Find your Perfect Train Ride in New York Today

New York has several excellent scenic train rides that include the very popular Adirondack Scenic Railroad, operating over the former New York Central’s Adirondack Division from Utica to Thendara. The Delaware & Ulster Railroad runs 2 hour scenic excursions through western New York farmlands. Along with special themed excursion trains all year, the popular monthly Blues-n-Brews Train on Finger Lakes Scenic Railway is a fan favorite.
Over on the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad, you will find a 16 mile round-trip scenic excursion through the Upper Susquehanna River Valley. And the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum operates train rides and tours every Sunday from May through November. The Medina Railroad Museum operates streamlined passenger cars over a former NYC main line along the Erie Canal.
The Catskill Mountain Railroad runs a 12 mile r/t scenic train ride with a stop at the Empire State Railway Museum. The Saratoga & North Creek Railway operates several scenic railway packages along with weekend dinner trains.

Did you know?

After the completion of the first railroad in 1826, the Mohawk and Hudson eventually grew into the Albany & Schenectady Railroad in 1847. What followed was the growth of 10 railroads that eventually merged into the New York Central Railroad.
Out of over 35 steam locomotives listed in New York today, the 1920 2-8-0 “Old #18” is the only operating steam locomotive, running on the Arcade & Attica Railroad. The A&AR has been operating continuously since 1962. Several locomotives are listed as either being in storage or on display at railroad museums around the state.
With the Empire State’s beautiful scenery and landscapes, the more than 3500 miles of rails offer today’s travelers almost unlimited opportunities. The busiest rail station in the nation is New York City’s Union Station, serving millions of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor commuters every day.

Arcade

Arcade & Attica Railroad

 

The Arcade and Attica Railroad offers a two-hour scenic train ride. Fall foliage train rides as well as numerous special event train rides run through the western New York countryside.The Arcade & Attica Railroad is New York’s only operating railroad running steam today behind the 1920 Alco 2-8-0 #18.

Arkville

Delaware & Ulster Railroad

 

Travel through the panoramic Catskill Mountains along the Delaware River for a 100 minute round trip scenic train ride aboard the Delaware & Ulster Railroad. Dinner train and special events run from May through October. Directions

Brooklyn

New York Transit Museum

Housed in a 1936 subway station, the New York Transit Museum features 19 restored subway cars and other related urban transit exhibits. Museum also offers special subway tours and events.

Central Square

Central Square Station Museum

Central Square Station Museum displays various pieces of rail equipment including two 0-4-0 steam locomotives, a 1929 Brill car, a circus car and a 25-ton diesel locomotive.

Dunkirk

ALCO-Brooks Railroad Display

Railroad displays feature a 1916 Alco-Brooks 0-6-0 steam locomotive, a D&H wood-sided boxcar, and a wooden New York Central caboose.

Geneva

Finger Lakes Scenic Railway

 

Finger Lakes Scenic Railway offers a variety of special event and themed scenic train rides. Excursions run all year-round on the railway’s 118 miles of track. Train departures originate from several locations. See website for the latest schedule.

Greenport

Greenport Museum of Long Island

The Greenport Museum of Long Island is located in a former Victorian-style Long Island Railroad freight station with photo exhibits and railway artifacts from the LIRR.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park Railroad Station

Located in a restored 1914 railroad station, the Hyde Park Railroad Station is listed on the National Historic Places. Displays include views of the areas railroading history.

Kingston

Trolley Museum of New York

Museum operates a trolley ride from Kingston to the banks of the Hudson River. The Trolley Museum of New York’s collection dates back to 1897.

Marcellus

Martisco Station Museum

Maybrook

Maybrook Railroad_Historical Society Museum

845-778-7016

Medina

Medina Railroad Museum

 

The Medina Railroad Museum is housed in a former 1905 New York Central freight depot. Exhibits include a large array of railroad displays, memorabilia, models and artifacts. The Falls Branch Railroad and the Erie Canal Excursion Train offers a leisurely 34-mile round trip (2 hour) ride through the scenic Erie Canal Heritage Corridor aboard comfortable vintage 1947 Budd passenger coaches. Themed train rides include a Day with Thomas, a Winery train, a Scenic Fall foliage train ride as well as a scenic 2 hour Santa train ride in December. The Medina Railroad Museum houses one of the largest (204ft x14ft) prototypical HO scale layouts in the country. Directions

Milford

Copperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad

 

Ride in vintage rail cars and locomotives through the scenic wilderness of the upper Susquehanna River Valley. The Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad train ride crosses the river twice over two steel-truss bridges as it travels through a variety of landscapes. The beautifully restored 1869 Milford Depot, offers visitors a wide variety of exhibits and displays. Train charters and Guest Engineer Programs also available. Directions

Catskill Mountain Railroad

 

The Catskill Mountain Railroad offers a 5 mile, 45 minute scenic train ride that follows along Esopus Creek. Ride along the tracks of the old Ulster & Delaware Railroad, that carried vital freight and tourist traffic to and from the Catskills until 1954. Fall Foliage train rides run through out October. Educational Programs for youth groups and school offered June through October. Directions

North Creek

North Creek Railway Depot Museum

The North Creek Railway Depot Museum is a Theodore Roosevelt Historic Site.

Saratoga & North Creek Railway

 

The Saratoga & North Creek Railway operates over 57-miles between the Upper Hudson River Railroad’s former terminal in North Creek and the station in Saratoga Springs, which allows connections with Amtrak’s Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express services. The S&NCRR excursions operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Both Coach and Dome service is available on the trips between Saratoga and North Creek. Scenic train rides include Fall Colors in the Adirondacks, Scenic Gondola Skyride packages, Ales on Rails, Pumpkin Patch Express, Polar Express along with winter Snow Trains. Directions

North Tonawanda

Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier

Built in 1922, the Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier is housed in the Erie Railroad’s North Tonawanda freight depot that has been painstakingly restored to house a unique collection of artifacts.

Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay Railroad Museum

 

The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum’s Preview Center, a former 1889 Long Island Railroad passenger station, is open weekly. It is located in downtown Oyster Bay. Highlights of the museum include interactive, hands-on and audio-visual exhibits, along with descriptions of their ambitious plans for the museum’s expansion. Museum also has a gift shop with an ever changing variety of items for that special train enthusiast. Rolling stock includes a 1928 PRR ten-wheeler, 4-6-0, number 35, along with several vintage rail cars. Directions

Phoencia

Empire State Railway Museum

 

Phoenicia Station was purchased in 1985 by the Empire State Railway Museum, Inc. and the SHARP committee, a community based redevelopment agency. After substantial renovations, the former baggage room is now an exhibition gallery for the Museum’s collection of photographs and local railroad artifacts. The Empire State Railway Museum is dedicated to preserving the historic Ulster & Delaware Railroad and its classic 1899 Phoenicia Junction railroad station.

Riverhead

Railroad Museum of Long Island

The Railroad Museum of Long Island at Riverview displays several steam locomotives and various rail cars. The museum also operates a miniature train ride.

Roscoe

Roscoe O&W Railway Museum

Rush

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

 

The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum was founded in 1971 when the Rochester Chapter purchased the Erie Railroad’s Industry, NY depot from the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. In 1995, volunteers drove the golden spike on a two-mile railroad that joins the museum to the New York Museum of Transportation, and began operating track car rides between the two museums regularly the following year. The museum currently rosters over 40 pieces of railroad rolling stock including nine operating diesel-electric locomotives, two steam locomotives undergoing restoration to operating condition, six cabooses, seven freight cars, a New York Central Empire State Express giant model railroad train set, and several other passenger cars amongst other railroad rolling stock and exhibits of trolley cars. Limited train and trolley rides. Directions

Salamanca

Salamanaca Rail Museum

The Salamanaca Rail Museum is housed in a former Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg depot that has been fully restored to its original state, including a telegraph key in the ticket office. Displays of artifacts and photos showing the railroads of New York and Pennsylvania.

Utica

Adirondack Scenic Railroad

 

The Adirondack Scenic Railroad train rides travel over former NYC lines between Utica and Lake Placid, N.Y. Take a scenic excursion train ride in climate control coaches or open cars through Adirondack Park. Adirondack Scenic RR offers several different scenic train rides departing from Utica’s grand 1914 Union Station, the Thendara Station near Old Forge, Saranac Lake Union Depot and Lake Placid Station in the beautiful Olympic Village of Lake Placid, New York. Special trains include Murder Mystery, a Polar Express, ghost trains and wine tastings trains. The Polar Express Train takes passengers from Utica to a North Pole display in Holland Patent, N.Y., where kids meet with Santa Claus. Readings from the book “The Polar Express” and snippets from the Polar Express movie run during the trip.

Utica Union Station

Utica & Mohawk Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society operates a railroad museum in the Utica Union Station.

West Henrietta

New York Museum of Transportation

 

Visitors enjoy a unique ride experience with a 2-mile round trip interurban trolley excursion that connects to a diesel train. The combine’.s country depot and railroad equipment collection. The trolley portion of the ride is the only such operation in New York State, and the diesel train ride adds a special thrill for railfans young and old. The diesel connection operates on special event days the summer. On Sundays, authentic track cars that once served “gandy dancers” connect with the trolley. No reservations needed. Directions