Back on track: this resort is small on size but big on ideas, with an elaborate train depot theme that honors history.

All aboard! Next stop, Minneapolis! Back in the late 1800s, the downtown train station in this burgeoning Midwestern city was bustling. But as time went on, little by little, activity at the Depot tapered off until finally, in 1971, the last train left the station. Idle for years, the site was saved when the Minnesota Historical Society placed it in the National Register of Historic Places.

Now the Depot is revitalized, home to two hotels, an ice rink and a charming indoor waterpark.

CSM Corp. of St. Paul, Minn., a franchisee of Marriott Hotels, completed the four structures in July 2001. Located adjacent to the Mississippi River, it's now a thriving, year-round spot.

The centerpiece of the 8,000-square-foot aquatic area is the splash pool, which features a whimsical, interactive train.

Children can climb into the engine and play with pulleys and buttons, triggering lights, fountains, bells, whistles. But instead of steam, water comes splashing out of this train's smokestack, Splashing down on happy kids. To complete the theme, train tracks ...