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Ohio Dinner Train Rides (2026): A Complete Guide
Last revised: September 28, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Ohio has two plated dinner trains still on a 2026 calendar. The Cincinnati Dinner Train leaves Bond Hill every Saturday from March through December, a four-course meal on a trip of about three hours. The cost page lists that ticket at $140, tax and the ticketing fee included, for ages 12 and older. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Elegant Dinner Train leaves Nelsonville at 6:00 p.m. on October 17 and November 7, about three hours, from $95.
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway is located in Nelsonville, Ohio and operates a former Chesapeake & Ohio branch line from Nelsonville to Logan, roughly 12 miles in length. Trains depart from a replica C&O depot in Nelsonville. Restored C&O GP7 5833, seen here, typically leads excursions. HVSR photo.
At a glance
| Host | Town | 2026 meal | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Dinner Train | Cincinnati | Four courses, about 3 hours. Saturdays 6:00 p.m., March–December. $140, tax and ticketing fee included. Ages 12 and older | cincinnatidinnertrain.com |
| Hocking Valley Scenic Railway | Nelsonville | Elegant Dinner Train. About 3 hours, 6:00 p.m. October 17 and November 7. From $95 | hvsry.org |
The Cincinnati FAQ still prints $126.52. The cost page is the $140 figure, and that price includes Ohio sales tax and the ticketing fee. Gratuity is separate. Confirm both railroads before you book. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets. Information compiled September 28, 2026.
Cincinnati Dinner Train
(Bond Hill): Board in the rear lot at Green Sales, 2172 East Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45237. Parking in that lot is free. The office holds tickets at will-call, and check-in starts at 5:00 p.m. The train leaves at 6:00 p.m. and is back about 9:15 p.m. The route is a 25-mile round trip on the Indiana & Ohio, past Lunken Airport and along the river to Theodore Berry Friendship Park, with a short stop on the riverfront before the engine runs around. Tables seat four. The reservations page says the cars are not handicap accessible. Children under 12 are not permitted, and everyone 12 and older eats from the same menu.
The public dinner page describes four courses. The entrées are oven-roasted prime rib, salmon with a mild hoisin glaze, or a boneless chicken breast in white wine sauce, with an appetizer, a salad, a vegetable, a baked potato, dessert, water, iced tea, and coffee. You pick the entrée when you reserve, because the kitchen cooks what was ordered for that Saturday. A cash bar rides along. After dinner, the Queen City Sisters sing in the Albee car when their own calendar allows. The railroad says a Saturday that lands on a holiday does not run, and the train is stored in January and February. A party of eight or more is listed at $166.95 a person, taxes and gratuity included.
2026: Saturdays are still the public dinner. The next ones are on cincinnatidinnertrain.com. The September 6 fireworks trip has run.
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
(Nelsonville): The dinner boards at 33 West Canal Street, Nelsonville, OH 45764. Phone (740) 753-9531. The trip is about three hours, Nelsonville to East Logan and back, on the old Chesapeake & Ohio Athens Branch. Chef Alfonso Contrisciani’s crew cooks the meal on the way. The booking page’s fall menu starts with a charcuterie plate, then grilled shrimp, then prime rib, salmon brûlé, or a vegan potato gnocchi. The railroad asks for 48 hours’ notice on gluten-free and vegetarian plates. The dinner cars are old enough that they are not wheelchair accessible. Parties who reserved separately and want one table should say so.
2026: The two fall departures are Saturday, October 17, and Saturday, November 7, both at 6:00 p.m., from $95. Valentine’s, St. Patrick’s Day, and the April dinner have run. The steam trips on November 7 and 8 are a different ticket. New Year’s Eve on this railroad is pizza, or wine and cheese, and a stop for fireworks.
A tasting, and a dinner served after the train
- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s current food page does not list an “Evening Dining on the Rails” dinner. Perfect Pairings is a three-course small-plate tasting with a 4-ounce drink, $80, 21 and older, about two hours. The dates printed on that page, August 7, August 21, and September 4, have run. Wine, cocktails, and ales stay on the Ohio wine trains page.
- Lebanon Mason & Monroe’s murder mystery is a 21-and-older show of about three hours at $105, and the plate is a buffet at Watkins Catering or Villaggio’s after you get off. June 20, July 18, and August 8 have run. October 17, October 24, and October 31 are still listed. Details are the LM&M mystery page. The bourbon tasting is the Lebanon whiskey train.
Related reading
Always verify 2026 dates, menus, and prices on the railroad’s official site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway is located in Nelsonville, Ohio and operates a former Chesapeake & Ohio branch line from Nelsonville to Logan, roughly 12 miles in length. Trains depart from a replica C&O depot in Nelsonville.
The HVSR now offers the only place in Ohio were one can enjoy train rides behind a historic, standard-gauge steam locomotive. This 0-6-0 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1920 and spent much of its career for Ohio Power.
The railroad opened in 1972 and maintains a section for the C&O's former Athens Branch that originally ran from Logan to Athens. It was part of the railroad's greater presence in southern Ohio as the company also maintained a secondary line from Logan to Pomeroy, along the Ohio River.
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway's "Elegant Dinner Train" is a 3-hour trip that runs the length of the line. The railroad states it is a "...four-course meal prepared by renowned Chef Alfonso Constisciani and is served throughout the trip."
In addition to the dinner train the HVSR's other excursions offering some type of food service include the Starbrick BBQ & Brew's Express, New Year's Eve Train & Fireworks, and the Murder Mystery Dinner Train.
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