Hartford Line and Valley Flyer With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Three trains share one line here, and all of them are good first rides. The Amtrak Hartford Line shuttles and Connecticut's CTrail trains run New Haven to Springfield all day, and a CTrail ticket puts a kid on board for a dollar. The Valley Flyer keeps going north along the Connecticut River to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield, two or three times a day. The stops are close, the towns are old, and at the far end of the first 48 minutes there is a carousel. My mom took me on a carousel every summer. I take my kids to the one in Bushnell Park by train. Below is every stop and what to do when you get off.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are from the September 2026 Valley Flyer timetable; checked against Amtrak, CTrail 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 Haven to Hartford.Forty-eight minutes, a dollar for the kid on a CTrail ticket, and the 1914 carousel five minutes from the station. Jump to Hartford.
- Ages 3 to 8: Springfield and the Seuss garden.The sculpture garden is free, the museum next to it is for exactly this age, and the station is 10 minutes away. Jump to Springfield.
- The train itself: the weekend loop to Greenfield.Train 400 leaves Springfield at 7:50am, Greenfield at 8:58, and Train 461 is back by 10:34am, with the river crossed twice. Jump to Greenfield.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, between New Haven and Springfield a CTrail ticket costs $1 per child and works on Amtrak Hartford Line trains, but not on the Vermonter and not north of Springfield, where you need an Amtrak ticket at the usual half-price child fare. Second, there is no cafe on any of these trains, so bring everything. Third, New Haven has two stops two minutes apart, Union Station and State Street, and Northampton and weekend Greenfield have no restrooms. Alerts are on the Hartford Line page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Fares, seats, strollers and what to pack are all in our Hartford Line and Valley Flyer parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
On weekdays until October 30, Train 490 is replaced by buses 3490 and 3590, Train 470 ends at Hartford with Bus 3470 on to Springfield, and Trains 471 and 473 start at Hartford with buses from Springfield, all for track work near the new Windsor Locks station. Train tickets are valid on the buses, which stop at Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Springfield. Weekend trains are not affected, which is one more reason to ride on a Saturday.
Stop 1 of 12NHVEvery train: Amtrak Hartford Line shuttles, CTrail, the Valley Flyer (3:10pm and 7:45pm weekdays, 5pm weekends) and the Vermonter
New Haven Union Station
The big 1920 station where the Hartford Line begins, with a waiting room the size of a church and wooden benches with little models of old New Haven Railroad trains carved into them. It is a 20-minute walk or a short bus to Yale's museums, which are free, and to the pizza on Wooster Street. For a first ride, New Haven to Hartford is 48 minutes and ends at a carousel.
Find the train models on the benches, then pick your platform. The Valley Flyer's cab car usually leads northbound, so have them guess which end the engine is on.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a staffed counter, kiosks, restrooms, a cafe and a newsstand, with Metro-North and Shore Line East trains too.
- 15 minThe New Haven Green and Yale's old campus, with lawns to run on.
- 15 minThe Yale University Art Gallery, free, and the Yale Center for British Art across the street, free.
- 25 minThe Yale Peabody Museum, free since its 2024 reopening: dinosaurs, a brontosaurus in the great hall, minerals, a kids' discovery room (walk or the Yale shuttle; check hours).
- 15 minWooster Street's pizza, Pepe's and Sally's, with lines on weekends.
Half a day between trains
- The Peabody's dinosaurs (2 hours).
- Pizza on Wooster Street.
- A CTrail or Amtrak train north; with a CTrail ticket, kids pay $1.
Make it a full day
A New Haven day: the Peabody in the morning, the Green and the art gallery after lunch, pizza for dinner, and the 5pm weekend train to Hartford or Springfield if you are heading north.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Wooster Street for pizza; a pastry shop on Wooster Square.
Out the window: Leaving, the train swings off the Shore Line and heads north past the Yale Bowl's neighborhoods and into the Quinnipiac Valley.
New Haven has two stops two minutes apart: Union Station and State Street. Most Hartford Line trains use both; the Vermonter uses only Union Station. Check which one your ticket says.
Stop 2 of 12STSAmtrak Hartford Line shuttles, CTrail and the Valley Flyer, two minutes after Union Station; the Vermonter skips itour honest take: ride on
New Haven State Street
A platform with a canopy on the downtown side of New Haven, closer to the Green, Yale and Wooster Street than Union Station is. There is no building. Use it if you are coming from downtown; otherwise it is a two-minute pause after the big station.
Wooster Street pizza is a 10-minute walk from here, which is the best reason to board at State Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopA canopied platform and a ticket machine; no restrooms.
- 10 minWooster Square and the pizza, and the Green the other way.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip, or board here after a downtown day.
Snack stop: Downtown New Haven.
Out the window: The backs of downtown, then the Quinnipiac River marsh.
Stop 3 of 12WFDAmtrak Hartford Line shuttles, CTrail and the Valley Flyer; the Vermonter skips itour honest take: ride on
Wallingford
A 2017 station on the edge of a small downtown, with a parking lot and a platform. Wallingford is a nice town, but nothing for a kid is within an easy walk, and the stops come every few minutes on this line. Ride on.
None. Count the stops: three quick ones before Hartford.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern platform with canopies and ticket machines.
- 10 minDowntown Wallingford's Center Street cafes.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Tobacco barns and the traprock ridges to the west.
Stop 4 of 12MDNEvery train, including the Vermonter
Meriden Transit Center
A mill city with a brand new park right beside the station. The Meriden Green opened in 2016 on the site of a flooded mall, with a playground, an amphitheater and a brook running through it, and it starts at the end of the platform. Hubbard Park, with its stone tower on a cliff, is a 10-minute cab ride. For a stretch stop with a slide, this is the one between New Haven and Hartford.
The playground on the Meriden Green, 2 minutes from the train, then the next train on.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Meriden Transit Center: a waiting room, restrooms, kiosks, and the local bus.
- 2 minThe Meriden Green: a playground, a brook, lawns and an amphitheater.
- 7 minThe Meriden Public Library's children's room, and downtown's bakeries.
- at stopHubbard Park, by cab: a pond, a playground, and the road up to Castle Craig's tower with a view to Long Island Sound.
Half a day between trains
- The Green's playground (45 minutes).
- A snack downtown.
- The next train, which on this line is never far off.
Make it a full day
Hubbard Park by cab for Castle Craig and the pond, then the Green, then on to Hartford for the carousel.
Snack stop: Bakeries and a diner on Colony Street.
Out the window: The Hanging Hills on the left heading north, with the tower on top if you look.
Hubbard Park's road to Castle Craig closes in winter.
Stop 5 of 12BERAmtrak Hartford Line shuttles, CTrail and the Valley Flyer; the Vermonter skips itour honest take: ride on
Berlin
A small station in the Kensington part of Berlin, rebuilt after a fire, with a parking lot and not much else near it. Ride on to Hartford, 15 minutes.
None. Pretzels now, carousel soon.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with canopies and a small shelter.
- 3 minAn art studio and a couple of shops on Depot Road.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Farms, then the first sight of Hartford's skyline.
Stop 6 of 12HFDEvery train, including the Vermonter; northbound Valley Flyer about 3:58pm and 8:30pm weekdays, 5:46pm weekends
Hartford Union Station
The best 48 minutes of first train ride in Connecticut end here, five minutes from a carousel. Bushnell Park is across the street from the 1889 brownstone station, and its 1914 carousel has 48 hand-carved horses and a band organ in a round pavilion. The Connecticut Science Center is a 15-minute walk the other way, with a rooftop garden and a floor for under-5s. My daughter rode the carousel four times and asked the operator if the horses had names.
The carousel, then the state capitol's gold dome from the park lawn, then the pond.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, a cafe, and the CTtransit bus hub.
- 5 minBushnell Park and the carousel: 1914, 48 horses, a Wurlitzer organ, a small fee per ride (seasonal; check days).
- 10 minThe Connecticut State Capitol, with free tours and the lawn below the dome.
- 15 minThe Connecticut Science Center: a rooftop garden, a toddler floor, a 3D theater (admission; check hours).
- 15 minThe Wadsworth Atheneum, the oldest public art museum in the country, free for kids (check hours).
- at stopThe Mark Twain House, 10 minutes by bus or cab, for ages 7 and up.
Half a day between trains
- Carousel and the park (1 hour).
- The Science Center (2 hours).
- Any later train home; with a CTrail ticket, the kids' fare is $1.
Make it a full day
A morning CTrail train up, the Science Center at opening, lunch downtown, the carousel, the capitol lawn, and the late afternoon train back. On a weekend, the 5pm Valley Flyer from New Haven gets here at 5:46 for an evening in the park.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Bushnell Park has a cafe in the pavilion in summer; downtown has a food hall on Pratt Street.
Out the window: Leaving north you pass the capitol's dome on the left, then the Connecticut River appears on the right.
The carousel runs spring to fall on limited days; check the Bushnell Park Foundation calendar before you promise it. Weekday buses replace some trains between Hartford and Springfield through October 30, 2026.
Stop 7 of 12WNDAmtrak Hartford Line shuttles, CTrail and the Valley Flyer; the Vermonter skips itour honest take: ride on
Windsor
Connecticut's oldest town, with the platform beside a brick 1870 freight house that is now an art center, and the town green across the street. It is pleasant for 20 minutes. The reason to watch here is the bridge: just north, the train crosses the Farmington River on a seven-arch stone bridge from 1867.
The stone bridge over the Farmington River, 464 feet long, right after the station heading north.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and the Windsor Art Center in the old freight house (limited hours).
- 3 minWindsor's town green, with a bandstand and a Civil War monument.
- 10 minThe Farmington River at Windsor's riverside park, and an ice cream stand on the river in summer.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, or the green and ice cream (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: Shops by the green.
Out the window: The Farmington River bridge, then tobacco fields under white netting.
Stop 8 of 12WNLEvery train, including the Vermonterour honest take: ride on
Windsor Locks
A platform between Main Street and the Connecticut River, with a new station being built nearby. Two of the best kids' museums in the state are close, but both need a cab or a bus: the New England Air Museum, with a hangar of planes you can climb into, and the Connecticut Trolley Museum, where you ride old streetcars. Worth the cab for a plane-mad kid; otherwise ride on.
The Air Museum's cockpits, or a trolley ride at the Trolley Museum. One cab each.
Right off the platform
- at stopA low platform with a shelter and a ticket machine; no building.
- 5 minThe Windsor Locks Canal trail, flat and paved along the river, with the old canal beside it.
- at stopThe New England Air Museum, 10 minutes by cab or CTtransit bus 24: three hangars, a kids' zone, cockpits (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor, 10 minutes by cab: rides on antique trolleys (admission; seasonal).
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, unless the Air Museum is the plan (3 hours with the cab).
Make it a full day
Air Museum in the morning, Trolley Museum in the afternoon, both by cab, then the train.
Snack stop: A diner on Main Street.
Out the window: The Connecticut River on the right, then the line crosses into Massachusetts at the Enfield rapids.
A new Windsor Locks station is under construction closer to downtown; the stop may move while this page is current. Weekday track work here is why some trains are buses through October 30, 2026.
Stop 9 of 12SPGEvery train, including the Vermonter and the Lake Shore Limited; the Valley Flyer continues north from here
Springfield Union Station
Dr. Seuss was born here, and the station is a 10-minute walk from a garden full of his characters in bronze. The Springfield Museums' quadrangle has the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, the Lorax and Horton outside, free, and the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum inside, with a science museum and a dinosaur next door on the same ticket. Union Station itself, restored in 2017, has the original clock and a 90-year-old baggage cart to find.
The Dr. Seuss sculpture garden, free, where kids sit in the Lorax's hand and under the Cat's hat.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a big restored concourse with restrooms, a staffed counter, a cafe, and the bus terminal.
- 10 minThe Springfield Museums and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden: five museums on one ticket, the garden free (check hours).
- 10 minThe Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, in the quadrangle, for ages 2 to 8.
- 20 minThe Basketball Hall of Fame on the river, or 6 minutes by cab, with courts to shoot on.
- at stopForest Park and its small zoo, 10 minutes by cab, with a train ride and a playground.
Half a day between trains
- Sculpture garden and the Seuss museum (2 hours).
- Lunch downtown.
- The Valley Flyer north, or any train south.
Make it a full day
Springfield is a full day: the Seuss museum and the science museum's dinosaur in the morning, the Hall of Fame after lunch, and the weekend Valley Flyer to Greenfield and back the next morning.
Snack stop: The station cafe; a diner on Main Street; the museums have a cafe.
Out the window: Leaving north on the Valley Flyer, the train crosses the Connecticut River on a long bridge between Chicopee and Holyoke, water both sides.
Only the Valley Flyer and the Vermonter continue north of here; CTrail tickets stop at Springfield. On weekends, Train 400 leaves at 7:50am for Greenfield and Train 461 is back by 10:34am.
Stop 10 of 12HLKValley Flyer and Vermonter only; northbound about 5:26pm and 9:51pm weekdays, 8:16am, 3:41pm and 7:11pm weekends
Holyoke
A canal city of brick mills where the trains came back in 2015, and a 10-minute walk uphill from the platform is a children's museum, a carousel and a state park along the old canals, all together on one block. The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round came from the old Mountain Park amusement park and rides on weekend afternoons. It is a small stop with a lot in it.
The merry-go-round, 12 to 4 on weekends, then the Children's Museum next door, then the canal walk.
Right off the platform
- at stopA high platform with a canopy and a waiting area facing Dwight Street; no building.
- 10 minThe Children's Museum at Holyoke, 444 Dwight Street, ages 0 to 8 (admission; check days).
- 10 minThe Holyoke Merry-Go-Round at Heritage State Park, weekends 12 to 4 (small fee).
- 10 minHolyoke Heritage State Park: the visitor center, the canal walk, and a spray deck in summer, free.
- 10 minThe Volleyball Hall of Fame, in the same complex, for older kids.
Half a day between trains
- Weekend: the 8:16am Train 400 here, the museum at opening, the carousel at noon, and a Vermonter or Valley Flyer back.
Make it a full day
Holyoke pairs with Northampton: the museum and carousel here in the morning, the 3:41pm train 16 minutes north for ice cream and the botanic garden.
Snack stop: A cafe on High Street; the Children's Museum has a snack room.
Out the window: The dam and the canals on the right leaving north, then the Mount Tom range on the left.
The platform has no restrooms; Heritage State Park's are open 12 to 4. Weekend Valley Flyer times make a morning here easy; weekday northbound trains arrive late afternoon.
Stop 11 of 12NHTValley Flyer and Vermonter only; northbound about 5:42pm and 10:07pm weekdays, 8:32am, 3:57pm and 7:27pm weekends
Northampton
A college town with the best downtown on this line, five minutes from the platform: Main Street's toy store, bookstore, and an ice cream shop that has been there since the 1980s. Smith College's botanic garden and glass conservatory are free and a 15-minute walk. Look Park, with a mini train and paddle boats, is a short cab ride. The platform is a wooden deck beside the old 1897 Union Station, and it has no restrooms, so plan for that.
Herrell's ice cream on Old South Street, then the Lyman Conservatory's warm rooms at Smith, free, where a toddler can touch the big leaves.
Right off the platform
- at stopA high wooden platform with a shelter; no restrooms or waiting room. The 1897 station beside it is now a restaurant.
- 5 minMain Street and Thornes Marketplace: a toy store, a bookstore, cafes.
- 5 minHerrell's Ice Cream, a Northampton institution.
- 15 minSmith College Botanic Garden and the Lyman Conservatory, free (check hours).
- at stopLook Park, 10 minutes by cab: a mini train, pedal boats, a playground, a small zoo (parking fee).
Half a day between trains
- Main Street and ice cream (1 hour).
- The conservatory (1 hour).
- The next train either way.
Make it a full day
Northampton for a night: downtown, Look Park by cab, dinner on Main Street, and the morning train. Weekend Train 400 arrives 8:32am from Springfield and 461 leaves 9:40am, which is too quick; the 3:57pm Vermonter south or the 7:27pm Flyer north give you the day.
Snack stop: Herrell's; a bakery on Main Street; a cafe inside Thornes.
Out the window: Flat farmland in the river's floodplain, and the long straight stretch where the train reaches 79 mph between Hatfield and Deerfield.
No restrooms at the station; use the train's or a cafe downtown. The platform is high and level, the easiest on this line for a stroller.
Stop 12 of 12GFDValley Flyer and Vermonter only; northbound arrives about 6:08pm and 10:33pm weekdays, 8:58am, 4:22pm and 7:53pm weekends
Greenfield John W. Olver Transit Center
The end of the Valley Flyer is a small county seat with a transit center that makes all its own power, a park with a caboose you can go inside, and a downtown of old brick blocks. Trainspotters gather at Energy Park because the old depot stood there. On a weekend morning the Flyer gets here at 8:58am and goes back at 9:15, which is a 2-hour-45-minute train loop from Springfield that my son calls the there-and-back.
The caboose at Energy Park, 10 minutes from the station, and the bandstand built to look like the old depot.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe transit center: a waiting room, restrooms and a small cafe, weekdays 7am to 7pm only; closed weekends.
- 5 minMain Street and the town common, with a bronze eagle on the Civil War column.
- 10 minGreenfield Energy Park: a restored B&M caboose, gardens, a bandstand, summer concerts.
- at stopPoet's Seat Tower, 5 minutes by cab, a stone tower with a view over the whole valley.
- at stopMagic Wings butterfly conservatory in South Deerfield, 15 minutes by cab (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Weekend loop: stay on, or step off for 17 minutes and ride back at 9:15am.
Make it a full day
Greenfield for a day: Energy Park, Main Street, Poet's Seat by cab, Magic Wings for the butterflies, and the 1:36pm Vermonter or the evening Flyer south.
Snack stop: The cafe in the transit center on weekdays; a bakery and a diner on Main Street.
Out the window: Arriving, the train crosses the Deerfield River and slows through the old junction. The Vermonter continues north from here; the Flyer turns around.
The transit center is closed on weekends, when most families ride, so there are no station restrooms then. Plan the stop before Northampton or on the train.
A dollar a kid
This is the line for the family that has never done a train and is not sure the kids will last. The stops come every ten minutes, so there is always somewhere to get off. A dollar buys the ticket. And at Hartford, the carousel is close enough that you can hear the organ from the station steps if the wind is right. Start there. Everything north of it is a bonus.
Next in this series: the Vermonter, which rides this same line and keeps going to Vermont, and the Northeast Regional, which connects at New Haven and Springfield. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Hartford Line and Valley Flyer trips with kids: questions parents ask
What is the difference between the Hartford Line, CTrail and the Valley Flyer?
They share one track. Amtrak Hartford Line shuttles run New Haven to Springfield; CTrail is Connecticut's commuter train on the same stops; the Valley Flyer is Amtrak's train that continues north from Springfield to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield. The Vermonter also runs the line but skips several stops and does not take CTrail tickets.
Do kids really ride for $1?
Yes, on CTrail Hartford Line tickets between New Haven and Springfield: $1 per child age 2 to 12, up to four kids with a paying adult, and under 2 free. CTrail tickets are accepted on Amtrak Hartford Line trains. North of Springfield, buy an Amtrak ticket; kids pay half.
What is the best stop on the Hartford Line with kids?
Hartford. The 1914 carousel in Bushnell Park is a five-minute walk from Union Station, and the Connecticut Science Center is 15 minutes. Springfield's Dr. Seuss sculpture garden is the other one.
How long is the Valley Flyer?
New Haven to Greenfield is about 2 hours 50 minutes; Springfield to Greenfield is about 1 hour 8 minutes. Weekday Flyers run New Haven to Greenfield in the afternoon and evening; weekend Train 400 runs Springfield to Greenfield at 7:50am and Train 461 comes straight back.
Is there food on the Hartford Line or the Valley Flyer?
No. None of these trains has a cafe car. Pack snacks and drinks, especially for the near three hours from New Haven to Greenfield. Greenfield's station cafe is open weekdays only.
Which Hartford Line stops should we skip with kids?
State Street, Wallingford, Berlin and Windsor are platforms with little close by, and Windsor Locks needs a cab for its museums. The trip is New Haven, Meriden's playground, Hartford, Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Valley Flyer and Vermonter timetable, September 2026 revision, Amtrak Hartford Line timetable, and Amtrak's Hartford Line and Valley Flyer schedule change notice through October 30, 2026
- CTrail Hartford Line fares effective July 1, 2026 and ticketing rules; CTDOT bus substitution notice
- Bushnell Park Foundation (carousel), Connecticut Science Center, Springfield Museums, Children's Museum at Holyoke, Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, Yale Peabody Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, 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.