Missouri River Runner With Kids: Every Stop, River Views, Kids Fares
Thinking about the Missouri River Runner with kids? It's a solid pick: two trains a day each way cross Missouri between Kansas City and St. Louis in about 5 hours 40 minutes, and kids 2 to 12 ride at half the adult fare with an adult. There are eight stops in between, and the line even has a cartoon mascot, Ollie the Otter, dressed as a conductor. On the eastern half the tracks follow the Missouri River, so the side you sit on matters. We'll tell you which one, plus every stop and easy first rides from either end.
The short version
- Two round trips a day, Kansas City to St. Louis in about 5 hours 40 minutes.
- Going on to Chicago? One of the two runs through as a Lincoln Service train, so nobody has to change trains.
- Kids 2 to 12 pay half fare with an adult 18 or older, and each adult can hold one lap baby under 2 for free.
- For river views, sit on the left heading east and on the right heading west.
- Early for your train in Kansas City? Science City, a hands-on science museum, is inside Union Station.
- Missouri pays for most of the service. No sleepers, but you get a cafe and Wi-Fi.
Missouri River Runner at a glance
- Runs between
- Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri
- States
- Missouri only
- Distance
- about 283 miles
- End to end
- about 5 hours 40 minutes
- Trains
- Two round trips per day; one continues to Chicago
- Train cars
- Single-level Amfleet and Siemens Venture coaches with an Amfleet cafe and Business Class car, pulled by a Siemens Charger
- Upstairs seating
- None, all cars are single-level
- Food
- Cafe with snacks, drinks and light meals
- Business Class
- Yes, with free non-alcoholic drinks
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Sleeper rooms
- None, this is a daytime train
- Best river side
- Left side heading to St. Louis, right side heading to Kansas City
Look inside the book
Kansas City to St. Louis? Rally rides along.
Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes to read. Try it right after the conductor scans your tickets, then take a look inside here.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes, kids need a ticket. Kids 2 to 12 ride for half the adult fare beside an adult 18 or older, and a lap baby under 2 rides free, one per adult. The Amtrak with kids guide covers the general rules; below are the Missouri details.
- Missouri pays the bills. The Missouri Department of Transportation funds most of the service. We didn’t find a Missouri kids-ride-free deal running in October 2026, so the half-price child fare is your main discount.
- Kansas City to Chicago, one seat. Since 2022, one daily round trip runs through St. Louis as a Lincoln Service train. Train 318 leaves Kansas City at 8:40 a.m. and reaches Chicago at 8:00 p.m., and train 319 makes the return. That’s a long day with kids, but you never have to move everyone and everything to another train.
- Santa trains go fast. When we checked in October 2026, the Runner’s own site was promoting All Aboard with Santa trips on December 5 and 6 and telling riders to book early. If that sounds like your December, don’t wait.
- Business Class, if it helps. It costs more, but you get your own seating area, free soft drinks and a refundable fare if plans change before the train leaves Kansas City or St. Louis.
Free for train families
Free Missouri River Runner printables for the ride
Screen-free fun for the whole ride: track all 10 Missouri River Runner stops, spot landmarks out the window, play train window bingo and earn an “I rode the Missouri River Runner” certificate. Free to print at home.
Get the free Missouri River Runner activity bookEvery Missouri River Runner stop, from Kansas City to St. Louis
The Missouri River Runner stops at 10 stations between Kansas City Union Station and St. Louis Gateway Station. Every train stops at every one, so there are no skipped stops to worry about.
Missouri- Kansas City Union StationLook for: Have them look 95 feet up in the Grand Hall at three chandeliers that weigh 3,500 pounds each, then find the six-foot clock where the halls meet. Science City fills the old train shed space.
- Independence
- Lee's Summit
- WarrensburgLook for: Dog lovers, this one is yours: a statue of Old Drum, the dog whose 1869 court case made "man's best friend" famous, stands at the courthouse square. The sandstone depot opened in 1889.
- SedaliaLook for: The 1886 depot got a remodel in 1951 to look modern. Tell them the town’s old Katy Depot is now a welcome center with a railroad museum, and that Sedalia hosts the Missouri State Fair.
- Jefferson CityLook for: Have them look for the Missouri State Capitol dome, 238 feet tall with a statue of Ceres on top. In town, the Lewis and Clark Monument includes Seaman, Lewis's Newfoundland dog.
- HermannLook for: The small depot has displays about the Missouri River, railroads and roads. Point across the river: that is where the 250-mile Katy Trail runs.
- Washington
- KirkwoodLook for: Look for the turret with the pointed roof on the 1893 stone depot. Volunteer station hosts run a lending library for passengers, so ask about borrowing a book.
- St. Louis Gateway StationLook for: Tell them the city's symbol is the Gateway Arch, finished in 1965. Nearby Union Station has the largest single-span train shed ever built.
What kids can see from the Missouri River Runner
The name gives it away. The Missouri River Runner was named in a 2009 contest because the route often runs along the river, and the eastern half hugs the south bank, with the water north of the tracks.
Which side to sit on
Going east to St. Louis? Sit on the left for the river. Going west to Kansas City, take the right. Hermann and Washington are both river towns on this eastern stretch, so that's when to get the kids to the window.
Otters, real and cartoon
The line's mascot, Ollie the Otter, is a river otter dressed as a conductor, with a gold pocket watch and a red tie. The designers picked an otter because the animals live along the river the train follows. Real otters are hard to spot from a moving train, so skip the letdown and count birds on the water instead.
Before the Runner, there were Mules
The service began in 1980 as two trains called the Kansas City Mule and the St. Louis Mule; ask your kids which name they like better. In 2009, an $8.1 million passing track was built near California, Missouri, so trains could pull aside for freight. On-time arrivals jumped from under 70 percent to about 95 percent.
The Capitol and the Katy Trail
At Jefferson City, the Capitol's 238-foot dome is the tallest thing around, an easy one for a young spotter. The Katy Trail, built on an old railroad line, follows the Missouri River for much of the way and passes Hermann on the far bank.
Where to sit with kids on the Missouri River Runner
Every car is single-level, so once you're on board, there are no stairs. Coaches are a mix of older Amfleet cars and newer Siemens Venture cars, with two seats on each side of the aisle. The Venture cars have a bigger bathroom at one end and a luggage and bike rack across from an extra pair of seats, the best place for a folded stroller.
Amtrak says some trains have forward and backward facing seats and doesn't guarantee which way you'll face. River views are only on one side, so board early and grab a window pair on the river side. Two kids? Take two pairs so each one gets a window and nobody has to fight for it.
Business Class rides in part of the cafe car, with a separate seating section and free soft drinks. Amtrak allows carry-on bikes on this route, which is handy if older kids want to ride a piece of the Katy Trail from Hermann or Jefferson City.
If you get split up on the Missouri River Runner
Put the family on one reservation and plan to board early. Coach on most Amtrak trains isn’t assigned, so a Runner ticket means a seat, just not a promised one. Kansas City Union Station is big and busy, the kind of station where parents with babies and toddlers often board ahead of the crowd. Two pairs on the river side are ideal, but together beats the view.
Getting on at Jefferson City or Kirkwood to a busy car? Walk it, then the next coach. Asking a stranger to swap? Do it early, keep it short (“Our 3-year-old needs to sit with us”) and offer a fair trade, like your window seat for theirs, facing the same way. A river-side window is a prize, so never ask for one in exchange for a worse seat. If they decline, that’s fine.
The conductor can help, at the door or on the ticket round. Give them a head count and the children’s ages, then ask if another Runner car has space. They’ll point out empty seats and get bags shifted (each ticket gets one seat), but no seated rider gets pulled out. Even on the 30-minute ride to Kirkwood, keep young kids right next to you.
The best first Missouri River Runner ride with kids
Five hours and forty minutes is a lot for a first ride, so try one of these instead. Times come from the October 2026 Amtrak timetable; check amtrak.com before you go.
- St. Louis to Kirkwood (about 30 minutes). Train 311 leaves St. Louis at 8:10 a.m. and reaches Kirkwood at 8:39 a.m. Spend the morning in town, then ride train 318 back at 1:47 p.m. The Magic House and Powder Valley Nature Center are both in Kirkwood, so you won't run out of things to do.
- St. Louis to Hermann (about 1 hour 35 minutes). Train 311 follows the river and reaches Hermann at 9:45 a.m. Train 318 heads back at 12:36 p.m., or stay later and take train 316 at 7:57 p.m.
- Kansas City to Jefferson City (about 3 hours). Train 318 leaves Kansas City at 8:40 a.m. and reaches the capital at 11:49 a.m. See the Capitol, then take train 319 home at 5:36 p.m., arriving at 8:51 p.m., likely with at least one kid asleep.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Missouri River Runner
The cafe car sells snacks, drinks and light meals. At nearly six hours end to end, plan on at least one meal from home. Train 311 leaves St. Louis at 8:10 a.m., so a packed breakfast plus a cafe hot chocolate can carry you to Jefferson City.
Train running late out of Kansas City? You picked a good station for it. Science City, a planetarium and a giant screen theater are all under the same roof as the waiting room.
There are no sleepers, so naps happen in the seat. Venture coaches have one large bathroom per car with more room to help a child. Wi-Fi is on board, but on the eastern half, the river is the better show. For the western half, print a few free train coloring sheets before you leave. Diaper changes? We couldn’t confirm changing tables on the Runner, so a portable pad is worth its space.
A train book for the ride
In Rally Takes the Train, a friendly conductor stops by Rally's seat. On the Missouri River Runner, your kids get two conductors to look for: the real one who checks tickets, and Ollie the Otter, who you can meet on the Runner’s website before you go. Read the conductor page right after your tickets are scanned.
Rally is a real corgi, and Warrensburg has a statue of Old Drum, the dog behind the phrase "man's best friend." Print the free Rally activity pack and coloring pages for the long middle stretch past Sedalia.
Pack Rally for the river rideA five-minute picture book about a corgi’s first train ride and the friendly conductor he meets, painted in watercolor for ages 0 to 8. $13.99 on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon
More for train families
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
- The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
- Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
- Lincoln Service with kids
- Southwest Chief with kids
- Texas Eagle with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Missouri River Runner
- Amtrak timetable: Missouri River Runner (October 2026)
- Amtrak timetable: Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runner through trains
- Wikipedia: Missouri River Runner
- Missouri River Runner (official site)
- MoDOT: World Cup capacity on the Missouri River Runner
- Advance Media NY: Ollie, the River Runner mascot
- Trains: Siemens Venture coaches debut
- Great American Stations: Kansas City, MO
- Great American Stations: Sedalia, MO
- Great American Stations: Hermann, MO
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Missouri River Runner with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes, anyone 2 or older rides on a ticket. On the Runner, a 2- to 12-year-old pays half what you pay, provided they're booked with someone 18 or older, and you go by their age on the day the trip starts. Missouri pays for most of the service, but we found no separate state kids discount in October 2026. Business Class fares aren't reduced for children.
Do babies ride free on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes. Between Kansas City and St. Louis, one baby under 2 per full-fare adult rides along on that adult's lap for nothing. A second baby with that adult, or one you'd like in a Runner seat of their own, needs a child ticket. A lap baby gets a free seat only if it would otherwise sit empty, so count on a lap ride for most of the nearly six hours.
Do I need a car seat on the Missouri River Runner?
No. Amtrak seats, the Runner's included, have nothing to lock a car seat into, so it can only perch on an empty seat that no ticketed rider wants, and your under-2 may move back to your lap while it's stowed. It's worth hauling only if a car is waiting when you get off, say for a drive from Jefferson City or Hermann. Otherwise, leave it home and travel lighter.
Are there changing tables on the Missouri River Runner?
Not that we could confirm for the Runner. Amtrak has no formal rule about baby changing, so it's car by car, and Amtrak's stated plan is to add tables to accessible restrooms as new cars arrive. The Runner mixes older Amfleet coaches with newer Venture coaches, and the Venture ones have a bigger bathroom at one end, so head there first. Pack a portable changing pad.
What are the bathrooms like on the Missouri River Runner?
Every car on the Runner has a restroom, and in the Venture coaches it's a bigger one at the end of the car with more room to help a child. A light shows when it's occupied. Go along with young kids, and warn them the flush is loud. All the cars are single-level, so the walk there is flat.
Can I bring a stroller on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes. Amtrak lets you swap a folding stroller or car seat in for one of your normal bags, no fee, and a family traveling with someone under 2 gets one bonus infant item beyond the usual two carry-ons. On the Runner's Venture coaches, the rack opposite the extra pair of seats holds luggage and bikes, and a folded stroller fits there. Ask about a jogging or double stroller when you book.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes. Missouri, like every state, protects a mother's right to nurse in public, so feed your baby in your seat, river views and all. The Runner sells cafe food but has no dining car, so pack bottles, formula and water for the full 5 hours 40 minutes. If you're riding train 318 or 319 through to Chicago, pack enough for more than 11 hours.
Is there food for kids on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes, the Runner's cafe car stocks light meals, snacks and drinks, and Business Class comes with free soft drinks. At nearly six hours end to end, though, we'd bring at least one meal from home. Train 311 leaves St. Louis at 8:10 a.m., so breakfast from home, maybe topped off with a cafe hot chocolate, gets everyone along the river to the capital.
How do I keep kids entertained on the Missouri River Runner?
Use the river first: it shows up most on the eastern half, near Hermann and Washington. At Jefferson City, the Capitol's 238-foot dome is an easy spot, and at Warrensburg there's a statue of Old Drum, a famous dog. Count birds on the water, use the Wi-Fi with headphones, and save the Rally book and our free coloring pages for the train for the middle stretch past Sedalia.
Where should my family sit on the Missouri River Runner?
On the river side, together. Heading east to St. Louis, sit on the left; heading west to Kansas City, sit on the right. Seats come in pairs, two on each side of the aisle, and Amtrak doesn't promise which way they'll face. Board early and grab window pairs on the river side, and with two kids, take two pairs so nobody fights over the glass.
What if my family can't sit together on the Missouri River Runner?
Sit close while you keep hunting, maybe one row back, with the youngest beside a grown-up. One adult can scout the rest of your coach, then the car beyond it. Riders get off at stops like Jefferson City and Hermann, so look again once those are behind you. When you ask a stranger to trade, offer a seat just as good, and remember a river-side window is worth a lot to them, too.
Does the Missouri River Runner conductor help families sit together?
Yes, when there's room to work with. Find the conductor as you climb aboard or while they're scanning tickets, and share how many are traveling and the kids' ages. Ask about seats in another car. A Runner conductor can show you where seats are open and ask riders to move their things, since a ticket gets one seat. Nobody already seated has to give theirs up, so boarding early still matters most.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Missouri River Runner?
Whether the Missouri River Runner has a Quiet Car is something we couldn't confirm, so look at the car signs when you board. Where there is one, the rules are low voices, no calls and no sound from phones or tablets. A toddler pointing out every boat on the river would break all three, so we'd ride in a regular coach and keep headphones handy for the Wi-Fi.
What should I pack for a toddler on the Missouri River Runner?
Pack for 5 hours 40 minutes, and keep it in carry-ons: two bags and a personal item per adult, plus a free diaper bag for a child under 2. Bring diapers, wipes, a changing pad, a spare outfit, breakfast and lunch, water, headphones, a new toy or two and a printable pack-the-suitcase page for the stretch past Sedalia. Heading on to Chicago? Pack dinner, too.
Can kids nap on the Missouri River Runner?
Yes, right in the coach seat; the Runner is a daytime train without sleepers. Two trains run each way: train 311 leaves St. Louis at 8:10 a.m. and train 319 at 3:11 p.m., while train 318 leaves Kansas City at 8:40 a.m. and train 316 at 4:05 p.m. Pick the one that matches nap time. A small pillow helps against the window.
What's the best first ride with kids on the Missouri River Runner?
St. Louis to Kirkwood, about 30 minutes. Train 311 leaves St. Louis at 8:10 a.m. and reaches Kirkwood at 8:39 a.m., where volunteer station hosts run a lending library in the 1893 stone depot. Spend the morning in town, then ride train 318 back at 1:47 p.m. Check the October 2026 times on amtrak.com before you go.
Can kids ride the Missouri River Runner alone?
Never at 12 or under; Amtrak doesn't allow it. Teens 13 to 15 can ride under the unaccompanied minor policy: a parent books by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL, and the teen travels by day, only between staffed stations, never changing trains, and pays like an adult. Riding through St. Louis to Chicago on train 318 or 319 is a long day, so ask Amtrak whether it fits. At 16 and 17, teens can ride alone.
How early should we get to Kansas City Union Station for the train?
About 30 minutes early, and in Kansas City you can come earlier on purpose. Science City, a planetarium and a giant screen theater are under the same roof as the waiting room. At a station this size, Amtrak often lets parents with babies and toddlers board early. In the Grand Hall, have kids find the three huge chandeliers and the six-foot clock while you wait.
What if my child gets scared on the Missouri River Runner?
Before you board, talk about the noisy parts. The Runner's horn is loud, and freight trains share this line, which is why a passing track near California, Missouri, lets the Runner pull aside for them. Hold your kid, let them cover their ears and talk about what they hear. Read Rally's tunnel page together too: the dark part passes and the light comes back. Our free what-happens-next printable lets them practice the trip at home.
Is the Missouri River Runner safe for kids?
Yes, with some simple habits. Hold hands on the platform, stay behind the line and wait until the train stops before stepping up. On board, kids stay in their seats or hold a seatback whenever the Runner is moving, keep shoes on and hold a hand between cars on the way to the cafe. On the single-level cars there are no stairs, so the main thing to watch is the step at the door.
What if the Missouri River Runner is delayed?
Before leaving, pull up the Runner in the Amtrak app, watch its dot on the live map and skim its travel advisories. The odds have improved: after an $8.1 million passing track opened near California, Missouri, in 2009, on-time arrivals jumped from under 70 percent to about 95 percent. Still, pack extra snacks and diapers. Running late out of Kansas City? Science City is right inside the station.
Who is Ollie the Otter on the Missouri River Runner?
Ollie is the Runner's mascot: a river otter dressed as a conductor, with a gold pocket watch and a red tie. He was picked because otters live along the river the train follows, and he made his debut at the Missouri State Fair. Look him up on the Runner's website before your trip, then let your kids hunt for the real conductor on board.