Scenic Train Rides (USA 2026): State Guide to Tourist Railroads
Last revised: October 3, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Scenic train rides run from a one-hour museum shuttle to a full day in the mountains. Colorado’s narrow gauge, Pennsylvania’s steam, and Alaska’s White Pass are the names most people already know. This page is the map to all fifty state guides, compiled October 3, 2026. Seven of those states do not have a full-size tourist railroad on the October calendar: Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Their pages say what is open instead. Start with the state, then confirm the railroad before you book.
Amtrak still moves people city to city. Commuter railroads still move workers. A tourist train is the third thing: steam, a short line, a dinner, or a holiday special on its own calendar. Multi-day luxury trips are rail tours. Scheduled intercity service is Amtrak.
North Shore Railroad SW8 #365 leads an excursion in east-central Pennsylvania during June of 1992. Walter Schopp photo. American-Rails.com collection.
On this page: At a glance · History · What to expect · State guide · Seasonal hubs · Premier rides · Railroad pages
At a glance
| Topic | Notes |
|---|---|
| What this hub covers | Heritage railroads, museum trains, short scenic lines, and theme specials in all 50 states |
| Where to start | The state guide. The state page has the operators and the 2026 notes |
| No full-size ride on the October calendar | Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming |
| First organized U.S. fan trip cited here | Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, 1934, Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington |
| Early preservation groups | Railway & Locomotive Historical Society (1921). National Railway Historical Society (1935) |
| Classic Class I fan-trip era | Postwar peak. Reading Iron Horse Rambles, October 25, 1959–October 17, 1964 |
| Compiled | October 3, 2026. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets |
History: fan trips to heritage railroads
More than half a century ago you could board a flagship such as the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Broadway Limited at New York’s Pennsylvania Station and ride in Pullman luxury toward Chicago. Santa Fe, New York Central, Union Pacific, and their peers matched that standard with domes, diners, and full crews. Amtrak does not recreate that product. Tourist railroads kept pieces of it: steam, a dome, a meal, and a short scenic route, after the private passenger network collapsed.
The scenic-railroad idea is older than the postwar museum boom. The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, founded in 1921, is still active. Before standalone tourist lines, enthusiasts chartered trips on railroads that were still common carriers. Santa Fe, the Burlington, Western Maryland, the Virginian, and the Reading all hosted them, until insurance and liability largely ended Class I fan trips.
The first organized U.S. fan trip often cited is the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts outing of 1934 on the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington. The HT&W is long abandoned. The club continues. About 65 groups were active in 1934 and 96 by 1959, the count Trains published that June. The National Railway Historical Society, formed in 1935, became a franchise of local chapters that still run excursions and museums.
The crew aboard East Broad Top 2-8-2 #16 works the northern slope of McMullins Summit on the return to Orbisonia, February 18, 2023. Jon Wright photo.
David P. Morgan’s writing in Trains covered both the hobby and its fan-trip years. After the Second World War some clubs tried to sponsor several outings at once. One of the last great Class I programs was the Reading’s Iron Horse Rambles, October 25, 1959, through October 17, 1964. Class T-1 4-8-4s #2100, #2102, and #2124 handled about fifty trips. President Joseph A. Fisher used the steam excursions for public relations after the Reading dieselized, the last steam coming off in early 1957. The trains often seated more than 900. The Philadelphia–West Milton doubleheader on October 15, 1960, with #2124 and #2100, ran 22 cars and 1,321 passengers.
The 1960s closed that era. Railroads were discontinuing passenger trains, merging, and trying to survive. Later main-line steam included the American Freedom Train, the Chessie Steam Special, Southern Railway steam into the Norfolk Southern years through 1994, and a later Norfolk Southern steam program from 2011 to 2015 that used engines the railroad did not own. The everyday tourist industry is the short lines and museums in the state guide.
Texas State Railroad 4-6-0 #200 leads an excursion during the 1970s. American-Rails.com collection.
What to expect
Most heritage trips last about one to two hours. A few mountain railroads take the day. Equipment runs from open cars and old coaches to diners and domes. Fall foliage, Halloween, Christmas, Polar Express rides, and dinner trains now fill as much of the calendar as the ordinary scenic trip. Strasburg still leans on steam-era practice. Many other lines sell scenery and a family afternoon.
Volunteers and small staffs keep the lines open. The Strasburg Rail Road was a freight short line that shut down in 1957. Railfans bought it and began excursions in 1959. Durango & Silverton and the White Pass & Yukon Route are the same kind of survival, at a larger scale. A Reading Ramble ran 100 to 175 miles at track speed with a large crew. Few tourist lines can do that. The successful ones offer scenery, steam, food, and a calendar you can trust.
Conway Scenic Railway F7A #4266, built as Boston & Maine #4266-A, near Attitash, New Hampshire, on October 13, 1995. F. Oltmann photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 #759 on the Norfolk & Western, former Wabash, near Montgomery City, Missouri, with the Centennial Limited in 1969. Carl Sturner photo. American-Rails.com collection.
State guide
Every state has a page. The sentence is the 2026 picture on that page. A sold-out date, a closed railroad, and a museum with no train are spelled out there.
| State | 2026 ride |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum at Calera, North Alabama Railroad Museum at Chase, and the Wales West Light Railway at Silverhill |
| Alaska | Aurora Winter Train on weekends. White Pass Summit Excursions from Skagway through October 7. Summer trains are on the 2027 schedule |
| Arizona | Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, and Verde Canyon Railroad from Clarkdale. Steam only on posted days |
| Arkansas | Arkansas & Missouri through the Boston Mountains, and the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas. The Reader is not posting a 2026 public excursion |
| California | Napa Valley Wine Train, the Skunk Train, Niles Canyon, Roaring Camp, Railtown 1897, and Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine. Plan by region |
| Colorado | Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec, Royal Gorge Route, Georgetown Loop, Leadville, the Pikes Peak cog, and Cripple Creek & Victor |
| Connecticut | Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, the Naugatuck Railroad, Danbury Railway Museum, and the trolley museums |
| Delaware | Wilmington & Western, through the Red Clay Valley |
| Florida | Seminole Gulf, Florida Railroad Museum, Gold Coast, and the Sugar Express. Park trains are on the state page |
| Georgia | Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, SAM Shortline, and the Azalea Sprinter. Confirm Stone Mountain before you drive |
| Hawaii | Hawaiian Railway Society at Ewa, Kauai Plantation Railway, the Dole Pineapple Express, and Grove Farm on Fridays. The Lahaina sugar train is not a ride |
| Idaho | No full-size tourist railroad. Thunder Mountain Line closed in 2016. Silverwood’s park train, museums at Nampa and Wallace, and Amtrak’s Empire Builder at Sandpoint |
| Illinois | Illinois Railway Museum, Monticello Railway Museum, Fox River Trolley, and Silver Creek & Stephenson |
| Indiana | French Lick Scenic Railway, Nickel Plate Express, Hoosier Valley, and Hesston. Whitewater Valley is suspended |
| Iowa | Boone & Scenic Valley, across the Bass Point Creek High Bridge, and Midwest Central’s December North Pole trains |
| Kansas | Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. Santa Fe 3415 is in overhaul. Midland Railway at Baldwin City is closed |
| Kentucky | Big South Fork Scenic Railway, Bluegrass Scenic, Kentucky Railway Museum, and My Old Kentucky Dinner Train |
| Louisiana | No regular full-size tourist railroad. Polar Express returns to New Orleans December 11–31 |
| Maine | Downeast Scenic, Maine Narrow Gauge, the WW&F, Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, Boothbay Railway Village, and Seashore Trolley Museum |
| Maryland | Western Maryland Scenic, Walkersville Southern, and the B&O Railroad Museum |
| Massachusetts | Cape Cod Central, Berkshire Scenic, Edaville, and the Shelburne Falls Trolley |
| Michigan | Huckleberry Railroad, Coopersville & Marne, Little River, and the Steam Railroading Institute |
| Minnesota | North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth, the Duluth River Train, and the Como-Harriet streetcar |
| Mississippi | No regular tourist railroad in 2026. The train through the state is Amtrak |
| Missouri | Branson Scenic Railway, and the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern at Jackson. Belton has no 2026 schedule posted |
| Montana | Charlie Russell Chew Choo from Hanover, near Lewistown. Alder Gulch’s 2026 season ended September 7 |
| Nebraska | No full-size scenic railroad. Omaha Zoo Railroad runs weekends through October 4. The long ride is the California Zephyr |
| Nevada | Virginia & Truckee at Virginia City, and Nevada Northern at East Ely |
| New Hampshire | Conway Scenic, the Mount Washington Cog, Winnipesaukee Scenic, Hobo Railroad, White Mountain Central, and Café Lafayette |
| New Jersey | Black River & Western, Woodstown Central, Cape May Seashore Lines, Delaware River Railroad, Pine Creek, and Whippany |
| New Mexico | Cumbres & Toltec from Chama, and Sky Railway between Santa Fe and Lamy. Santa Fe Southern is not a current ride |
| New York | Adirondack, Arcade & Attica, Catskill Mountain, Delaware & Ulster, and the Finger Lakes Rail Experience |
| North Carolina | Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Tweetsie, New Hope Valley, and the North Carolina Transportation Museum at Spencer |
| North Dakota | No tourist railroad on a 2026 calendar. The train is Amtrak’s Empire Builder |
| Ohio | Cuyahoga Valley Scenic, Hocking Valley, Zanesville & Western, and the Ohio Rail Experience |
| Oklahoma | No full-size scenic railroad on an October calendar. Oklahoma Railway Museum Halloween and Polar trains, the El Reno trolley, and the Heartland Flyer |
| Oregon | Oregon Coast Scenic from Rockaway Beach, Mount Hood at Hood River, Eagle Cap from Elgin, and the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland |
| Pennsylvania | Strasburg, East Broad Top, Lehigh Gorge Scenic (R&N), New Hope, and Oil Creek & Titusville |
| Rhode Island | Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad, and the Rhode Island Railroad Museum |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Railroad Museum at Winnsboro, on the old Rockton & Rion |
| South Dakota | Black Hills Central 1880 Train, Hill City to Keystone. Steam is the summer assignment. Confirm the engine |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Dollywood Express, Three Rivers Rambler’s Christmas trains, and the Tennessee Central Railway Museum |
| Texas | Texas State Railroad, Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Austin Steam Train’s Hill Country Flyer, and the Galveston Railroad Museum |
| Utah | Heber Valley Railroad from Heber City. Golden Spike at Promontory is a demonstration, not a line-haul ride |
| Vermont | Green Mountain Railroad, including the Champlain Valley Dinner Train |
| Virginia | Virginia Scenic Railway, plus the museums at Roanoke. Cass and the Potomac Eagle are next door in West Virginia |
| Washington | Mount Rainier Scenic at Elbe, the Northwest Railway Museum, and Chehalis-Centralia. Lake Whatcom has no 2026 date on its ticket page |
| West Virginia | Cass Scenic, Durbin & Greenbrier Valley, the Potomac Eagle, and the West Virginia Central at Elkins |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Great Northern, Osceola & St. Croix Valley, Mid-Continent, East Troy, and the National Railroad Museum |
| Wyoming | No full-size tourist railroad on the October calendar. Cheyenne Depot Museum and Douglas Railroad Museum are static. Union Pacific 4014’s posted public trip is a November run to Denver |
Fares, clocks, and which locomotive is assigned are on the state page, from the railroad’s own listing. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets. Information compiled October 3, 2026.
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern (Missouri Pacific) 4-6-0 #635 at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, June 2001. Baldwin built the Ten-wheeler in 1889. It now sits under an open shelter. American-Rails.com collection.
Southern Railway FP7 #6133 leads a North Carolina Transportation Museum excursion at Barber Junction on May 6, 2007. Dan Robie photo.
Texas State Railroad RS2 #7 at Rusk, Texas, circa 1982. Mike Bledsoe photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Seasonal hubs
- Fall foliage train rides
- Christmas trains · Polar Express rides
- Dinner trains · BBQ trains
- Halloween trains · Mother’s Day · Father’s Day
- Independence Day · Ice cream trains · Valentine’s Day
- Rail tours
Premier rides
A short museum train can be the right ticket. These are the long ones people cross the country to ride. The state page has the 2026 calendar.
- Durango & Silverton, Colorado
- Cumbres & Toltec, Colorado and New Mexico
- Royal Gorge Route, Colorado
- Strasburg Rail Road, Pennsylvania
- Grand Canyon Railway, Williams to the South Rim
- Verde Canyon Railroad, Clarkdale, Arizona
- White Pass & Yukon Route, Skagway. The state page is Alaska
- Cass Scenic Railroad, West Virginia
Railroad pages
These are individual railroad profiles. The 2026 list, including who is closed, is the state table.
East and Appalachia: Adirondack · Strasburg · Western Maryland Scenic · Wilmington & Western · Cass Scenic · Durbin & Greenbrier Valley · Potomac Eagle · Essex Steam Train · Naugatuck · Mount Washington Cog · Green Mountain · Cuyahoga Valley Scenic
South: Great Smoky Mountains · Tweetsie · Blue Ridge Scenic · Arkansas & Missouri · My Old Kentucky Dinner Train · Seminole Gulf · Branson Scenic
Midwest: Hocking Valley Scenic · Huckleberry · Midwest Central · Wisconsin Great Northern
West: Durango & Silverton · Cumbres & Toltec · Georgetown Loop · Grand Canyon Railway · Verde Canyon · Royal Gorge Route · Leadville, Colorado & Southern · Manitou & Pikes Peak · Nevada Northern · Skunk Train · Napa Valley Wine Train · Mount Hood · Mount Rainier Scenic · White Pass & Yukon · Black Hills Central
Steamtown 4-6-2 #127, built as Canadian Pacific #1278 and returned to that number in 1973, crosses the Williams River at Brockways Mills, Vermont, on the former Rutland in the mid-1960s. Fred Bailey photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Related reading
- Best scenic train rides 2026 · Best steam train rides 2026
- Amtrak · Rail tours · Commuter rail
- Steam locomotives · Streamliners · Museums
- Narrow gauge · Logging lines
- Passenger trains
Sources
- Entringer, Rosemary, ed. “The Railfan, Inc.” Trains, June 1959. The club counts for 1934 and 1959.
- Morgan, David P. Writing in Trains on the railfan hobby and its fan-trip years.
- Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. National Railway Historical Society. Organizational dates used above.
- The fifty state guides linked in the table, each taken from the railroad pages those guides cite. Compiled October 3, 2026.
- Resources / Works Cited
Always verify 2026 dates and prices on the railroad’s own site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.
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