Oshkosh Common Council Finds Funding for Menominee Park Train

OSHKOSH, WI- (WISS) – Residents and visitors to Menominee Park in Oshkosh got good news last night when the Common Council voted to fund repairs for the amusement train to the tune of $50,000. Earlier this month, the city announced that the train and other activities at the park would not open in 2025 due to budget restraints. That caused an uproar among community members.

“This is your council listening to you. We made a decision. You guys didn’t like it. We’re going to go ahead and correct that and make sure that we can get on the right track here – no pun intended,” said Council Member Jacob Floam. “Hopefully, we’ll find a long-term solution to keep the train for years and years to come.” 

Mayor Matt Mugeraur was the solitary dissenting vote on the project, saying he feels it’s time to move on from the activity. 

“ It’s a bit of an emotional response for me. That’s what I saw and received from the community whether it was social media, whether it’s emails or phone calls or just interactions on it. It’s trying to hold on to something of the past and I can appreciate that a lot,” Mugeraur said. “However, this is a partial solution, and I’m not into half-measures.

“If I had something in front of me that said, ‘Here’s how we’re not only going to repair it but here’s how we’re also going to fund it.’ That’s a different story for me. This is only to pay for repairs and that doesn’t solve the problems that we had. It wasn’t just this thing was broken and we can’t find parts. And it’s 70 years old. We also can’t find part-time staff,” he continued.

The resolution to fund the repairs of the Menominee Park amusement train will come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) interest earnings the city has received. A separate budget amendment will be requested at a future Common Council meeting to establish a full operating budget for the amusement ride area in 2025.

In the meantime, there is a GoFundMe effort by Oshkosh resident Adrea Matulle to raise funds to fix and run the train. It has raised over $2,500 of its $50,000 goal. In an update to her post on the site, Matulle wrote, “This project is about more than just a train—it’s about preserving memories, creating joy for future generations, and celebrating what makes Oshkosh special.”