Kentucky Dinner Train Rides (2026): A Complete Guide
Last revised: September 22, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Kentucky’s plated dinner train is My Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown. R. J. Corman serves a four-course meal in restored 1940s dining cars on a former Louisville & Nashville branch. The Dinner Excursion is 2.5 hours and about 35 miles round trip. Adult fare is listed at $116. Bourbon tasting and the murder-mystery night are other tickets.
RJ Corman's beautifully restored streamlined FP7s #1940 and #1941, which regularly lead the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train excursions are seen here in Bardstown, Kentucky. My Old Kentucky Dinner Train photo.
At a glance
| Host | Town | 2026 meal | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Old Kentucky Dinner Train | Bardstown | Dinner Excursion, four courses, 2.5 hours. Adult (13+) $116. Child (5–12) $76.50. Lunch from $63.50. Year-round, typically Friday and Saturday | Dining guide |
Children under five are not booked on the dinner excursion. Confirm the live calendar. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets. Information compiled September 22, 2026.
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
(Bardstown): Boarding is the depot at 602 North 3rd Street. The railroad is on Eastern time, which is easy to miss coming from Louisville. R. J. Corman opened the dinner train in 1988 on the Bardstown Line, a former L&N branch the company began operating in January 1987. The round trip runs a little over 18 miles out to Limestone Springs Junction and back, through Jim Beam country and across the Jackson Hollow trestle in Bernheim Forest. Tables of four are standard. A private table for two is listed at $232 per person.
2026: Public dinners run year-round, typically Friday and Saturday. The class notes, lunch, and the dress of the cars are the dining guide. Book on kydinnertrain.com.
Bourbon, mystery, and the other kitchens
These are separate from the Dinner Excursion.
- Bourbon Excursion is 21+, from $149.50, a four-course meal plus a hosted tasting.
- Murder Mystery Dinner Train is a four-course meal plus a show, from $96 as listed.
- Big South Fork Scenic Railway at Stearns sells a Coal Miner’s Lunch, a Hobo Lunch, and a concession bucket on the Blue Heron ride. That is a packed lunch, not this dinner. The Whistle Stop in Stearns is a restaurant at the depot.
- Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven has posted a shorter dinner with food from the Sherwood Inn. Confirm the 2026 dates on kyrail.org before you treat it as a booked table.
Related reading
Always verify 2026 dates, menus, and prices on the railroad’s official site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.
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