 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Enjoyed the caboose and the history.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Neat experience to stay in the caboose! Will stay here again! Loved when the actual trains went by and you could feel the vibration of them. Very clean and functional in the caboose. The only thing which isn't a problem but to be aware of is not to take long showers, you will run short of hot water - get in and get out LOL! Seen some turkeys roaming, and lots of blue jays in the trees. Beautiful stream to walk to and admire.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Sept 2026
Glad you enjoyed your stay aboard SOO caboose #34. There is a little sign on the wall next to the shower that informs our guests that the hot water heater is a smaller 10 gallon due to the size of the locker it is placed in and to plan showering accordingly.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cute little space that was used wisely and made for a good stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anniversary trip

Unique place to stay. Easy to get to biking. Enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a wonderful time in the caboose.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The caboose cabin was charming and very clean and tidy. It is exactly like it shows in pictures and descriptions!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The Caboose is amazing! We felt like little kids checking everything out and reading the history the owner has provided about the caboose. Great balance of keeping true to history while also being a comfortable place.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun weekend stay!

I love the location near the bike trail. It is a unique and interesting place to stay! We had everything we needed for the weekend. They make good use of the space with it being small. Glad we chose this for something different!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cute little place out of the ordinary

We had a nice 2-night stay in the Caboose. Cute little place out of the ordinary. Great location for biking the trails. Definitely felt like we were in a train - especially when the trains went by!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome experience

Enjoyed staying. Wonderful experience staying in a caboose. Loved the woods and fish pond. Nice trail. Watched 2 bunnies were playing in the field.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Everything and more
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Soo cute!

What a fun and facinating olace to stay. The Caboose was redone but they kept as much of the original things as they could. Its cozy and unique. It was clean and well stocked.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Charming Stay

Such a unique and fun place to say! It’s small but perfect for two! It’s decorated so cute and is so clean! Had a delightful stay! Also the recommendations for food in the area were great! Only thing I recommend is bring an eye mask if staying in the summer, late sunsets and early sunrises make for a very bright stay, but this was great when not sleeping. Lots of natural light!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Soo Unique!

Caboose #34 is a charming step back in time and away from the usual business of modern life. The property is so peaceful with a lovely trail to the river, a secluded fire pit and relaxing deck. Seconds away from the bike trails and a few short blocks from downtown Sparta. It's a totally fun break from the norm,
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE

We were so delightfully surprised to see how it was restored and turned into a place to stay. My husband (SOO LINE nut) was in awe as to how the caboose looked so much like it did from years ago. He read the materials (on site) that told and showed how it was moved from the train yard to its current location. Great information. Another surprise was realizing that it was not too far from a main line, you can watch an Amtrak and others come rolling through, horns sounding with full excitement from the deck. Great adventure for us. Will plan on future visits, but staying longer.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique and historic.

The caboose VRBO was like staying in a tiny house. There are six steps to get up to the platform as it is on its original wheels and a set of railroad tracks. Unfortunately, we had damp coolish weather, so could not enjoy the fire pit. The sofa near the bed seemed a bit soft and old and could be updated. spouse complained of too much scent in the sheets and pillowcases. Only a block from the Elroy Sparta trail and information.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun mini-getaway

This was a fun place to stay if you like trains. We were staying/sleeping in someone's former workplace, an actual train caboose repurposed for lodging in miniature -- it's a train after all! It's got what you need -- shower, bed, loveseat, desk, table and two kitchen chairs, microwave, fridge. Great communication of expectations from owner. Frequent train horns about a block away. Awesome! Close to everything. Only drawback was the steep, grated train steps was not compatible with our dog's paws, so we had to lift her up and down every time. Nice patio up at train level. Cupola makes great storage space. If you love trains, you'll love staying here.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Well appointed Caboose #34

Creative fun stay. The caboose was clean had well thought out design and amenities of home. Refrigerator, ac, coffee maker, electric plate for cooking with great pans and utensils. The decor was so much fun with the red colors of the Soo caboose throughout. We had pizza from Slice of Chicago which we highly recommend. Sandhills cranes and there chicks where on the trails surrounding the Caboose. You are going to hear the trains makes you feel like you’re riding the rails. Makes you smile. The Sparta-Elroy and Lacrosse River State Trail are super close. We rented bikes from Speeds bike shop the people there are great. Would highly recommend to others. Thanks to Dave for creating and sharing the Caboose.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property was great all around the board, there was trails on the property, horseshoes, fire ring and wood provided. It was close to activities in the community, and an hour drive to Wisconsin Dells. I think the biggest downfall was the lighting at night for the property. Other than that, we had a great time. Ane would return.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved it. Will definitely do it again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cozy place to stay for a couple nights while biking the trail and visiting family.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
My grandfather worked for the SOO Line his entire life, retired when it was purchased by CN. This was such a fun opportunity! We enjoyed a 25 mile bike ride on the trails as well!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun experience on an amazing piece of property

The caboose was so well designed it had everything we needed. An amazing creative use of space. Loved the educational signs and books that explained the original items that are still in place. Walking the trail to the river was enjoyable. We filled up our water bottles routinely at the artesian well while watching the goldfish pond. David texted to see if we needed anything and was quick to respond to any questions. We loved this place
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2026
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