Top 10 Scenic Train Rides in Pennsylvania
Visitors to Pennsylvania have the rare opportunity to board with their friends and families on trains that, over 100 years ago, were icons that greatly influenced how Americans viewed their world from coast to coast.
Some of the companies mentioned below have helped explore and transport natural resources.
At other times, railroad companies were also involved in the Civil War and the Underground Railroad movement in transporting troops and weapons, helping others achieve independence in northern states and Canada.
Below is a list of some scenic train rides in Pennsylvania, USA, to experience stunning views any time of the year to see nature at its most beautiful with a backdrop of historical landmarks and most important figures.
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Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
Get your caboose seats before you fill up in an old coach. Trains run daily from early morning to late afternoon throughout the year and run on a 70-minute route every month except October when demand is high in the autumn months, and then it runs to 45 minutes.
Enjoy a ride in an open car and feel the wind blow through your hair as you glide over bridges that rise above the Lehigh River, travel through Glen Onoko Falls, and into Lehigh Gorge State Park. Let’s go.
During the trip, travelers can enjoy high-rise cliffs, the Poconos Mountains, and wildlife, including blue herons, otters, and other creatures leading to Old Penn Haven.
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Stourbridge Line Train Travel
Take an incredible journey up the Lackawxan River by boarding the Pocono Express train at Honesdale Station.
Choose from table cars, the retro decor of a 1950s car, or open-air cars that allow passengers to enjoy amazing views of the breathtaking Pocono Mountain Range.
During the summer months, from mid-June to early September, trains leave the station at 1:00 pm and return at 2:30 pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Make an unforgettable visit in autumn to enjoy the change of leaves from green to vibrant reds, golds, and coppers while perhaps catching a glimpse of an American bald eagle as it walks along the Lackawaxen River.
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Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad
Board the train at Middletown Station for the 11-mile (17.7 km) trip via the Union Canal and Swatara Creek to Hummelstown.
Train schedules for the fall-spring run include Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday departures at 12:00 pm or 1:30 am and changes at the same times, but without Thursday departures starting in September.
Hear a description of the surrounding area’s history and other facts related to the rail line and south-central Pennsylvania during the 75-minute ride.
On the way back to Middletown, travelers can enjoy musicians playing live music, taking them through the same scenery they’ve just passed through.
For a truly unique experience, book a ride on the Moonlight Special, Civil War, Train Robbery, or New Year’s Eve Celebration Train in Middletown.
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Everett Railroad Company
Hop aboard for a truly unique journey aboard the Everett Railroad’s historic steam train, a 90-minute excursion through the Allegheny Mountains of Blair County from Roaring Spring Depot to Cladding Depot.
The annual Autumn Glory train leaves on Saturdays at 10:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 3:00 pm.
Enjoy the slow pace as the train snakes through the bridges of Allegheny National Park while you take in the scenic beauty of the mountains in their autumnal attire and the vast reservoir below.
Before returning to Roaring Spring Depot, passengers will stop at Clauder Depot, where they will meet ‘Abraham Lincoln’ who will give a historical presentation of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address.
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Coalbrookdale Railroad
After helping a conductor board one of the restored cars, prepare for a two-hour drive from Boyertown to Pottstown, crossing rushing creeks and climbing high bridges toward the forests of Secret Valley.
Coalbrookdale Railroad offers themed train rides along the same route that serves dinner, brunch with mimosas, or evenings with jazz performances.
The dinner menu changes several times during the year, so check before booking. Gluten-free and vegetarian food menus are available for travelers with dietary restrictions.
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Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad
Get aboard it before the whistle blows, or you’ll miss out on an epic journey through Pennsylvania Oil Country.
Departing Titusville Wednesday through Sunday mornings and an additional departure at 3:00 pm Saturday and Sunday, the fall train passes beautiful Oil Creek State Park, which was unimaginably polluted 100 years ago due to oil drilling.
During this three-hour journey, travelers will see how nature, left alone, has regained its beauty.
Passengers can photograph some of the park’s wildlife, including groundhogs, bald eagles, ducks, deer, blue herons, and a rare black bear, as the train winds through the woods.
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Strasbourg Rail Road
Jump aboard one of the company’s locomotives for a unique tour departing Lancaster County through the peaceful Amish countryside on your way to Paradise with stops at Grotto Grove or Lehman Place Grove.
Passengers can get off at either stop and enjoy a picnic lunch; however, while at Groff’s Grove, parents and little ones can enjoy wandering through the corn maze, riding the merry-go-round, or swinging by before getting back on the train to return to Lancaster County.
During the year-round 45-minute ride through Lancaster County farmland, travelers can enjoy viewing livestock alongside crops such as corn, alfalfa, soybeans, and tobacco.
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Steam up at History Inc.
Prepare yourself for a day with President Abraham Lincoln and his generals, taking a ride on his 2.5-hour journey along the same route he traveled from Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg, where he delivered the Gettysburg Address.
Departing from Glen Rock, travelers will enjoy the beautiful countryside of York County with its vast fields, rolling pastures, crops, and livestock.
Anytime during the year, passengers can enjoy stunning views, onboard commentary, live performances by cowboys and influential generals, and the chance to meet Mr. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
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WK&S Railroad
Get your best flapper clothes and pearls for ladies and men for Ragtime, a special event on a rail journey through lush farmland and green forests along Ontelounee Creek.
Kick off your heels for pianists performing live American ragtime classics like Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” during the 40-minute excursion.
Other tours on the same route include a barbecue with picnic food, beer, cigars, and the Bow Wow Express for furry friends.
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West Chester Railroad Company
Take a ride back in time 150 years on a 90-minute trip from West Chester and Glen Mills on any of their sightseeing tours.
During warm weather, hop on board to enjoy the Summer Picnic Special, where you’ll cruise through historic villages, the rolling hills, lush pastures of Chester County, lush green forests, and across the Delaware River.
During the fall months, enjoy the spectacular colors of the trees changing for the season along the same route.
For travelers to catch a glimpse of notable historical sites along the route, including the 19th-century village and station at Cheney, Locksley Station, located near an old iron slitting mill, and the Frazier farmstead reaching Glen Mills. First synonymous with the fame of the Revolutionary War. Victorian Station.
Advance token to the nearest railway station
Immersing in the immense beauty of the state of Pennsylvania in any season will enhance your trip.
However, add a train ride to that journey, and you will find yourself nostalgic for a time when people enjoyed the slow pace of life, and even a short journey from one station to another was a great journey for them.
Add to that the experience these steel horses made as they galloped across landscapes rich in American history, and everyone will have an educational time.
Passengers will enjoy the stunning beauty of the national parks while twisting and turning history with important figures, including Abraham Lincoln, before departing and returning to the present day.
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