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It goes without saying that spending the night in a rustic-luxe caboose in the mountains of Western North Carolina is something most would jump at the chance to experience. But throw in the history of the P&WV caboose (aside from its time spent on the Pennsylvania & West Virginia railroad) and that exponentially increases the allure of this North Carolina airBnB caboose made famous in the 1993 major motion picture “The Fugitive,” starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
In case you need a quick recap of this action film, here are the highlights:
First — and foremost — many scenes from "The Fugitive" were filmed in the Tar Heel State, most of them in WNC. Secondly, Harrison Ford's character gets convicted of killing his wife and is in transit in a bus with Illinois Department of Corrections on the side, when there's a horrible crash scene as the bus collides with a train (more on that below)...
Harrison Ford aside, you don't have to be a Ford fan to love spending a night in the famous P&WV caboose made famous in the 1993 film.
If you've never spent the night in a sleeping car aboard a moving train, then here's your chance to sleep in the stacked bed layout found in sleeper cars. Good luck winning the coin toss for the upper bunk.
And the kitchen area, although missing a cook stove, has a microwave, coffee pot, and a mini-fridge. Of course, rates can vary depending on the time of year and availability, but the currently listed rate on airBnB for the caboose is $89/night. Wow. (Pictured here: the vanity in the bathroom.)
If you need more space than is available in the caboose, you can also rent the tiny house next to the caboose. Information is available from the airBnB host. Learn more about the caboose rental at this link.
Even though the scene was filmed more than 26 years ago, the set is still there! It's located fewer than 20 miles southeast of Bryson City in the tiny town of Dillsboro (population: 232).
Seen here in a Warner Bros photo from the movie, Tommy Lee Jones is standing next to the destroyed Illinois Dept. of Corrections bus with the 1901 Illinois Southern locomotive in the rear of the shot.
At the old film set, which is located down by the Tuckasegee River, you'll walk in the footsteps of Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones at the site where the big crash was staged.
If you take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad from Bryson City, you'll also pass the old movie set while on the train ride.
You don’t have to be a fan of Harrison Ford or “The Fugitive” to enjoy a night, weekend, or longer in this rustic-luxe caboose in Bryson City, but it certainly ups the anty on this fun airBnB rental, doesn’t it? Have you stayed in the caboose? We’d love to hear about your experience!
Learn more about the caboose rental from this link on airBnB.com.
