Cardinal With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Cardinal runs three days a week, takes the long way from New York to Chicago through the mountains, and spends two hours at the bottom of the deepest gorge in the Appalachians with the river right beside the train. That is the whole case for it. It also stops at a resort you can walk to from the platform, a ghost town with a Park Service depot, and a station with a children's museum inside the building. Westbound you climb the Blue Ridge after lunch and reach the gorge at dinner; eastbound the gorge comes after breakfast. My son learned the word tunnel on this train. Below is every stop, the ones you sleep through, and the gorge day trip that makes the whole thing work.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are approximate from the fall 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Montgomery to Hinton.An hour and 50 minutes eastbound at 9:02am, the whole gorge, the river switching sides, the big bridge overhead, and a railroad town at the end. Jump to Hinton.
- Ages 4 to 8: the Charleston gorge day.Eastbound at 8:31am through the gorge to Hinton, a railroad museum and lunch, and westbound back through it at 6:46pm, home by 9:09pm. Jump to Charleston.
- The big one: Washington to Charleston.The 80-minute engine swap, the tunnel under Capitol Hill, the Blue Ridge tunnel, Staunton's toy store, the Greenbrier across the road, and the gorge at dinner. Jump to Washington.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the calendar: westbound trains leave New York on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, eastbound trains leave Chicago on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and if someone gets sick the next train is two days off, so build slack into any grandparent visit. Second, the gorge is in daylight eastbound (about 9am to 11am) and at dinnertime westbound, which is dark in fall and winter; plan the direction around it. Third, there is one sleeper and it sells out in October, so book early, and know that there is no Family Bedroom. The Northeast Corridor stops are the same on every train out of New York, so I point to the Northeast Regional plan for those. Alerts are on the Cardinal page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, rooms, Flex Dining, the long Washington stop and what to pack for the night through Kentucky are all in our Cardinal parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Amtrak is replacing the switches in the tunnel south of Union Station, and that week the Cardinal runs only between Chicago and Indianapolis, with no train in Washington, Virginia or West Virginia and no bus named for the rest of the route. If your trip lands inside those dates, look at the first departure after October 26 and rebook with Amtrak.
Stop 1 of 32NYPTrain 51 leaves about 6:40am Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; Train 50 arrives about 10:25pm the same days
New York Moynihan Train Hall
The Cardinal leaves New York at 6:40am three mornings a week, which means a dark walk to Moynihan Train Hall and breakfast on the train. It is the same first hours as every train down the corridor, so the New York end of this page is short; the Northeast Regional plan covers these stations. The real Cardinal starts at Washington, where a diesel goes on and the train turns for the mountains.
Look up at the skylight, find the gate, find your car. Then sleep until Philadelphia.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: restrooms, a food hall, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
A few hours here
- Board. See the Northeast Regional plan for a New York day.
Stay the night
New York is its own trip; the Cardinal is how you leave it before dawn.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall opens early; buy the day's snacks here.
Out the window: The Hudson tunnels and the New Jersey meadows at sunrise.
Checked baggage works only when both your stations offer it. Sleeper passengers can use the Metropolitan Lounge.
Stop 2 of 32NWKWestbound about 7:02am (pickup only); eastbound about 10:05pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Newark Penn Station
Twenty minutes out. See the Northeast Regional plan.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1935 station with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Station cafes.
Out the window: Refineries and the meadows.
Stop 3 of 32TREWestbound about 7:42am; eastbound about 9:25pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Trenton
The lettered bridge over the Delaware. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The Trenton Makes bridge on the right just after the stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Station cafe.
Out the window: The Delaware River.
Stop 4 of 32PHLWestbound about 8:07am; eastbound about 8:55pm (drop-off only)
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
The 1933 hall with the bronze angel, a 13-minute stop westbound, and Boathouse Row out the window on the way in. The Please Touch Museum and the Franklin Institute are a cab away; the Northeast Regional plan has the full day.
Boathouse Row and the art museum on the right crossing the Schuylkill.
Right off the platform
- at stop30th Street Station: a grand waiting room, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 20 minThe Franklin Institute and the Please Touch Museum, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, or see the Northeast Regional plan.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: The river, then the airport.
Stop 5 of 32WILWestbound about 8:45am; eastbound about 8:30pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Wilmington
Delaware's stop. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The Susquehanna bridge 40 minutes on.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1908 station with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Station cafe.
Out the window: Maryland farms and the Susquehanna.
Stop 6 of 32BALWestbound about 9:38am; eastbound about 7:40pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Baltimore Penn Station
A 1911 station with the harbor and the aquarium a cab away. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The tunnel under the city.
Right off the platform
- at stopPenn Station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Station cafe.
Out the window: Rowhouses, then the airport.
Stop 7 of 32WASWestbound arrives about 10:19am, leaves 11:39am; eastbound arrives about 6:45pm (drop-off only)
Washington Union Station
The Cardinal sits in Washington for 80 minutes westbound while the electric engine comes off and a diesel goes on, and the cafe closes for the swap, so this is lunch. The National Postal Museum next door is free and has a real railway mail car; the Capitol lawn is 10 minutes. From 11:39am the train is a mountain train. Washington is where I would start the Cardinal with kids: skip the 6:40am New York departure, do a Washington weekend, and board here.
The Postal Museum's mail car, then back through the Great Hall and down to the lower level, where the diesel is already on. Then the tunnel under Capitol Hill.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food hall, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge.
- 2 minNational Postal Museum next door, free, with a railway mail car and a stagecoach.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds and Visitor Center, free.
- 20 minThe Mall's museums, free.
- at stopThe National Zoo by Metro, free.
A few hours here
- Westbound: off at 10:19am, the Postal Museum (40 minutes), lunch in the food hall, back aboard by 11:25am.
Stay the night
A Washington weekend as in the Northeast Regional plan, then the Cardinal at 11:39am on a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday for Charlottesville by 2:23pm and the mountains by dinner.
Snack stop: Union Station's food hall; buy lunch for the train here since the cafe closes during the stop.
Out the window: The First Street Tunnel under Capitol Hill, two dark minutes, then the Potomac with the Washington Monument behind on the right.
The 80-minute stop is on the timetable; ask the conductor before leaving and be back 15 minutes early. From October 16 to 26, 2026, track work closes the tunnel and the Cardinal runs only between Chicago and Indianapolis; see the note at the top of this page.
Stop 8 of 32ALXWestbound about 11:59am (pickup only); eastbound about 6:27pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Alexandria
A 1905 station by King Street Metro, with Old Town's waterfront a free trolley ride away. The easier place to board for suburban families; the Carolinian plan has an Alexandria day.
The Masonic memorial tower above the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1905 station with a waiting room and a staffed counter; no checked bags during construction.
- 5 minKing Street Metro and the free trolley to Old Town.
A few hours here
- Board here if you live nearby.
Stay the night
See the Carolinian plan.
Snack stop: King Street by trolley.
Out the window: The train turns west toward Manassas, into the Virginia woods.
Stop 9 of 32MSSWestbound about 12:32pm; eastbound about 5:35pm
Manassas
A red-brick 1914 depot in a small old town built around a railroad junction, with a toy store and ice cream five minutes away and the Civil War battlefield four miles out by car. Westbound at 12:32pm it is lunch; eastbound at 5:35pm, dinner. The Crescent and VRE also stop here, so a Manassas day does not depend on the three-day Cardinal.
The junction outside the depot where the lines split, with the signals and the freights.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 depot with a visitor center, a waiting room and restrooms.
- 5 minOld Town's Center Street: cafes, ice cream and a toy store.
- 5 minThe Manassas Museum, with a children's gallery (admission; check days).
- at stopManassas National Battlefield Park, by car, free.
A few hours here
- Lunch in Old Town and the museum (2 hours), then a VRE or the Crescent on.
Stay the night
A Manassas night: the battlefield by car, Old Town, and tomorrow's train.
Snack stop: Center Street, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: Horse farms and the first blue line of the Blue Ridge ahead.
Stop 10 of 32CLPWestbound about 1:05pm; eastbound about 5:00pm
Culpeper
A 1904 depot with the Museum of Culpeper History inside, on a main street with a candy store that is five minutes end to end. Westbound at 1:05pm this is a lunch stop with the Blue Ridge in view from the platform. The Crescent stops here daily, so Culpeper to Charlottesville works any day of the week.
The dinosaur tracks at the depot museum, then the candy store on Davis Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1904 depot: a waiting room, restrooms, the visitor center and the Museum of Culpeper History (small admission).
- 5 minDavis Street's cafes, bakery and candy store.
- 10 minYowell Meadow Park's playground and creek, free.
- at stopShenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive, by car, 40 minutes.
A few hours here
- The depot museum and lunch on Davis Street (90 minutes), then the Crescent on.
Stay the night
A Culpeper night: the town, the park, Shenandoah by car, and the train.
Snack stop: Davis Street, five minutes from the platform.
Out the window: The Rapidan River, then the Blue Ridge growing on the right.
Stop 11 of 32CVSWestbound about 2:23pm; eastbound about 3:35pm
Charlottesville
The last stop before the mountains, and the best Virginia stop on the line. The 1885 station is a 15-minute walk from the Downtown Mall, with a free-feeling children's museum that has a carousel, ice cream and street musicians, and Monticello is a short drive. West of here the Cardinal climbs the Blue Ridge through its first long tunnel; Washington to Charlottesville is the parent guide's pick for a short daytime ride. Both the Crescent and Northeast Regional trains stop here too.
The Virginia Discovery Museum's carousel on the mall, then the Blue Ridge Tunnel 20 minutes west of the station, the first real dark of the trip.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1885 station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter, with restaurants in the old freight house.
- 15 minThe Downtown Mall: shops, cafes, a fountain and the Paramount.
- 15 minVirginia Discovery Museum, ages 0 to 8, with a carousel (admission).
- 10 minThe University of Virginia's Lawn, free.
- at stopMonticello, by car or cab (admission).
- at stopCarter Mountain Orchard, by car, in fall.
A few hours here
- Westbound: off at 2:23pm, the mall and the Discovery Museum (3 hours), a downtown hotel, and Friday's or Sunday's train on.
Stay the night
Two nights: the mall and the museum, Monticello, Carter Mountain, and the Cardinal west at 2:32pm for the tunnels and the gorge by dinner.
Snack stop: The Downtown Mall's ice cream and candy, 15 minutes away.
Out the window: West of Charlottesville the train climbs into the Blue Ridge, through the tunnel at Afton, and drops into the Shenandoah Valley with the mountains on both sides.
Charlottesville has a staffed counter; check whether checked bags are offered for your date. The Cardinal runs Wednesday, Friday and Sunday westbound.
Stop 12 of 32STAWestbound about 3:34pm; eastbound about 2:28pm
Staunton
A 1902 C&O depot in the old Wharf district, with a restaurant inside, a toy store and a model train shop a few blocks away, and a downtown that is one of the prettiest in Virginia. Gypsy Hill Park, a mile out, has a mini train that has run on weekends for sixty years. The Virginia Scenic Railway runs excursion trains from this depot on some weekends, which makes Staunton the one stop on the Cardinal where a train kid can ride a second train. The Frontier Culture Museum, with working farms, is a drive.
The Gypsy Express mini train at Gypsy Hill Park on a weekend, or the Virginia Scenic Railway's excursion from the same depot the Cardinal uses.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1902 depot: a waiting room, restrooms and the Depot Grille inside; no staff or checked bags.
- 5 minThe Wharf district and Beverley Street: Pufferbellies toy store, a model train shop, ice cream and the Blackfriars Playhouse.
- 5 minStaunton Farmers' Market in the Wharf lot on Saturday mornings.
- at stopGypsy Hill Park, by cab or a 25-minute walk: the Gypsy Express mini train (weekends May to October), a playground, ducks and a pool.
- at stopVirginia Scenic Railway excursions from the depot on select days (fare; book ahead).
- at stopFrontier Culture Museum, by cab, with farms from four countries and animals (admission).
A few hours here
- Westbound: off at 3:34pm, Beverley Street and ice cream, Gypsy Hill Park, a night downtown, and Friday's or Sunday's train west into the gorge.
Stay the night
Two Staunton nights: the toy store and the park the first day, the Frontier Culture Museum or a Scenic Railway ride the second, and the Cardinal on either direction.
Snack stop: Beverley Street's ice cream and bakeries, five minutes from the depot; the Depot Grille is in the station.
Out the window: Leaving west the train crosses the Shenandoah Valley's farms with the Alleghenies rising ahead, then follows the Jackson River into the mountains.
The depot is unstaffed; buy tickets online. Virginia Scenic Railway dates are limited; check the calendar before planning a trip around one.
Stop 13 of 32CLFWestbound about 4:53pm; eastbound about 1:09pm
Clifton Forge
A railroad town in a bend of the Jackson River, where the C&O Historical Society has built a heritage center across the street from the 1906 station: a replica depot, a signal tower, an engine house and real locomotives and cabooses to walk around. The waiting room is open only on train days. A one-street town, so this is a stop for train kids and nobody else, and for them it is very good.
The steam locomotive and the cabooses at the C&O Railway Heritage Center across from the station, then watching the Cardinal come in from the same spot.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1906 wooden C&O office building with a small waiting room, open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; no staff.
- 2 minC&O Railway Heritage Center, across Ridgeway Street: locomotives, cabooses, a replica depot and a model railroad (small admission; seasonal, check days).
- 5 minMain Street's cafe and the Alleghany Highlands Arts center.
- at stopDouthat State Park, by car, with a lake beach and cabins.
A few hours here
- Eastbound: off at 1:09pm, the heritage center (90 minutes), and a night at Douthat by car.
Stay the night
A Clifton Forge day for a train family: the heritage center, lunch on Main Street, and the Cardinal on.
Snack stop: A cafe on Main Street, five minutes away.
Out the window: West of Clifton Forge the train follows the Jackson River, crosses into West Virginia through the Alleghany Tunnel at the state line, and comes out at the Greenbrier.
The heritage center keeps seasonal hours and is often closed in winter; check before promising the engines. The waiting room is open only on train days.
Stop 14 of 32WSSWestbound about 5:45pm; eastbound about 12:01pm
White Sulphur Springs
The train comes out of the tunnel under the Allegheny divide into West Virginia and stops at a small 1931 brick depot that the Greenbrier runs as a Christmas shop. The Greenbrier itself, the big white resort that trains have served since 1869, is across the road: a bunker tour under the hotel for kids over 10, a huge indoor pool, a bowling alley, horses and a kids' program. It is expensive. It is also the only stop on the Cardinal where you can walk from the platform to a swimming pool.
Walking from the depot across the road to the Greenbrier's lawn and looking back at the train, then the indoor pool.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small 1931 depot, a Christmas shop in season, with a platform; no staff or checked bags.
- 5 minThe Greenbrier: the lobby, the Christmas shop, the indoor pool and bowling for guests, the bunker tour (admission; ages 10 and up).
- 10 minMain Street White Sulphur Springs's cafes.
- at stopGreenbrier State Forest, by car, with trails and a pool in summer.
- at stopThe Greenbrier River Trail, by car, for bikes.
A few hours here
- Westbound: off at 5:45pm, across the road to the hotel, and the gorge on Friday's or Sunday's train.
Stay the night
A Greenbrier night or two, if the budget allows: the pool, the bunker tour for older kids, horses, and the Cardinal on in either direction from the depot across the road.
Snack stop: The Greenbrier's cafe and candy shop; a cafe on Main Street 10 minutes away.
Out the window: Leaving west the train follows the Greenbrier River through Alderson toward Hinton, with the river on the left and the valley narrowing.
The depot is unstaffed. The Greenbrier's pool and bowling are for hotel guests; the bunker tour and shops are open to visitors.
Stop 15 of 32ALDWestbound about 6:16pm; eastbound about 11:18amour honest take: ride on
Alderson
A small town on the Greenbrier River with a brick depot and a footbridge over the water. The federal women's prison on the hill is the town's claim to fame, which is not a story for the kids. A stretch stop; the river out the window is the point.
The Greenbrier River on the left, with people floating it in tubes in summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room open around the trains.
- 5 minThe Alderson memorial footbridge over the Greenbrier.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The Greenbrier River, close enough to see the rocks.
Stop 16 of 32HINWestbound about 6:46pm; eastbound about 10:50am
Hinton
The railroad town at the top of the New River Gorge, where the C&O kept its crews and shops, and the stop that makes a gorge day possible. Eastbound train 50 runs from Charleston at 8:31am to Hinton at 10:50am straight through the gorge in morning light, and westbound train 51 leaves Hinton at 6:46pm the same evening, so a Charleston family can see the gorge both ways in one day on a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. Hinton's downtown is old brick a few blocks from the depot, with a railroad museum, and Railroad Days in October fills the town with equipment and model layouts.
Eastbound at 10:50am, stepping off into a railroad town after two hours in the gorge, then the Hinton Railroad Museum's model of the line you just rode.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1900s C&O depot, with a waiting room open around the trains; no staff or checked bags.
- 5 minDowntown Hinton's Temple and Third Avenue: the Hinton Railroad Museum, a toy and candy store, cafes.
- 10 minThe New River under the Hinton bridge, with a riverside walk.
- at stopSandstone Falls, by car, 10 miles: a boardwalk to the widest waterfall on the New River, free.
- at stopBluestone Lake and Pipestem Resort State Park, by car, with a tram down into a canyon.
A few hours here
- The gorge day trip: eastbound from Charleston at 8:31am, lunch and the museum in Hinton (7 hours in town), and westbound at 6:46pm back through the gorge.
Stay the night
A Hinton night: the gorge in, Sandstone Falls by car, Railroad Days if it is October, and the gorge out the next train day.
Snack stop: Cafes and a candy store downtown, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: West of Hinton the train enters the New River Gorge: the river on one side then the other, rafts in summer, the walls rising, and the underside of the New River Gorge Bridge 876 feet overhead near Fayetteville.
The gorge is east of here eastbound and west of here westbound; westbound in fall and winter it is dark by Thurmond. Railroad Days is in October; the museum keeps limited hours. The Cardinal runs three days a week, so a Hinton night is at least two nights unless you drive.
Stop 17 of 32PRCWestbound about 7:23pm; eastbound about 10:18amour honest take: ride on
Prince
A red-brick Art Deco depot from 1946 at the bottom of the gorge, with a bridge across the New River and nothing else. It is the stop for Beckley, 10 miles up the hill, where the Exhibition Coal Mine runs kids through a real mine in a rail car. Without a car waiting, stay on; with one, Beckley is a good day.
The depot itself, which is a small streamlined building in a canyon, and the river beside it.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1946 depot with a waiting room open around the trains; no staff.
- at stopBeckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum, by car, 10 miles, with a mine ride and a coal camp (admission; April to October).
- at stopGrandview overlook of the New River Gorge, by car, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless a car is meeting you.
Stay the night
A Beckley day by car: the coal mine ride, Grandview, and the train on.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The gorge, both sides.
Stop 18 of 32THNWestbound about 7:39pm; eastbound about 9:56am, flag stop both waysour honest take: ride on
Thurmond
A ghost town in the national park, with a two-story 1904 depot that is now the Park Service visitor center and a row of brick buildings with the tracks for a main street. Five people live here. It is a flag stop: the train pauses only for booked passengers, so have everyone at the door. The rafting outfitters pick up here by arrangement, and that is who gets off.
Eastbound at 9:56am, the depot and the empty town with the river behind it, from the window, as the train slows.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1904 depot, a National Park Service visitor center with restrooms and exhibits (seasonal; check days).
- 2 minThurmond's main street, which is the track, and the old bank and commissary buildings.
- at stopRafting outfitters' lodges, by arranged pickup, for family float trips on the upper New (ages vary; book ahead).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless a rafting pickup is arranged.
Stay the night
A rafting lodge night: the train to Thurmond, a family float on the upper New River, and the train out.
Snack stop: None; bring everything.
Out the window: The gorge narrows here, with the river right beside the train.
Flag stop: the Cardinal stops only for booked passengers. Set up a ride first; there is nothing else here.
Stop 19 of 32MNGWestbound about 8:30pm; eastbound about 9:02amour honest take: ride on
Montgomery
A small river town on the Kanawha at the bottom of the gorge, and the eastbound boarding point for the shortest gorge ride: Montgomery at 9:02am to Hinton at 10:50am, an hour and 50 minutes through the whole thing. The town itself is a platform and a main street.
Eastbound from here: the gorge begins within minutes. Sit anywhere; the river switches sides.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter; no staff.
- 5 minMontgomery's main street.
A few hours here
- Board eastbound at 9:02am for Hinton.
Stay the night
Skip, except as the start of the gorge ride.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Kanawha River, then the gorge.
Stop 20 of 32CHWWestbound about 9:09pm; eastbound about 8:31am
Charleston
West Virginia's capital, with a 1905 C&O station on the south bank of the Kanawha and downtown across the bridge. The Clay Center, with the Avampato Discovery Museum's hands-on floors and a planetarium, is the family stop, a 25-minute walk or a short cab across the river. The gold-domed Capitol and the free state museum are two miles east along the river. Charleston is where the gorge day trip starts: eastbound train 50 at 8:31am to Hinton and back on train 51 at 9:09pm, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday.
Breakfast on the train leaving Charleston eastbound, then the gorge for two hours, then Hinton. Or the Clay Center's planetarium the day before.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1905 station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter; check whether checked bags are offered.
- 5 minThe South Side Bridge over the Kanawha, a walk with a view of the city.
- at stopClay Center for the Arts and Sciences, by cab or a 25-minute walk: the Avampato Discovery Museum and a planetarium (admission; check days).
- at stopThe West Virginia State Capitol and the State Museum, by cab, free, with the gold dome.
- at stopCapitol Market, an indoor and outdoor market in an old freight depot, by cab.
- at stopKanawha State Forest, by car, with a playground and trails.
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 9:09pm, a downtown hotel, and the Clay Center in the morning.
- The gorge day: eastbound at 8:31am, Hinton all day, westbound back at 9:09pm with pajamas in the bag.
Stay the night
Two Charleston nights around a gorge day: the Clay Center and the Capitol the first day, the gorge round trip the second, and the Cardinal on.
Snack stop: Capitol Market has a bakery and chocolate; downtown cafes by cab. Nothing at the station.
Out the window: Leaving west the train follows the Kanawha past chemical plants and river towns to Huntington in the dark.
The gorge round trip only works on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and the return arrives at 9:09pm. Check whether Charleston offers checked baggage for your date.
Stop 21 of 32HUNWestbound about 10:24pm; eastbound about 7:19am
Huntington
A river city on the Ohio with a big 1913 C&O station, passed at 10:24pm westbound and 7:19am eastbound. Heritage Farm, a village of log buildings with a petting zoo and a children's activity museum, is a drive; Ritter Park's rose garden and playground and Pullman Square downtown are closer. Eastbound Huntington to Hinton is three and a half hours with the gorge at the end, a good start for an Ohio Valley family.
Eastbound at 7:19am: coffee, and the gorge in two hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1913 station with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter around the trains.
- 10 minPullman Square downtown and the Huntington riverfront park.
- at stopRitter Park, by cab, with a rose garden and a big playground, free.
- at stopHeritage Farm Museum and Village, by car, with a petting zoo and a children's museum (admission; seasonal).
A few hours here
- Eastbound: board at 7:19am for Hinton.
Stay the night
A Huntington night for a family with Ohio Valley grandparents, then the gorge eastbound at breakfast.
Snack stop: Pullman Square's cafes 10 minutes away.
Out the window: The Ohio River on the right westbound, then Kentucky in the dark.
Westbound the kids are asleep; eastbound this is the breakfast stop.
Stop 22 of 32AKYWestbound about 10:54pm; eastbound about 6:45amour honest take: ride on
Ashland
The first Kentucky stop, on the Ohio River, with a downtown of brick storefronts and a grand old theater. At 10:54pm and 6:45am, a platform.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter downtown.
- 5 minCentral Park's playground, by day.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Ohio River on the right.
Stop 23 of 32SPMWestbound about 11:37pm; eastbound about 5:55amour honest take: ride on
South Shore for Portsmouth, Ohio
A platform on the Kentucky bank across from Portsmouth, Ohio, whose floodwall is painted with two thousand feet of murals. In the dark on this train.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopPortsmouth's floodwall murals, across the river by car, by day.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 24 of 32MAYWestbound about 12:32am; eastbound about 5:02amour honest take: ride on
Maysville
A pretty old river town with a station on the waterfront and a museum of miniatures downtown that kids like by day. At 12:32am and 5am, asleep.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station on the riverfront.
- 5 minKentucky Gateway Museum Center's miniatures gallery, by day (admission).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the Ohio River is out there on the right.
Stop 25 of 32CINWestbound about 2:11am; eastbound about 3:27am
Cincinnati Union Terminal
The grandest station on the route and the train is here at 2am both ways. Union Terminal's half-dome is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and it holds the Cincinnati Museum Center: a children's museum, a natural history museum with a cave to crawl through, and an Omnimax, all inside the terminal. The Hall of Justice in the Super Friends cartoon was drawn from this building. If Cincinnati is home or the grandparents are here, get off and sleep; the museums open mid-morning. If not, you pass the dome in the dark.
For families who get off: the rotunda in daylight, then the Duke Energy Children's Museum's water room and the cave at the natural history museum, all without leaving the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Terminal: a rotunda waiting room with mosaics, restrooms, a staffed counter around the trains and checked baggage.
- at stopCincinnati Museum Center inside the terminal: the Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science, and an Omnimax (admission; opens mid-morning).
- at stopCincinnati Zoo, by cab, with hippos (admission).
- at stopNewport Aquarium across the river, by cab (admission).
- at stopSmale Riverfront Park's carousel and playgrounds, by cab, free except the carousel.
A few hours here
- Arrive at 2am, a cab to a hotel, and back to the terminal when the museums open.
Stay the night
Two Cincinnati nights: the Museum Center the first day, the zoo or the aquarium and the riverfront carousel the second, and the Cardinal at 2am either way.
Snack stop: Nothing at 2am; the Museum Center has a cafe by day.
Out the window: Dark both ways. Westbound the Ohio River is crossed into Indiana after Cincinnati.
Cincinnati has checked baggage and is staffed around the trains. Book a hotel that will take a 2am arrival. The Museum Center is closed some weekdays; check.
Stop 26 of 32COIWestbound about 4:16am; eastbound about 1:31amour honest take: ride on
Connersville
A small Indiana town whose depot is the home of the Whitewater Valley Railroad, a tourist line that runs vintage trains to Metamora on weekends. At 4am you will not see it; a Whitewater Valley day is a car trip.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform by the Whitewater Valley Railroad's depot.
- at stopWhitewater Valley Railroad excursions to Metamora, weekends May to October, by car (fare).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 27 of 32INDWestbound arrives about 5:55am, leaves 6:25am; eastbound arrives about 11:49pm, leaves 12:15am
Indianapolis Union Station
The biggest children's museum in the world is three miles north of this station, with a real dinosaur dig, a carousel, a five-story glass sculpture and a tree house, and it deserves a full day. The 1888 Union Station has a clock tower and a hotel inside with rooms in old Pullman cars, and the Indianapolis Zoo, the Canal Walk and the state museum are a walk west. The Cardinal arrives at 5:55am westbound, which is early but workable: breakfast, a hotel that holds bags, and the museum when it opens. Eastbound it leaves at 12:15am.
The Dinosphere at the Children's Museum, where the T. rex is fighting a triceratops under a dome, then the carousel upstairs.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room in the 1888 headhouse, restrooms and a staffed counter around the trains; the Crowne Plaza upstairs has Pullman car rooms.
- at stopThe Children's Museum of Indianapolis, by cab or bus, three miles north, ages 0 to 12 (admission; book ahead).
- 15 minWhite River State Park: the Indianapolis Zoo, the state museum and an IMAX, and the Canal Walk's paddle boats (admission for the zoo and museum).
- 10 minMonument Circle and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument's observation deck (small fee).
- 10 minThe Cultural Trail, flat and stroller-friendly, through downtown.
A few hours here
- Westbound: off at 5:55am, breakfast, bags to a hotel, the Children's Museum (4 hours), the zoo, and Saturday's or Monday's train on.
Stay the night
Two Indianapolis nights: the Children's Museum the first day, the zoo and the canal the second, a Pullman car room upstairs, and the Cardinal on at 6:25am or 12:15am.
Snack stop: Downtown's Circle Centre and the Canal Walk cafes; the Children's Museum has a food court.
Out the window: Leaving west the train runs through the west side's rail yards and out across flat Indiana farms toward Crawfordsville.
Indianapolis is staffed around the trains; check whether checked bags are offered. The Children's Museum is closed Mondays in some seasons; check. Between Indianapolis and Chicago the Cardinal is the only train.
Stop 28 of 32CRFWestbound about 7:23am; eastbound about 10:30pmour honest take: ride on
Crawfordsville
A college town with an old jail museum whose cells rotate on a turntable, which older kids find thrilling, and the study where Ben-Hur was written. Westbound it is 7:23am with Chicago three hours away; most families stay aboard.
The rotary jail, if someone is meeting you with a car.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopThe Rotary Jail Museum and the General Lew Wallace Study, by cab (admission; seasonal).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Flat farms and the Wabash valley ahead.
Stop 29 of 32LAFWestbound about 8:01am; eastbound about 9:56pm
Lafayette
The 1902 Big Four depot was moved three blocks in 1994 to sit on Riehle Plaza beside the Wabash River, with a pedestrian bridge over the tracks and a park across the way. Purdue is across the river. The Columbian Park Zoo is small and free, with a playground and a splash area next door, and the Imagination Station science museum is downtown. Westbound at 8am this is a breakfast stop; eastbound at 9:56pm it is bedtime.
The pedestrian bridge over the tracks at Riehle Plaza, watching the train from above, then the free zoo.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1902 depot on Riehle Plaza: a waiting room, restrooms, a kiosk and an elevator; no staff or checked bags.
- 2 minRiehle Plaza's fountain and the pedestrian bridge, and the Wabash riverfront park across the street.
- 10 minDowntown Lafayette's Main Street cafes and the Imagination Station, a small hands-on science museum (admission; weekends).
- at stopColumbian Park Zoo, by cab, free, with a playground and the Tropicanoe Cove water park next door in summer.
- at stopPurdue's campus across the river, with the Boilermaker Special on game days.
- at stopProphetstown State Park, by car, with a working 1920s farm and a huge aquatic center.
A few hours here
- Eastbound: a Lafayette evening before the 9:56pm train, dinner on Main Street and the plaza.
Stay the night
A Lafayette night: the zoo, the water park in summer, the farm at Prophetstown, and the Cardinal on.
Snack stop: Main Street cafes, 10 minutes from the plaza.
Out the window: The Wabash River bridge, then flat prairie farms and the time change at Rensselaer.
The depot is unstaffed. Imagination Station keeps weekend hours. Clocks go back an hour between here and Rensselaer westbound.
Stop 30 of 32RENWestbound about 8:05am Central; eastbound about 7:45pmour honest take: ride on
Rensselaer
A small Indiana county seat in the Central time zone, with a brick depot. The clocks go back an hour between Lafayette and here westbound, which is why the train seems to arrive four minutes after it left Lafayette. Tell the kids and watch them think.
The time-zone trick: it is 8:01 in Lafayette and 8:05 here, an hour later.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room open around the trains.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Flat farms, then the first suburbs of Chicago an hour on.
Central time from here west.
Stop 31 of 32DYEWestbound about 8:54am; eastbound about 6:54pmour honest take: ride on
Dyer
A platform in the Chicago suburbs just inside Indiana, the last stop before Union Station. Useful for south suburban families; nothing to get off for.
The Chicago skyline appearing ahead on the right as the train nears the city.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs, steel mills, then the city.
Stop 32 of 32CHITrain 51 arrives about 10:25am Thursday, Saturday and Monday; Train 50 leaves about 5:55pm Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Chicago Union Station
The Cardinal arrives at 10:25am with the whole day ahead, under the Great Hall's skylight, with the river five minutes away and Maggie Daley Park's slides 15. Eastbound it leaves at 5:55pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which means dinner on the train and Indiana in the dark, then breakfast in the Ohio Valley and the gorge before lunch. Chicago is a weekend on its own and the start of every Midwest train on this site.
Stand in the middle of the Great Hall and look straight up, then walk to the river and watch a train cross the bridge from below.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge.
- 5 minThe Chicago Riverwalk and the architecture boats.
- 15 minMaggie Daley Park's giant slides and climbing wall, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
- at stopThe Field Museum's Sue and the Shedd Aquarium, by bus or a long walk.
- at stopThe Children's Museum at Navy Pier, by bus (admission).
A few hours here
- Arrive 10:25am, the Riverwalk and Maggie Daley Park, lunch, and a Hiawatha or a Wolverine on.
Stay the night
A Chicago weekend: the Field Museum, the Shedd, Navy Pier, the L as a ride. Then the Cardinal east at 5:55pm for the gorge the next morning.
Snack stop: The station food court; the Riverwalk stands in summer.
Out the window: Arriving from the east the train passes steel mills and the south side's yards, then the skyline, then the river tunnel into the station.
Union Station has checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge. Eastbound, the gorge comes between Montgomery at 9:02am and Hinton at 10:50am the next morning.
Whisper in the dark, cheer at the light
We made a rule on this train: whisper in the tunnel, cheer at the light. The first tunnel, at Afton, my son whispered the whole way through and then cheered so loudly that the man across the aisle cheered too. By the gorge he was running the game for the car. My dad would have been that man across the aisle; he cheered for everything. I thought about him at every tunnel, which on the Cardinal is a lot of thinking, and it was good.
Next in this series: the Crescent, which shares the line from Washington to Charlottesville before turning south for New Orleans, and the Carolinian for the Virginia stops by day. From Chicago the Hiawatha, the Wolverine and the City of New Orleans all start from the same Great Hall. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Cardinal trips with kids: questions parents ask
What days does the Cardinal run?
Three days a week each way. Train 51 leaves New York on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and reaches Chicago the next morning; Train 50 leaves Chicago on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and reaches New York the next night. Both directions pass through West Virginia on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
When does the Cardinal go through the New River Gorge?
Eastbound train 50 runs from Montgomery at about 9:02am to Hinton at 10:50am, through the gorge in morning light. Westbound train 51 reaches Hinton at 6:46pm and Montgomery at 8:30pm, which is dark for much of the fall and winter.
Can we do the New River Gorge as a day trip with kids?
Yes, from Charleston on a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. Board eastbound at 8:31am, ride through the gorge to Hinton by 10:50am, spend the day in the railroad town, and take the westbound back at 6:46pm, arriving in Charleston at 9:09pm. Pack pajamas for the ride home.
Is there a Family Bedroom on the Cardinal?
No. The Cardinal carries one single-level Viewliner sleeper with Roomettes, Bedrooms and an Accessible Bedroom. Two Bedrooms open into a four-bed suite. In coach, kids sleep in reclining seats with legrests; the overnight runs through Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
Which Cardinal stops are worth a night with kids?
Charlottesville for the Downtown Mall and its children's museum, Staunton for the toy store and the park's mini train, White Sulphur Springs for the Greenbrier across the road, Charleston for the Clay Center and the gorge day trip, and Indianapolis for the biggest children's museum in the world.
Which Cardinal stops should we skip with kids?
The Northeast Corridor stops (see the Northeast Regional plan), the night stops from Huntington to Connersville, and the small platforms: Alderson, Prince, Thurmond, Montgomery, Crawfordsville, Rensselaer and Dyer. The trip is Washington, Charlottesville, Staunton, White Sulphur Springs, Hinton, Charleston, Indianapolis and Chicago.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Cardinal timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 50 and 51), Amtrak's Pause for Progress page for the October 16 to 26 work, and Amtrak station pages
- Clay Center, Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Cincinnati Museum Center, Virginia Discovery Museum, Hinton Railroad Museum, C&O Railway Heritage Center, Museum of Culpeper History, Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- National Park Service pages for the Thurmond depot, Prince depot and New River Gorge; the Greenbrier; Virginia Scenic Railway; City of Staunton (Gypsy Express); Whitewater Valley Railroad
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, depot dates, the Blue Ridge and Alleghany tunnels and the New River Gorge Bridge, cross-checked with Amtrak
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.