Staunton Historic Train Station, Virginia
Historic rail siteTrain ridesWorking Amtrak stop on the Cardinal route
Staunton's 1902 Chesapeake & Ohio train station is one of the architectural prizes of the downtown Wharf Area Historic District, a neighborhood that exists because the Virginia Central Railroad arrived in 1854, and it is still a stop for Amtrak's Cardinal.
- C&O station built in 1902
- Wharf Area Historic District
- Amtrak Cardinal stops here
- Waiting room in 1886 signal house
Staunton Historic Train Station at a glance
- Hours
- Not posted as a museum; check Amtrak for station access and train times
- Admission
- No admission; it is a working station
- Train rides
- Amtrak's Cardinal stops here; tickets through Amtrak
- Plan for
- About 30 minutes, longer if you wait for a train
- Best for
- Architecture fans and kids who want to see a real passenger train
- Best ages
- All ages, with close supervision on the platform
- Parking
- Amtrak lists parking at the station
- Accessibility
- Amtrak lists an accessible platform; no wheelchair is available at the station
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Staunton Historic Train Station? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Staunton.
Rally Takes the Train
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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.
The station that gave Staunton's Wharf its reason to exist
Staunton's Wharf district grew up because of the railroad. The Virginia Central Railroad reached town in 1854, and the warehouses and businesses that followed became the Wharf Area Historic District, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chesapeake & Ohio built the present train station in 1902, and local visitor guides count it among the district's most important buildings. Nearby stands a smaller C&O structure, a signal house built around 1886, which now serves as the unstaffed waiting room for Amtrak passengers.
The station is still part of a working railroad. Amtrak's Cardinal stops in Staunton on its route between New York and Chicago, so families can admire the old architecture and, with good timing, see a long-distance passenger train pull in.
What you find at the station today
Expect a historic station and a working platform rather than a museum with exhibits. Amtrak lists an enclosed waiting area, parking and an accessible platform, with no Wi-Fi and no wheelchair available on site. The Virginia Scenic Railway also lists a Staunton Station location for its excursions, so check that railroad's directions if you are boarding one of its trains. No museum hours or exhibits are posted for the station.
Don’t miss
- The 1902 C&O stationVisitor guides call it one of the key architectural prizes of the Wharf district.
- The former C&O signal houseBuilt around 1886, it now holds the small waiting room for Amtrak passengers.
Waiting for the Cardinal
For train-loving kids, the thrill here is watching a real passenger train arrive at a station more than a century old. Check Amtrak's Cardinal schedule before you go and arrive early. The platform is accessible, but this is an active railroad, so keep little ones close and well back from the platform edge.
Plan your visit: tips for Staunton Historic Train Station
- Check the Cardinal's schedule with Amtrak if you want to see a train arrive.
- The waiting room is unstaffed and has no Wi-Fi.
- Walk the rest of the Wharf Area Historic District while you are downtown.
- If you are riding the Virginia Scenic Railway, use that railroad's own Staunton Station directions.
Who keeps trains stopping in Staunton
The station serves Amtrak passengers and appears in the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority's guide to destinations on the state's rail network. No friends group or volunteer program for the station is posted, so the best way to support it is simply to ride the train to Staunton.
Ride or explore more near Staunton
The Virginia Scenic Railway is right in Staunton for families who want a ride, and the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, about 47 miles away, tells the C&O's story in depth. The Green Bank and Durbin railway exhibits are about 45 miles off in West Virginia. Find more in our guide to train museums across Virginia.
- Virginia Scenic RailwayStaunton, VA · same town
- C&O Railway Heritage CenterClifton Forge, VA · about 47 mi
- Historic C&O DepotClifton Forge, VA · about 47 mi
- Cass Scenic Railroad State ParkCass, WV · about 49 mi
- Buckingham Branch Railroad historic excursion operationsVirginia, VA · about 54 mi
- Buckingham Branch Railroad preservation collectionDillwyn area, VA · about 54 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
Picture sitting by the window as the Cardinal slides into Staunton and the old C&O station comes into view. In our book, Rally rides with Mom and Dad and presses his nose to an arched window, watching the ocean and saying hello to a white bird. My mom dreamed up that view before she died in 2021. Read how her idea became a book on our story page.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in Virginia: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Virginia
- Halloween train rides in Virginia
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Staunton Historic Train Station?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Staunton train station: 20 questions travelers ask
What is the Staunton Historic Train Station?
It is Staunton's Chesapeake & Ohio train station, built in 1902 and still in use as an Amtrak stop. It stands in the downtown Wharf Area Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Passengers wait in a smaller former C&O signal house built around 1886.
Where is the train station in Staunton, Virginia?
The station is in downtown Staunton, in the Wharf Area Historic District. No street address is posted on this page, so search for the Amtrak Staunton station, code STA, for directions. The Virginia Scenic Railway lists its own Staunton Station location, so check which one you need before you drive.
Does Amtrak stop in Staunton, Virginia?
Yes. Amtrak's Cardinal stops at Staunton on its route between New York and Chicago. The station code is STA. Check Amtrak for current days and times before you plan around it, and buy tickets through Amtrak, since the station is unstaffed.
When was the Staunton C&O train station built?
The Chesapeake & Ohio station in Staunton dates to 1902. The small building Amtrak passengers use as a waiting room is older still: it was built as a C&O signal house around 1886. Both stand in the Wharf Area Historic District, which grew up after the Virginia Central Railroad arrived in 1854.
Is the Staunton train station a museum?
No. It is a historic station and a working Amtrak stop rather than a museum with exhibits or posted museum hours. Visitors come to admire the 1902 C&O building, walk the Wharf Area Historic District and, with good timing, watch the Cardinal arrive. No admission is charged to look around the outside.
Is the Staunton Amtrak station staffed?
No. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority describes the Staunton waiting room as unstaffed. Amtrak lists an enclosed waiting area, parking and an accessible platform, but no Wi-Fi and no wheelchair available. Buy tickets ahead through Amtrak and plan any assistance needs in advance.
Is there parking at the Staunton train station?
Yes. Amtrak lists parking at the Staunton station. Details such as cost and overnight rules are not posted here, so check the Amtrak station page for STA before leaving a car for a longer trip. For a quick visit to see the building, downtown Staunton also has street parking nearby.
Is the Staunton train station wheelchair accessible?
Amtrak lists an accessible platform at Staunton, but no wheelchair is available at the station. Travelers who need help boarding should contact Amtrak ahead of the trip to arrange assistance. The waiting room is unstaffed, so plan support before you arrive rather than counting on help on site.
What is the Wharf Area Historic District in Staunton?
It is the downtown neighborhood that grew up around the railroad after the Virginia Central Railroad arrived in Staunton in 1854. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the 1902 C&O station is counted among its key architectural landmarks. It makes a pleasant walk before or after a train.
Is the Virginia Scenic Railway at the Staunton Amtrak station?
The Virginia Scenic Railway lists a Staunton Station location for its excursions and posts its own directions and parking details. Use those directions if you are boarding a scenic ride, and use Amtrak's station information if you are catching the Cardinal, so you end up at the right platform.
Can kids watch trains at the Staunton station?
Yes, if you time it with the Cardinal's schedule. Seeing a long-distance passenger train arrive beside a 1902 station is a big moment for young rail fans. Arrive a little early, keep children well back from the platform edge, and remember this is an active railroad, not a museum yard.
How long should I spend at the Staunton train station?
About thirty minutes is enough to look at the 1902 station and the old signal house. If you want to see a train, plan around Amtrak's posted arrival time and allow extra in case it runs late. Pair the stop with a walk through the rest of the Wharf Area Historic District.
What train runs through Staunton?
Amtrak's Cardinal is the passenger train that serves Staunton, connecting it with New York and Chicago. Separately, the Virginia Scenic Railway runs excursions from a Staunton Station location. Check each operator's website for schedules and tickets, because they are separate services with different boarding details.
Who built the Staunton train station?
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway built the present Staunton station in 1902, and it also built the signal house, around 1886, that now holds the waiting room. The railroad line itself reached Staunton earlier, when the Virginia Central Railroad arrived in 1854, which led to the growth of the Wharf district.
Does the Staunton station have Wi-Fi or food?
Amtrak lists no Wi-Fi at the Staunton station, and no food service is posted for the unstaffed waiting room. Downtown Staunton is walkable, so families can grab a snack in town before the train. Bring water and something to keep kids busy if you will be waiting a while.
Are there Christmas trains at the Staunton station?
No Christmas events are posted for the Staunton station itself. The Virginia Scenic Railway, which lists a Staunton Station location, is the place to check for any seasonal excursions. Look at its website for current dates and tickets before you promise the kids a holiday ride.
Can you go inside the Staunton train station?
Amtrak lists an enclosed waiting area for passengers, housed in the former C&O signal house. Hours for the waiting room are not posted here, so check Amtrak's page for the STA station before you go. The 1902 station building is best admired from outside while you walk the Wharf district.
Is the Staunton train station worth a stop for rail fans?
Yes, for a short visit. It pairs a 1902 C&O station and an 1886 signal house with a real long-distance passenger train, all inside a historic district that exists because of the railroad. Rail fans traveling the Shenandoah Valley can easily combine it with a Virginia Scenic Railway trip.
Who runs passenger rail service to Staunton?
Amtrak operates the Cardinal, which stops at Staunton. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority lists Staunton among the destinations on Virginia's passenger rail network and publishes station information for it. For tickets, schedules and travel alerts, go to Amtrak directly.
What train museums are near Staunton?
The Virginia Scenic Railway is right in Staunton. The Green Bank and Durbin railway exhibits in West Virginia are about 45 miles away, the C&O Railway Heritage Center and Historic C&O Depot in Clifton Forge are about 47 miles, and Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is about 49 miles away.
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