Crescent With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Thirty-two hours, one night, twelve states, and a lake at the end. The Crescent is the long way down the East Coast, and with kids it works in pieces: the Virginia foothills by day, a night through the Carolinas, Atlanta at breakfast, Birmingham at lunch, and six miles of water on both sides of the train coming into New Orleans. My mom grew up on this line, in a town where the Southern Crescent came through at 2am and nobody minded, and she talked about the sound of it the way other people talk about the ocean. I rode it with her grandchildren. Below is every stop, the ones you sleep through, and the handful worth a night.
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: New Orleans to Slidell.Fifty-two minutes northbound at 9:10am, with six miles of Lake Pontchartrain in the middle and water on both sides. Have someone meet you. Jump to Slidell.
- Ages 4 to 8: Atlanta to Birmingham.Breakfast on the train, four and a half hours of Georgia and Alabama, the clocks going back at the state line, and Railroad Park five minutes from the station at lunch. Jump to Birmingham.
- The big one: Charlottesville to Washington.The Blue Ridge foothills, Culpeper and Manassas, and the Potomac with the Pentagon on the right, three and a half hours northbound from 10:59am. Jump to Charlottesville.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, direction matters: the southbound train sleeps through the Carolinas and wakes up in Georgia, and the northbound crosses the lake at breakfast and sees Virginia by day. The Piedmont and Carolinian cover the Carolina stops in daylight. Second, there is no Family Bedroom; book two Bedrooms as a suite for a family of four, early, because the train carries only one or two sleepers. Third, most of this route is on freight track and the train runs late often, so keep the New Orleans arrival night empty. 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 Crescent page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, Viewliner rooms, Flex Dining, bathrooms and what to pack for one night are all in our Crescent 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 Crescent runs only between New York and Washington and between Atlanta and New Orleans, with no train between Washington and Atlanta. Charlotte and Greensboro keep the Carolinian and Piedmont; Lynchburg and Charlottesville get Amtrak Virginia buses; Danville has no service. Rebook by phone if you hold a sleeper.
Stop 1 of 35NYPTrain 19 leaves about 2:00pm; Train 20 arrives about 6:40pm (5:55pm Saturday and Sunday)
New York Moynihan Train Hall
The Crescent leaves New York after lunch, which gives you a morning in the city and an afternoon down the corridor before the sleeper beds come down somewhere in Virginia. Moynihan Train Hall's glass roof is the send-off. The Northeast end of this train is the same as every other train out of New York, so I keep those stops short here and point to the Northeast Regional plan.
Look up at the skylight, find the gate, and walk the platform to find your sleeper's door number. One night starts here.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: restrooms, a food hall, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 15 minThe High Line's southern end, free, if you have an hour before a 2pm train.
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 Crescent is how you leave it after lunch and wake up in Georgia.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall; buy fruit and crackers for the night.
Out the window: The Hudson tunnels, the meadows, Newark in 15 minutes.
Sleeper passengers can check bags and use the Metropolitan Lounge. There is no Family Bedroom on this train; two Bedrooms open into a four-bed suite.
Stop 2 of 35NWKSouthbound about 2:15pm; northbound about 6:15pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Newark Penn Station
Fifteen 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, the airport, the meadows.
Stop 3 of 35METSouthbound about 2:35pm; northbound about 6:00pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Iselin Metropark
A park-and-ride platform in the New Jersey suburbs beside the Garden State Parkway. Useful for boarding if you live nearby; nothing to see.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a waiting room, shared with NJ Transit.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs.
Northbound the Crescent only lets passengers off here.
Stop 4 of 35TRESouthbound about 3:00pm; northbound about 5:25pmour honest take: ride on
Trenton
The capital of New Jersey and the bridge that says Trenton Makes, The World Takes. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The lettered bridge on the right just after the stop southbound.
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 5 of 35PHLSouthbound about 3:31pm; northbound about 4:45pm
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
A great 1933 hall with a bronze angel, a seven-minute stop, and the Schuylkill River with Boathouse Row out the window on the way in. The Please Touch Museum and the Franklin Institute are a cab ride. The Northeast Regional plan has the full Philadelphia day.
Boathouse Row and the art museum on the right crossing the river southbound.
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 or a long walk (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, or see the Northeast Regional plan.
Stay the night
A Philadelphia weekend as in the Northeast Regional plan, then the 3:38pm Crescent south.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: The river, then the airport and refineries.
Stop 6 of 35WILSouthbound about 4:02pm; northbound about 4:20pmour honest take: ride on
Wilmington
Delaware's stop, a 1908 station by the Christina River with a children's museum on the riverfront. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The Susquehanna bridge at Havre de Grace, 40 minutes south, which is the best view north of Washington.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1908 station with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
- 10 minThe Delaware Children's Museum on the Riverfront.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Station cafe.
Out the window: The river, Maryland farms, the Susquehanna.
Stop 7 of 35BALSouthbound about 4:55pm; northbound about 3:20pmour honest take: ride on
Baltimore Penn Station
A 1911 station north of downtown, with the harbor, the aquarium and Port Discovery a cab or light rail ride away. See the Northeast Regional plan.
The tunnel under the city right after the stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopPenn Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and the light rail outside.
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 8 of 35BWINorthbound only, about 3:05pm; the southbound train usually passes throughour honest take: ride on
BWI Airport
The airport platform, with a shuttle bus to the terminal. The northbound Crescent stops; the southbound usually does not, so for a southbound boarding use Baltimore Penn Station.
Planes on the approach.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a waiting room and a shuttle to the terminal.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Planes.
Check your exact train; the southbound Crescent is usually listed as not stopping here.
Stop 9 of 35WASSouthbound arrives about 5:48pm, leaves 6:30pm; northbound arrives about 1:47pm, leaves 2:35pm (2:12pm Friday and Saturday)
Washington Union Station
The engine swap. The wires end here, so the Crescent trades its electric engine for a diesel during a 40-minute stop, and from here south it is a Southern train on Norfolk Southern track. Southbound it is dinnertime; the dining car serves sleeper passengers around now. Northbound the stop is early afternoon and the Postal Museum next door, free with a railway mail car, fits in it if you move fast. Washington is also where many families start this train, after a weekend on the Mall.
Leaving southbound, the First Street Tunnel under Capitol Hill, two dark minutes, then the Potomac crossing with the Washington Monument behind you and the Pentagon ahead on the right.
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 to board.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds, free.
- 20 minThe Mall's museums, free.
- at stopThe National Zoo by Metro, free.
A few hours here
- Southbound: dinner in the station food hall before a 6:30pm departure, if you board here.
- Northbound: 40 minutes; the Postal Museum if you are quick.
Stay the night
Washington is a weekend as in the Northeast Regional plan. Board the Crescent at 6:30pm, eat, and let the kids fall asleep in Virginia.
Snack stop: Union Station's food hall; buy dinner here if you are in coach.
Out the window: The tunnel, then the Potomac, then Alexandria's steeples on the left.
From October 16 to 26, 2026, track work closes the tunnel south of Union Station and the Crescent runs only New York to Washington and Atlanta to New Orleans, with nothing between; see the note at the top of this page.
Stop 10 of 35ALXSouthbound about 6:49pm; northbound about 1:19pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Alexandria
A 1905 station by King Street Metro with Old Town's waterfront a 20-minute walk or a free trolley ride away. For suburban Washington families it is the easier place to board southbound. Northbound the Crescent only lets passengers off. The Carolinian plan covers an Alexandria day.
The Masonic memorial tower on the hill 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's waterfront.
A few hours here
- Board here if you live nearby.
Stay the night
See the Carolinian plan for Alexandria.
Snack stop: King Street by trolley.
Out the window: Leaving south the train turns west off the Washington line toward Manassas, into the Virginia woods at dusk.
Stop 11 of 35MSSSouthbound about 7:22pm; northbound about 12:25pm
Manassas
A red-brick 1914 depot in a small old town that grew up around a railroad junction, with the Manassas Museum a few blocks away and the Civil War battlefield four miles out by car. Northbound at 12:25pm it is a lunch stop in a walkable town with a toy store; southbound at 7:22pm it is bedtime. VRE commuter trains also stop here, so Manassas to Alexandria is an easy hop on a weekday.
The junction right outside the depot, where the line to Washington and the old line to the valley split, with the signal towers and the freight trains.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 depot with a visitor center, a waiting room and restrooms.
- 5 minOld Town Manassas: Center Street's cafes, ice cream and a toy store.
- 5 minThe Manassas Museum, small, with a children's gallery (admission; check days).
- 10 minHarris Pavilion and the farmers market square, with a free ice rink in winter.
- at stopManassas National Battlefield Park, by car, free, with cannons and a walk to the Henry House.
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 12:25pm, lunch in Old Town, the museum, and a VRE or Northeast Regional on to Washington.
Stay the night
A Manassas night: the battlefield by car, Old Town, dinner on Center Street and tomorrow's train.
Snack stop: Center Street's ice cream and cafes, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: Leaving south the train runs through the battlefield's edge, then horse farms and the first Blue Ridge foothills at dusk.
Stop 12 of 35CLPSouthbound about 7:55pm; northbound about 11:51am
Culpeper
A 1904 depot with the Museum of Culpeper History and the visitor center inside it, on a main street of cafes and a candy store that is a five-minute walk end to end. Northbound at 11:51am this is a sweet short stop; southbound at 7:55pm the kids are in pajamas. The Blue Ridge is visible from the platform on a clear day.
The dinosaur tracks and the Civil War cannon 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 inside (small admission).
- 5 minDavis Street's cafes, a bakery, a bookshop and a candy store.
- 10 minYowell Meadow Park, with a playground and a creek, free.
- at stopOld Rag and Shenandoah National Park, by car, 40 minutes.
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 11:51am, the depot museum, lunch on Davis Street, and the Cardinal or a later train north.
Stay the night
A Culpeper night: the town, the park, Shenandoah by car, and tomorrow's train.
Snack stop: Davis Street, five minutes from the platform.
Out the window: The Rapidan River, then farms and the Blue Ridge growing on the right toward Charlottesville.
The Cardinal also stops here three days a week, so Culpeper has a second train on those days.
Stop 13 of 35CVSSouthbound about 8:47pm; northbound about 10:54am
Charlottesville
The last stop before the kids fall asleep southbound, and the best Virginia stop northbound, at 10:54am with the Blue Ridge foothills behind you. The 1885 station is a 15-minute walk from the Downtown Mall, a brick pedestrian street with a free children's museum, a carousel, ice cream and the Paramount Theater. Monticello is a short drive. Northbound, Charlottesville to Washington is three and a half hours with the Potomac at the end, and the parent guide's favorite daytime piece of this train.
The Virginia Discovery Museum's carousel on the Downtown Mall, then the mall's fountain and a cone.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1885 station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter, with restaurants in the old freight building.
- 15 minThe Downtown Mall: shops, cafes, street musicians and the Paramount.
- 15 minVirginia Discovery Museum at the east end of the mall, ages 0 to 8, with a carousel (admission).
- 10 minThe University of Virginia's Lawn and Rotunda, free.
- at stopMonticello, by car or cab, with a family tour (admission).
- at stopCarter Mountain Orchard, by car, for apples and the view in fall.
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 10:54am, the mall and the Discovery Museum (3 hours), a hotel downtown, and the Cardinal or the Crescent on.
Stay the night
Two nights: the mall and the museum the first day, Monticello and Carter Mountain the second, and the northbound at 10:59am for the Potomac by mid-afternoon.
Snack stop: The Downtown Mall has ice cream, bakeries and a candy shop 15 minutes from the station.
Out the window: South of Charlottesville the train climbs along the Blue Ridge foothills; northbound this is the best daylight scenery on the train.
Charlottesville has a staffed counter but check whether checked baggage is offered for your date. The Cardinal stops here three days a week.
Stop 14 of 35LYHSouthbound about 10:00pm; northbound about 9:37am
Lynchburg
A 1912 Kemper Street station on a hill above a city of hills, with a James River waterfront downtown that has one of the best children's museums in the state. Amazement Square fills four floors of an old warehouse with a climbing structure that goes all the way up. The station is a mile and a half from it. Southbound at 10pm the kids are asleep; northbound at 9:37am Lynchburg is a fine breakfast stop with four hours to Washington after.
The four-story climb at Amazement Square, then the James River from the Percival's Island trail.
Right off the platform
- at stopKemper Street Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopAmazement Square, by cab or a 30-minute downhill walk, ages 1 to 12 (admission; closed Mondays).
- at stopRiverfront Park and the Percival's Island trail on the James, by cab, free.
- at stopDowntown's Bluffwalk and the Lynchburg Community Market.
- at stopPeaks of Otter and the Blue Ridge Parkway, by car, 45 minutes.
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 9:37am, cab to Amazement Square (3 hours), lunch downtown, and the next day's train.
Stay the night
A Lynchburg night: Amazement Square, the river, the Blackwater Creek trail, and the northbound at 9:41am.
Snack stop: Downtown's Community Market has a bakery and lunch counters; nothing at the station.
Out the window: The James River bridge south of the station, then tobacco farms and pine toward Danville.
Lynchburg has checked baggage. Northeast Regional trains also end here, so Lynchburg has a second daily train to Washington.
Stop 15 of 35DANSouthbound about 11:24pm; northbound about 8:28am
Danville
The depot is a science center. The Danville Science Center, a branch of the Science Museum of Virginia, fills the old Southern Railway depot beside the platform, with a butterfly station in summer and a toddler area, and the Dan River and a crossing of old mill buildings are right behind it. Southbound at 11:24pm you sleep through it; northbound at 8:28am it is the first stop after breakfast and a good one, except the center does not open until mid-morning, so it is a stop for families staying the night.
The butterfly station at the science center in summer, in a depot, with freight trains going by outside.
Right off the platform
- at stopA historic depot with a waiting room and restrooms; no staff or checked bags.
- at stopDanville Science Center in the depot complex, ages 2 to 12 (admission; check days).
- 5 minThe Riverwalk Trail along the Dan River, free, and the Community Market.
- 10 minThe River District's Main Street cafes and the old tobacco warehouses.
- at stopVirginia Museum of Fine Arts' Danville branch, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless you are staying the night.
Stay the night
A Danville night: the science center, the Riverwalk, dinner in the River District, and the northbound at 8:28am.
Snack stop: The Community Market and Main Street cafes, five minutes away.
Out the window: The Dan River, then the North Carolina line and the pine woods toward Greensboro in the dark southbound.
The science center keeps limited days; check before planning around it. During the October 16 to 26 track work Danville has no Amtrak service at all.
Stop 16 of 35GROSouthbound about 12:25am; northbound about 7:22am
Greensboro J. Douglas Galyon Depot
The grandest depot in the Carolinas, a 1927 Southern Railway station with a tall waiting room and a mural of the old railroad map, passed at 12:25am southbound and 7:22am northbound. The children's museum and LeBauer Park's splash pad are a 10-minute walk, and the Greensboro Science Center has a zoo and an aquarium. For a Greensboro day, the Piedmont stops here four times a day and the Carolinian once; the Crescent is the train you sleep through.
Northbound at 7:22am: the mural map in the waiting room while the sleeper attendant finds your bags, then the children's museum when it opens.
Right off the platform
- at stopGalyon Depot: a 1927 waiting room, restrooms, a cafe, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open around the trains.
- 10 minMiriam P. Brenner Children's Museum, ages 0 to 10 (admission; closed Mondays).
- 10 minLeBauer Park's splash pad and playground, free.
- at stopGreensboro Science Center, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 7:22am, breakfast downtown, the children's museum, and the Piedmont or Carolinian on.
Stay the night
A Greensboro day as in the Piedmont plan, then the Crescent south at 12:32am with the kids already asleep in the room.
Snack stop: The depot cafe; Elm Street 10 minutes away.
Out the window: Dark southbound. Northbound, the downtown cut and the first daylight over the Piedmont.
Greensboro has checked baggage. Southbound at 12:25am, sleep; Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Charlotte are all covered by day in the Piedmont and Carolinian plans.
Stop 17 of 35HPTSouthbound about 12:49am; northbound about 7:01amour honest take: ride on
High Point
The train drops into a mile-long trench through downtown, 35 feet deep, and stops below the 1907 depot. On the Crescent it is the middle of the night southbound and dawn northbound. The Piedmont plan has the High Point day, with a children's museum 10 minutes from the depot.
Northbound at 7am: the trench walls rising past the window in the first light.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1907 depot above the trench.
- 10 minNido and Mariana Qubein Children's Museum, by day.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
See the Piedmont plan.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The trench.
Stop 18 of 35SALSouthbound about 1:27am; northbound about 6:17amour honest take: ride on
Salisbury
A 1908 Spanish Mission depot with gargoyles on its tower, and the North Carolina Transportation Museum's roundhouse three miles away in Spencer, which is the best train stop in the Carolinas for a kid. Not on this train, at 1:27am and 6:17am. The Piedmont and Carolinian plans cover it by day.
Northbound at 6:17am: the Spencer roundhouse on the left just before the stop, if anyone is awake.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1908 depot.
- at stopNorth Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, by cab, by day.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
See the Piedmont plan.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark southbound; the Yadkin River at dawn northbound.
Stop 19 of 35CLTSouthbound arrives about 2:30am, leaves 2:55am; northbound arrives about 5:06am, leaves 5:31am
Charlotte
The biggest city on the first night, and the Crescent passes it at 2:30am southbound and 5am northbound, which is unlucky, because Discovery Place and ImaginOn uptown are two of the best indoor days in the South. The station is a 1962 building in a rail yard two miles from uptown. If Charlotte is where the grandparents live, this is a sleepy hand-off; if not, sleep through it and use the Carolinian or the Piedmont for a Charlotte day.
For families getting off northbound at 5am: a cab to an uptown hotel, a nap, and Discovery Place's rainforest when it opens.
Right off the platform
- at stopCharlotte station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage, staffed around the night trains, in a working rail yard.
- at stopDiscovery Place Science uptown, by cab (admission).
- at stopImaginOn, the children's library, uptown, free.
- at stopFreedom Park and the Charlotte Nature Museum, by cab.
A few hours here
- Sleep, unless Charlotte is home.
Stay the night
A Charlotte weekend as in the Carolinian plan, with the Crescent as the overnight in or out.
Snack stop: None at these hours.
Out the window: Dark.
Charlotte has checked baggage and is staffed for the night trains. Book a hotel that will take a 3am arrival and hold bags.
Stop 20 of 35GASSouthbound about 3:22am; northbound about 4:04amour honest take: ride on
Gastonia
The train runs through downtown Gastonia in a 30-foot cut that locals call the ditch, at 3am. The Schiele Museum of Natural History, with a planetarium and a nature trail, is the town's family stop by day.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter in the cut.
- at stopSchiele Museum of Natural History, by cab, by day (admission).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 21 of 35SPBSouthbound about 4:24am; northbound about 3:04amour honest take: ride on
Spartanburg
A 1904 station that holds the Hub City Railroad Museum, saved after a 1996 fire by a push that a 16-year-old led, which is a good story for the big kids. The Children's Museum of the Upstate has a branch downtown. At 4am and 3am, the Crescent is not the way to see any of it.
Tell the teenager-saved-the-depot story at breakfast.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1904 station with the Hub City Railroad Museum inside (limited hours).
- 10 minDowntown Spartanburg's Morgan Square and the Children's Museum of the Upstate branch, by day.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 22 of 35GRVSouthbound about 5:24am; northbound about 2:18am
Greenville
Greenville has one of the best downtowns in the South for a family, with a waterfall in a park in the middle of it, a swinging footbridge over the falls, a children's museum and a free trolley, and the Crescent reaches it at 5:24am southbound and 2:18am northbound. The station is a bare platform a mile northwest of downtown beside a freight yard, unstaffed, with the waiting room open only around the trains. So Greenville is a stop for families who are staying, and worth it if you are.
The Liberty Bridge over Reedy River Falls in Falls Park, then the children's museum's climbing tower a few blocks away.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a small waiting room open around train times; no staff, ticket office or checked bags.
- at stopFalls Park on the Reedy and the Liberty Bridge, by cab, free.
- at stopThe Children's Museum of the Upstate, downtown, ages 0 to 12, with a climbing tower and a TV studio (admission).
- at stopGreenville Zoo in Cleveland Park, by cab, small and good (admission).
- at stopThe Swamp Rabbit Trail, by bike, from Falls Park to Travelers Rest.
- at stopThe free downtown trolley on Main Street.
A few hours here
- Southbound: off at 5:24am, a cab to a downtown hotel that will hold bags, breakfast on Main Street, and Falls Park when the sun is up.
Stay the night
Two Greenville nights: Falls Park and the children's museum the first day, the zoo and the Swamp Rabbit Trail the second, and the northbound at 2:18am (with a very sleepy walk) or the southbound at 5:24am.
Snack stop: Main Street's ice cream and bakeries by cab; nothing at the platform.
Out the window: Dark both ways. South of Greenville the foothills roll toward Clemson at first light southbound.
The station is unstaffed and the waiting room opens only around the trains, so book a cab in advance for a 5am arrival. No checked bags here.
Stop 23 of 35CSNSouthbound about 6:09am; northbound about 1:41amour honest take: ride on
Clemson
A college town stop at first light southbound, with the university's botanical garden and a small geology museum with dinosaur bones a drive from the platform. Breakfast is being served in the dining car about now.
Lake Hartwell's inlets on the right southbound after the stop, with the morning mist.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room open around the trains.
- at stopSouth Carolina Botanical Garden and the Bob Campbell Geology Museum, by cab, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless this is a Clemson family's stop.
Snack stop: Breakfast on the train.
Out the window: Lake Hartwell's arms and the Georgia line.
Stop 24 of 35TCASouthbound about 6:45am; northbound about 1:05amour honest take: ride on
Toccoa
A 1915 wooden depot with the Currahee Military Museum in its addition, which tells the story of the paratroopers who trained here, the Band of Brothers men, and a small rail museum in a train car out back. Toccoa Falls, 186 feet, is two miles away on a college campus. The southbound stop is at 6:45am; the museum and the falls need a car and a later hour.
Toccoa Falls, taller than Niagara, a five-minute walk from a parking lot, if someone is meeting you with a car.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1915 depot with the Currahee Military Museum (admission; check days) and a rail car exhibit.
- at stopToccoa Falls on the Toccoa Falls College campus, by car, small admission.
- 5 minDowntown Toccoa's Doyle Street cafes.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
A Toccoa day by car: the falls, the museum, and the train on.
Snack stop: Doyle Street cafes, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: Rolling red-clay farmland and the first Georgia pines.
Stop 25 of 35GNSSouthbound about 7:28am; northbound about 12:24amour honest take: ride on
Gainesville
A 1914 depot in a town wrapped on three sides by Lake Lanier, the big reservoir north of Atlanta. The Atlanta Botanical Garden has a branch here with a children's garden, and the lake's beaches and a water park are a drive. Southbound it is 7:28am and Atlanta is an hour away; most families stay aboard.
The Chattahoochee River and the lake's arms off to the right after the stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1914 brick depot with a waiting room open around the trains.
- at stopAtlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, by cab, with a children's garden (admission).
- at stopLake Lanier's Margaritaville beach and water park, by car, in summer (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless the lake is the plan.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The lake's arms, then the Atlanta suburbs thickening for an hour.
Stop 26 of 35ATLSouthbound arrives about 8:43am, leaves 9:08am; northbound arrives about 11:00pm, leaves 11:29pm
Atlanta Peachtree Station
You wake up in Georgia and the Crescent pulls into a small 1918 brick station on Peachtree Road at 8:43am, which is the moment on this train. Peachtree Station is not downtown and not on MARTA; it is a 20-minute walk or a short cab to the Arts Center station, and from there the Children's Museum of Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium with its whale sharks, Centennial Olympic Park's fountains and the World of Coca-Cola are all together around one park downtown. Zoo Atlanta's pandas are gone but the gorillas are not. Atlanta to Birmingham, the next piece, is the parent guide's pick for a first daytime ride.
The whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium, which is still the only place in the country to see them, then running through the Olympic rings fountain at Centennial Park in summer clothes.
Right off the platform
- at stopPeachtree Station: a small waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage; crowded when the train is in.
- at stopArts Center MARTA station, a 20-minute walk or a short cab, then the Red or Gold line downtown.
- at stopGeorgia Aquarium, by MARTA to Peachtree Center and a 10-minute walk (admission; book ahead).
- at stopChildren's Museum of Atlanta, across Centennial Olympic Park from the aquarium, ages 0 to 8 (admission).
- at stopCentennial Olympic Park's Fountain of Rings and playground, free.
- at stopZoo Atlanta in Grant Park, by cab, with gorillas and a carousel (admission).
- at stopFernbank Museum of Natural History, by cab, with a dinosaur hall and an outdoor forest playground (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: off at 8:43am, cab to a downtown hotel, the aquarium and the children's museum (4 hours), and tomorrow's 9:08am train to Birmingham.
Stay the night
Two or three Atlanta nights: the aquarium and Centennial Park the first day, Zoo Atlanta and Fernbank the second, the Children's Museum the third, and the Crescent on in either direction. Northbound leaves at 11:29pm, so dinner first and pajamas on the platform.
Snack stop: Nothing good near the station; downtown the aquarium and Centennial Park have food, and Ponce City Market has everything, by cab.
Out the window: Leaving south the train runs through Atlanta's rail yards and the west side, then an hour of Georgia pine to the Alabama line.
Atlanta has checked baggage. Peachtree Station is small and fills up; arrive 30 minutes early. The city is studying a new downtown station but nothing has moved yet. Clocks go back an hour between here and Anniston southbound.
Stop 27 of 35ATNSouthbound about 10:30am; northbound about 6:59pmour honest take: ride on
Anniston
The first Alabama stop, in Central time now, with a downtown station near the old Greyhound building where the Freedom Riders' bus was attacked in 1961, now a national monument. The Anniston Museum of Natural History, with African animals and an Egyptian mummy, and the Berman Museum's armor are together on a hill a drive from the platform. A stretch stop between Atlanta and Birmingham.
Set watches back an hour, and tell the big kids about the Freedom Riders.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room and a ticket window.
- 5 minThe Freedom Riders National Monument at the old Greyhound station, free.
- at stopAnniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless the museums are the plan.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes five minutes away.
Out the window: Red clay and pine, then the Coosa River and the ridges toward Birmingham.
Central time starts at the Alabama line.
Stop 28 of 35BHMSouthbound arrives about 12:45pm, leaves 1:03pm; northbound arrives about 5:15pm, leaves 5:24pm
Birmingham
The best daytime stop on the Crescent for a family. A 2016 station downtown, and Railroad Park, 19 acres of lawns, a lake, a playground and a view of the trains, is a five-minute walk out the door. The McWane Science Center, with an aquarium and a toddler floor, is a few blocks on, and the Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Baptist Church are 10 minutes further for older kids. Atlanta to Birmingham on the southbound is four and a half hours in daylight, arriving at lunchtime, and that is the ride to do first.
Railroad Park's hill, where you can lie on the grass and watch freight trains roll past the skyline, then the shark tank at McWane.
Right off the platform
- at stopBirmingham Intermodal: a modern waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with the bus station attached.
- 5 minRailroad Park: lawns, a lake, a playground, a splash area and the trains, free.
- 5 minRegions Field, the Barons' ballpark beside the park (April to September).
- 10 minMcWane Science Center, with an aquarium, an IMAX and a floor for kids under 5 (admission).
- 10 minBirmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park, for ages 8 and up (admission; park free).
- at stopVulcan Park, by cab, with the iron statue and the city view (admission).
- at stopBirmingham Zoo, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: off at 12:45pm, lunch, Railroad Park (1 hour), McWane (2 hours), a downtown hotel, and tomorrow's train either way.
- Northbound: arrive 5:15pm, the park before dinner, and the next day.
Stay the night
Two Birmingham nights: Railroad Park and McWane the first day, the zoo or Vulcan and the Civil Rights Institute the second, barbecue both nights, and the Crescent on.
Snack stop: The station's neighborhood has barbecue and a food hall within 10 minutes; Railroad Park has a cafe in season.
Out the window: Leaving south the train passes the old steel mills and the Sloss Furnaces' stacks, then the Cahaba River and hills toward Tuscaloosa.
Birmingham has checked baggage. McWane is closed some Mondays; check. The Crescent is the only train here, so a Birmingham day means a night.
Stop 29 of 35TCLSouthbound about 2:02pm; northbound about 3:09pm
Tuscaloosa
A 1911 brick depot with a cone-roofed corner like a castle, south of downtown on the Black Warrior River. The Children's Hands-On Museum downtown is three floors of pretend play, a mile and a half away, and the riverwalk has a playground. On a football Saturday the whole town is at Bryant-Denny Stadium and the train is the only quiet place. A pleasant stop for a night; most families ride on to New Orleans.
The riverwalk's playground on the Black Warrior, then the pretend grocery store at the Children's Hands-On Museum.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1911 depot with a waiting room and a ticket window.
- at stopChildren's Hands-On Museum downtown, by cab, ages 1 to 10 (admission; closed Sunday and Monday).
- at stopThe Tuscaloosa Riverwalk and its playground and amphitheater, by cab, free.
- at stopThe University of Alabama's Quad and the Bryant Museum, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless staying the night.
Stay the night
A Tuscaloosa night: the children's museum, the riverwalk, a game if it is a home weekend, and the train on.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes by cab.
Out the window: The Black Warrior River bridge, then the long run across west Alabama's farms to the Tombigbee River at Epes and the Mississippi line.
Stop 30 of 35MEISouthbound about 4:13pm; northbound about 1:27pm
Meridian Union Station
A restored 1906 Union Station downtown, a 1896 Dentzel carousel in a park that still runs, and a children's museum that opened in 2021 and is as good as the one in Jackson. Meridian is the surprise of the Crescent. The Mississippi Children's Museum Meridian is a mile from the station, the carousel at Highland Park is a national landmark, and the Jimmie Rodgers Museum is nearby for the grandparents. Southbound at 4:13pm it is a stretch stop; northbound at 1:27pm it is lunch.
The 1896 Dentzel carousel at Highland Park, one of the oldest still turning anywhere, then the children's museum's water play.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a restored 1906 waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- at stopMississippi Children's Museum Meridian, by cab or a 20-minute walk, ages 0 to 10 (admission; check days).
- at stopHighland Park's Dentzel carousel and playground, by cab (small fee; seasonal weekend hours).
- 10 minDowntown's MSU Riley Center and the Weidmann's restaurant, open since 1870.
- at stopJimmie Rodgers Museum in Highland Park, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 1:27pm, cab to the children's museum (2 hours), the carousel, and tomorrow's train.
Stay the night
A Meridian night: the children's museum, the carousel, dinner at Weidmann's, and the Crescent on either way.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes 10 minutes from the station; the museum has a cafe.
Out the window: South of Meridian the piney woods start and run for two hours to the coast.
The carousel runs on limited weekend hours and closes in winter; check before promising it. Meridian has a staffed counter; check whether checked bags are offered.
Stop 31 of 35LAUSouthbound about 5:16pm; northbound about 12:10pmour honest take: ride on
Laurel
A timber town in the Pine Belt that a TV show made famous, with a free art museum and a downtown of restored storefronts a 10-minute walk from the platform. A stretch stop at dinnertime southbound. Ask the kids to count pine trees for one minute.
The one-minute pine count, and the Lauren Rogers Museum's Native American baskets if you are getting off.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room.
- 10 minDowntown Laurel's Central Avenue and the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes 10 minutes away.
Out the window: Pine, pine, pine.
Stop 32 of 35HBGSouthbound about 5:53pm; northbound about 11:35am
Hattiesburg
A restored 1910 depot downtown, with a small zoo in a city park two miles away and a pocket museum in a downtown alley that kids love for being tiny. The Longleaf Trace, a 40-mile rail trail, starts near the university. Northbound at 11:35am it is a lunch stop; southbound at 5:53pm there are three hours to New Orleans.
The Hattiesburg Zoo's giraffes and sloth, then the Pocket Museum in its alley, which changes its exhibit every month.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1910 depot: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minDowntown Hattiesburg's Front Street cafes and the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, free.
- at stopHattiesburg Zoo at Kamper Park, by cab, with a train ride and a splash pad (admission).
- at stopThe Longleaf Trace trailhead, by cab, for bikes.
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 11:35am, lunch downtown, the zoo by cab, and a night here.
Stay the night
A Hattiesburg night: the zoo, the pocket museum, the Trace by bike, and the Crescent on.
Snack stop: Front Street cafes, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: Pine woods, then the Pearl River bottomland toward Picayune.
Stop 33 of 35PICSouthbound about 6:57pm; northbound about 10:27amour honest take: ride on
Picayune
A small platform in a town near the Louisiana line, with the Crosby Arboretum's pine savanna and pond a drive away. The last Mississippi stop. Pajamas on southbound.
The Pearl River swamp out both windows south of here.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopCrosby Arboretum, by cab, with a boardwalk pond (small admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Swamp and the Pearl River.
Stop 34 of 35SDLSouthbound about 7:22pm; northbound about 10:02am
Slidell
The last stop before the lake. North of New Orleans the Crescent crosses Lake Pontchartrain on a six-mile trestle, water on both sides, and Slidell sits at the far end of it. Northbound, New Orleans to Slidell is 52 minutes with the lake in the middle, the shortest ride on the train and the one the parent guide recommends first. Olde Towne Slidell has a small depot, antique shops and a swamp tour outfitter.
The Lake Pontchartrain trestle: six miles of water on both sides. Northbound it comes right after breakfast.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room and restrooms; no staff.
- 5 minOlde Towne Slidell's antique shops and cafes.
- 10 minHeritage Park on Bayou Bonfouca, with a playground and a boat launch.
- at stopHoney Island Swamp tours, by cab, for alligators from a flat boat (fare; book ahead).
A few hours here
- Northbound: off at 10:02am after the lake, Heritage Park, lunch in Olde Towne, and a ride home by car; the next southbound is in the evening.
Stay the night
A swamp tour day: the lake by train, alligators by boat, and the 7:22pm southbound back to New Orleans.
Snack stop: Olde Towne cafes, five minutes from the depot.
Out the window: The trestle across Lake Pontchartrain, six miles with water on both sides; southbound it comes in the evening, in the dark much of the year.
The southbound train often crosses the lake after dark. If the lake is the point, ride north out of New Orleans at 9:10am.
Stop 35 of 35NOLTrain 19 arrives about 9:12pm; Train 20 leaves about 9:10am
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal
The Crescent arrives at 9:12pm, often later, which is a hard hour with a four-year-old, but the terminal is a 15-minute walk from the French Quarter and the streetcar stops out front. Northbound it leaves at 9:10am and crosses the lake before lunch. New Orleans is the best city on the Amtrak map to spend three days in with kids: beignets, the St. Charles streetcar to the zoo, an aquarium and an insectarium on the river, and a children's museum in City Park with a lagoon.
The St. Charles streetcar, the oldest in the world, to Audubon Park and the zoo, with the window open. Then beignets with powdered sugar everywhere.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Passenger Terminal: a big 1954 waiting room with murals, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge.
- at stopThe Rampart-Loyola streetcar from the terminal's door to Canal Street.
- 15 minThe French Quarter, Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde.
- at stopThe St. Charles streetcar from Canal Street to Audubon Park and the zoo (fare).
- at stopAudubon Aquarium and Insectarium on the riverfront (admission).
- at stopLouisiana Children's Museum in City Park, by streetcar or cab (admission).
- at stopCity Park's Storyland and the Carousel Gardens, with a 1906 carousel and a mini train (admission).
A few hours here
- Arrive 9:12pm, the streetcar or a cab to a hotel, and beignets in the morning.
Stay the night
Three nights: the Quarter and the aquarium, the streetcar to the zoo, the Children's Museum and City Park's carousel. Then the Crescent north at 9:10am for the lake, or the Mardi Gras Service to the beach.
Snack stop: Beignets at Cafe du Monde, sno-balls in summer, po-boys everywhere.
Out the window: Arriving southbound the trestle across the lake, then the city's lights; northbound the cemeteries, the skyline and six miles of water within the first hour.
The terminal also serves the City of New Orleans, the Sunset Limited and the Mardi Gras Service. It has checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge. The Crescent runs late often; do not plan anything for the night you arrive.
Six miles of water
My mom's town is not a stop on this train anymore, and I will not tell you which one it was, because the train does not stop there and the depot is gone. But the train still goes by at 2am, and when we rode it south my daughter was asleep in the top bunk as we passed, and I was awake, and I looked out at the dark and the crossing lights and thought, there it is, Mom, the sound you told me about. Then Atlanta came up gold out the window and the kids wanted breakfast.
Next in this series: the City of New Orleans, the other overnight into the same terminal, and the Mardi Gras Service, which leaves it for the Gulf beaches. The Cardinal shares Washington to Charlottesville before turning for the mountains, the Carolinian and Piedmont cover the Carolina stops by day, and the Sunset Limited leaves New Orleans for the West. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Crescent trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Crescent from New York to New Orleans?
About 31 to 32 hours, one night aboard. Train 19 leaves New York at 2pm and arrives in New Orleans at about 9:12pm the next day; Train 20 leaves New Orleans at 9:10am and arrives in New York at about 6:40pm the next day, or 5:55pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Which direction is better on the Crescent with kids?
Northbound. It crosses Lake Pontchartrain at breakfast, runs through Mississippi and Alabama by day, sleeps through the Carolinas and sees the Virginia foothills and the Potomac the next morning. Southbound you sleep from Virginia to Georgia and wake up for Atlanta.
What is the best Crescent stop for a day with kids?
Birmingham. The southbound arrives at 12:45pm, Railroad Park with its lawns, playground and trains is five minutes from the station, and the McWane Science Center is a few blocks further. The train is once a day, so it is a night.
Is there a Family Bedroom on the Crescent?
No. The Crescent uses single-level Viewliner sleepers, which have Roomettes, Bedrooms and an Accessible Bedroom. Two Bedrooms open into a four-bed suite, which is the family option. Book early; the train carries one or two sleepers.
When does the Crescent cross Lake Pontchartrain?
Northbound right after leaving New Orleans at 9:10am, in morning light, before Slidell at 10:02am. Southbound it crosses in the evening on the way into the city, often after dark.
Which Crescent stops should we skip with kids?
The Northeast Corridor stops (see the Northeast Regional plan), the night stops from Danville to Clemson southbound, and the platforms: Metropark, BWI, Gastonia, Anniston, Laurel and Picayune. The trip is Washington, Charlottesville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Meridian, Slidell and New Orleans.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Crescent timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 19 and 20), Amtrak's Pause for Progress page for the October 16 to 26 work, and Amtrak station pages
- Georgia Aquarium, Children's Museum of Atlanta, McWane Science Center, Railroad Park Foundation, Virginia Discovery Museum, Amazement Square, Danville Science Center, Mississippi Children's Museum Meridian, Children's Museum of the Upstate, Louisiana Children's Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- City of Meridian (Highland Park carousel), Hattiesburg Zoo, Museum of Culpeper History, Manassas Museum
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, depot dates, the High Point and Gastonia cuts and the Lake Pontchartrain trestle, 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.