Keystone Service With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Keystone is the train I would hand to any family in Philadelphia who has never tried Amtrak. Thirteen trains a day on weekdays, half price for kids, 30 minutes to Paoli or 70 to Lancaster, and farms with horse-drawn buggies out the window at the far end. There is no cafe, so you pack the snacks, and most of the 21 stops are platforms for commuters. That is fine. The three or four that matter are very good, and one of them has a steam train. Below is every stop, honestly, from the skylights in New York to the old electric locomotive parked at Harrisburg.
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: Philadelphia to Paoli and back.Thirty minutes out, cross the overpass and watch a train pass underneath, a bakery snack, thirty minutes back. The whole thing fits before nap. Jump to Paoli.
- Ages 4 to 8: a Lancaster County train day.The 7:25am weekend train from 30th Street, a cab to Strasburg for the steam train and the Railroad Museum, and an evening Keystone home. Jump to Lancaster.
- The big one: Harrisburg and the GG1.Ride the whole Philadelphia to Harrisburg run, find the locomotive, the State Museum's planetarium, and the bridge to City Island. Jump to Harrisburg.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, there is no cafe car and no Business Class on today's Keystone trains, so bring everything you will eat and drink. Second, seats are not assigned, and weekday trains carry commuters: board where the train starts (New York, Philadelphia or Harrisburg) and pick a midday or weekend train for a first ride. Third, many small stops get only some trains, so check your train number against the station. Alerts are on the Keystone Service page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Keystone Service parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
During the Portal North Bridge cutover in New Jersey, weekday Keystone trains between Philadelphia and New York drop from 24 to about 10. Harrisburg to Philadelphia keeps its full schedule. From November 18, two Keystone slots become Pennsylvanian trains (43 and 44), which do have a cafe car.
Stop 1 of 21NYP9 westbound trains on weekdays, from about 5:50am to 8:30pm; about 7 on weekends, from 7am
New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station
Every Keystone that runs through to New York starts under the big skylights of Moynihan Train Hall, across Eighth Avenue from Madison Square Garden. It is the calm half of Penn Station: a boarding concourse with a glass roof 92 feet up, a food hall, clean restrooms and a nursing pod. Three and a half hours from here to Harrisburg is the longest Keystone ride; most families board at Philadelphia instead. But if you live in the city, this is a real day trip to Lancaster with no car and no transfer.
Stand in the middle of the train hall and have everyone look up at the skylights, then watch the departure board flip to your track number and walk down together.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: the skylit concourse, a food hall, restrooms, a Mamava nursing pod and staffed ticket counters.
- 5 minThe High Line's southern end and Hudson Yards, a 10-minute walk west, with a climbable stair sculpture and the Vessel (check status).
- 10 minThe Empire State Building, for the lobby and the view, and Macy's windows at Christmas.
- 15 minBryant Park's carousel and lawn, and the lions outside the Public Library.
Half a day between trains
- Arrive 30 minutes early, breakfast in the food hall (30 minutes).
- The skylights, the board, the walk to the track.
Make it a full day
New York is its own trip. The Keystone is how you leave it for farms and a train museum in Lancaster County by lunchtime.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall before you board, because there is nothing to buy on the train.
Out the window: The Hudson River tunnel, then the Meadowlands and the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River, which is why the fall schedule is thin.
Through October and mid-November 2026 only about 10 weekday Keystone trains run between New York and Philadelphia instead of 24, because of the Portal North Bridge cutover. Check your train number the night before.
Stop 2 of 21NWKMost through trainsour honest take: ride on
Newark Penn Station
A big 1935 station with Art Deco details, PATH trains downstairs and the light rail outside. Useful if you live in New Jersey; not a stop to get off at with kids on a Keystone day.
The bronze zodiac medallions on the waiting room ceiling, if you have a minute between trains.
Right off the platform
- at stopNewark Penn Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a few food counters, PATH and NJ Transit connections.
- 15 minThe Newark Museum of Art, with a planetarium and a children's gallery (admission; check hours).
- 5 minThe Ironbound's Portuguese bakeries, just east of the station.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip, or use it as your boarding point from the PATH.
Snack stop: Pastel de nata from an Ironbound bakery, if you are starting here.
Out the window: Newark's rail yards, then the airport.
Stop 3 of 21EWRA couple of weekday trains onlyour honest take: ride on
Newark Airport
A platform with a monorail to the terminals. For flights only.
Planes on final approach, low over the tracks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and the AirTrain to the terminals (the AirTrain is being replaced; check status).
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Planes and the turnpike.
Stop 4 of 21META couple of weekday trains onlyour honest take: ride on
Metropark
An office park station in Iselin with a parking garage. Commuters only.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform, a small waiting room and a garage.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Office parks and backyards.
Stop 5 of 21NBKOne weekday train onlyour honest take: ride on
New Brunswick
The Rutgers town, with a downtown station on a viaduct. Only one Keystone a day stops here, so ride the Northeast Regional or NJ Transit for a New Brunswick day.
The Zimmerli Art Museum on campus, free, with a children's corner, a 10-minute walk.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station on a viaduct with stairs and an elevator down to George Street.
- 10 minThe Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers, free (check hours).
- 10 minRutgers Geology Museum, with a mastodon skeleton, free (limited hours).
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip on the Keystone; one train a day is not a plan.
Snack stop: Cafes on George Street.
Out the window: The Raritan River.
Stop 6 of 21PJCA few weekday trains; one on weekendsour honest take: ride on
Princeton Junction
A commuter platform in a parking lot, but with a secret: the Dinky, a tiny two-car train that shuttles to Princeton's campus in five minutes. If your kids like trains more than museums, that is a very good hour. Most Keystones do not stop here, so check your train.
The Dinky: a five-minute ride on the shortest commuter line in the country, then ice cream on Palmer Square.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a parking lot; the Dinky leaves from its own platform here.
- at stopPrinceton by Dinky: the campus, the new University Art Museum (free), Palmer Square and the Bent Spoon's ice cream, all a short walk from the Princeton end.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, unless the Dinky is the plan (2 hours there and back).
Make it a full day
A Princeton day by Dinky: campus, the art museum, the ice cream.
Snack stop: Nothing at the junction; everything in Princeton.
Out the window: Woods and the first glimpse of the Delaware River valley.
Confirm your Keystone stops here; most run straight from Newark to Trenton.
Stop 7 of 21TREEvery through train
Trenton Transit Center
New Jersey's capital, and the first stop where every through train stops. The transit center is modern and busy, with the River Line light rail across the street, which is a bonus train for the kids to spot. The state museum, with a planetarium and free admission, is about a mile away, and the famous Trenton Makes bridge is in view from the train as you cross the Delaware.
Read the Trenton Makes, the World Takes sign on the bridge as the train crosses the Delaware into Pennsylvania, then explain what it means.
Right off the platform
- at stopTrenton Transit Center: a waiting room, restrooms, food counters and the River Line light rail outside.
- 20 minThe New Jersey State Museum: a planetarium, dinosaurs and a natural history floor, free (planetarium tickets extra; check hours).
- 20 minThe Old Barracks Museum, a Revolutionary War barracks with costumed guides (admission).
- 20 minTrenton Thunder Ballpark on the river, for a summer evening game.
Half a day between trains
- The River Line to the ballpark and back, just for the ride (45 minutes).
- The State Museum's planetarium (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
The State Museum, the Old Barracks, a Thunder game in summer, and the train home.
Snack stop: Counters inside the transit center.
Out the window: The Delaware River crossing with the lit-up bridge sign on the right, westbound.
The State Museum is a 20-minute walk or a short cab; check its days before you go.
Stop 8 of 21CWHTwo weekday trains onlyour honest take: ride on
Cornwells Heights
A park-and-ride platform in Bensalem next to the SEPTA line. Nothing walkable.
SEPTA trains passing on the next track.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and a big parking lot, shared with SEPTA.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburban Philadelphia.
Stop 9 of 21PHNTwo weekday trains, drop-off onlyour honest take: ride on
North Philadelphia
An old station on a viaduct, with Keystones stopping only to let people off on two weekday runs. Ride four more minutes to 30th Street.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform on the viaduct, with SEPTA connections.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The city skyline ahead and the Schuylkill River as you swing toward 30th Street.
Stop 10 of 21PHLEvery train; 13 westbound on weekdays from 5:10am to 10:05pm, 8 on weekends from 7:25am
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
This is where most Keystone family trips really start. The 1933 station has a main concourse with a gold and red coffered ceiling, a giant bronze angel holding a soldier, and the sound of trains being called. It sits on the Schuylkill River across from Center City, a 15-minute walk from the Franklin Institute's giant walk-through heart and 10 from the dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences. From here Lancaster is 70 minutes and Paoli is 30, which makes the Keystone the easiest first train ride in the state.
Tip your heads back in the main concourse, find the angel, then go stand at the big windows and watch the river and the skyline while you wait for your track.
Right off the platform
- at stop30th Street Station: the concourse, restrooms, a food court, staffed counters and checked baggage; a long renovation is under way, so some areas move around.
- 5 minThe Schuylkill Banks boardwalk and river trail, right outside the back door, for a stroller walk.
- 10 minThe Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel: dinosaurs, a butterfly room and a hands-on floor (admission; check hours).
- 15 minThe Franklin Institute, with the walk-through heart and the train you can climb on (admission).
- 10 minPlease Touch Museum in Fairmount Park, by cab or bus, with a carousel, for ages 0 to 8 (admission).
- 25 minReading Terminal Market and the Liberty Bell, by SEPTA or cab.
Half a day between trains
- The Academy's dinosaurs (90 minutes).
- Lunch in the station food court.
- The river boardwalk, then the train.
Make it a full day
Franklin Institute in the morning, Reading Terminal Market for lunch, Please Touch Museum in the afternoon, and the evening Keystone to Lancaster. Or stay the night and ride west in the morning.
Snack stop: The station food court; a soft pretzel from anywhere nearby is the right Philadelphia train snack.
Out the window: Leaving westbound you cross the Schuylkill, pass the zoo on the right, then run out the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line through the suburbs.
Most westbound Keystones start here, so you get first pick of seats. There is no cafe on the train: buy food in the station.
Stop 11 of 21ARDSome trainsour honest take: ride on
Ardmore
A Main Line suburb with a shopping district and a farmers market a short walk away. The station has been in a long rebuild, and only some Keystones stop. SEPTA covers it better.
Suburban Square's fountain and the farmers market's cookies.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform (check for construction detours).
- 5 minSuburban Square and the Ardmore Farmers Market.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: The farmers market.
Out the window: Stone houses and the Main Line colleges.
Stop 12 of 21PAONearly every train; also the Pennsylvanian
Paoli
Thirty minutes from 30th Street and the Keystone's best short first ride. The 2019 station has a high overpass with elevators, so kids cross above the tracks and look straight down at the rails before the ride home. Paoli itself is a small Main Line town with a few cafes and a toy store nearby; Valley Forge is five miles away by car.
Stand on the overpass and wait for a train to pass underneath. Then ride back.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with an overpass, elevators and a small waiting area.
- 5 minLancaster Avenue's cafes and a bakery.
- at stopValley Forge National Historical Park, 15 minutes by cab, with cannons, cabins and a lot of grass to run on (free).
Half a day between trains
- The overpass, a snack on Lancaster Avenue, and the next train back (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Valley Forge by cab: the visitor center, Washington's headquarters, a picnic, and the train from Paoli.
Snack stop: A bakery on Lancaster Avenue; nothing in the station.
Out the window: The Main Line's stone stations give way to woods and the Great Valley.
Trains are frequent, so you can ride out, cross the overpass, and ride back within two hours. Check the return time before you leave Philadelphia.
Stop 13 of 21EXTMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Exton
A platform beside a shopping mall and a park-and-ride lot. The Pennsylvanian only stops here eastbound. Nothing for a family on foot.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a big lot.
- 10 minExton Square's shops and restaurants.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: Chain restaurants at the mall.
Out the window: Chester County's rolling fields begin.
Stop 14 of 21DOWMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Downingtown
A small borough on the Brandywine with a plain platform. The Struble Trail along the creek is a pleasant walk, but there is no reason to break a Keystone trip here.
The Brandywine from the trail, if you stretch your legs.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
- 10 minThe Struble Trail along the Brandywine Creek, flat and stroller-friendly.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on Lancaster Avenue.
Out the window: The Brandywine and the first big farms.
Stop 15 of 21COTMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Coatesville
A steel town with a brick depot from 1868 standing beside the tracks, unused but still there after more than 150 years, and a new station that has been under construction next to it for several years. Not much else for kids. Point out the old depot and ride on.
The 1868 depot, two stories of brick, from the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform (a new station is being built beside the old depot; expect changes).
- 10 minDowntown Coatesville's Lincoln Highway.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The Lukens steel mill's long sheds, then the valley of the West Branch Brandywine.
Stop 16 of 21PARMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Parkesburg
A small town where the old Pennsylvania Railroad had a shop. A platform stop in the fields, and the last one before Lancaster County opens up.
Watch for the first Amish buggy on a road beside the tracks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a small lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The fields widen and the barns get bigger; this is the start of Amish country.
Stop 17 of 21LNCEvery train; about 70 minutes from Philadelphia
Lancaster
The reason families ride the Keystone. The 1929 station is a mile north of a downtown with a central market open since the 1730s, a science museum built for kids, and the best toy store in the state. Ten miles east by car is Strasburg, where a steam train leaves every hour and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a hundred real locomotives under one roof. My daughter rode the Strasburg Rail Road at three and still asks to go back. Between Lancaster and Harrisburg the window is all farms and buggies.
Strasburg: the steam train to Paradise and back, then across the road to climb into the cab of a real locomotive at the Railroad Museum. Or, if you have no car, the Lancaster Science Factory downtown.
Right off the platform
- at stopLancaster station: a restored 1929 waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and cabs outside.
- 20 minCentral Market downtown, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, for pretzels, whoopie pies and lunch.
- 20 minThe Lancaster Science Factory, hands-on for ages 3 to 12 (admission; check hours).
- at stopStrasburg Rail Road and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 20 minutes by cab or car; the Choo Choo Barn's giant model layout is next door (admission for each; check seasons).
- at stopHands-on House Children's Museum, 10 minutes by cab, for ages 2 to 10 (admission).
- at stopDutch Wonderland, a kid-sized amusement park east of town, by car (seasonal).
Half a day between trains
- Cab or bus downtown to Central Market (1 hour).
- The Science Factory (90 minutes).
- Back to the station for the train on to Harrisburg or home.
Make it a full day
With a car: Strasburg's steam train, the Railroad Museum, the Choo Choo Barn, and dinner at a family-style restaurant. Without one: Central Market, the Science Factory, a cab to Hands-on House, and the evening Keystone. Stay the night for Dutch Wonderland.
Snack stop: Central Market's pretzels and whoopie pies; the station has a small counter.
Out the window: West of Lancaster, farms on both sides, horse-drawn buggies on the roads, and in summer the corn right up to the tracks.
A weekend train leaves Philadelphia at 7:25am and reaches Lancaster at 8:37am, which gives you the whole day. Strasburg needs a cab or a car; book the steam train ahead on holiday weekends.
Stop 18 of 21MJYMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Mount Joy
A rebuilt station with elevators and a long platform in a small farm town. Pleasant, but the Keystone's farm-country stop with things to do is Lancaster, 10 minutes back.
The silos and the Amish farms right from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with elevators and a shelter.
- 10 minMount Joy's Main Street and a bakery.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A bakery on Main Street.
Out the window: Dairy farms, silos, and the Susquehanna lowlands ahead.
Stop 19 of 21ELTNearly every train; also the Pennsylvanian
Elizabethtown
A restored 1915 stone station with a walkable downtown five minutes away, and the closest regular Keystone stop to Hershey, which is about 10 miles north by car. If grandparents live in central Pennsylvania, this is often the stop where they meet the train. On its own it is a 30-minute leg stretch.
Meeting someone on the platform of a stone station that looks like it belongs in a picture book.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1915 station, restored, with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 5 minDowntown Elizabethtown's square, a bakery and a park.
- at stopHershey by car, about 20 minutes: Chocolate World's free factory ride, Hersheypark and ZooAmerica (seasonal; admission for the park).
Half a day between trains
- Downtown for a bakery and the park (45 minutes).
Make it a full day
Hershey by car: Chocolate World in the morning, Hersheypark or ZooAmerica, and the train from here.
Snack stop: A bakery on Market Street.
Out the window: The Conewago Creek and more farms.
Hershey needs a car or a cab; there is no bus from the station.
Stop 20 of 21MIDMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Middletown
A new station from 2022 on the edge of town near Harrisburg's airport. The Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad runs tourist trips from a depot about a mile away in season, and Hershey is eight miles by car. With a car it can work; on foot, ride on.
The M&H tourist train, if its schedule lines up (seasonal; check days).
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a shelter and a lot; a city bus runs to the airport and downtown Harrisburg.
- 20 minThe Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad's depot on Race Street for tourist rides (seasonal).
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Hershey by car from here, or the M&H train on a weekend.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The airport on the left, then the Susquehanna.
Stop 21 of 21HAREvery train; about 1 hour 50 minutes from Philadelphia
Harrisburg Transportation Center
The end of the line, under a train shed from the 1880s with a real Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric locomotive parked where you can see it from the platform. Downtown is a 10-minute walk: a state museum with a planetarium and a toddler floor, a science center, and a Capitol with a staircase copied from a Paris opera house. The river is a 15-minute walk, and a pedestrian bridge crosses to City Island, which has a minor league ballpark and a little train.
Find the GG1 from the platform before you leave the station. Then the Walnut Street Bridge to City Island, on foot, with the Susquehanna wide and shallow underneath.
Right off the platform
- at stopHarrisburg Transportation Center: an 1887 station with a train shed, restrooms, a staffed counter and the GG1 on display.
- 10 minThe State Museum of Pennsylvania: a planetarium, a mammoth, and Curiosity Connection for ages 1 to 5 (admission; check hours).
- 10 minThe State Capitol, free tours, with the grand staircase and a dome kids can see from everywhere downtown.
- 5 minWhitaker Center's science center and a big-screen theater (admission).
- 15 minThe Walnut Street pedestrian bridge to City Island: the Senators' ballpark, a mini train and a riverboat in season.
- 15 minBroad Street Market, one of the oldest markets in the country, for lunch (check days).
Half a day between trains
- The GG1 (10 minutes).
- The State Museum's toddler floor or the planetarium (90 minutes).
- Lunch at Broad Street Market, then the train.
Make it a full day
State Museum, the Capitol, lunch, the bridge to City Island for a Senators game or the mini train, and dinner downtown. Hershey is 15 miles by car for a second day.
Snack stop: Broad Street Market, or counters near the station.
Out the window: Arriving, the Susquehanna is briefly on the right, a mile wide and full of islands.
This is the last stop for every Keystone; the Pennsylvanian continues west to Pittsburgh. Check the State Museum's days, which are not daily.
A train with farms at the end
My dad grew up outside Harrisburg, and the first time I rode this line with my daughter I kept pointing out things he would have pointed out: the river, the Capitol dome, the GG1. She was more interested in the buggies. That is the Keystone. It is a plain working train, and then somewhere past Parkesburg the window fills up with farms and you remember why you brought them.
Next in this series: the Pennsylvanian, which continues west from Harrisburg over the Horseshoe Curve to Pittsburgh, and the Northeast Regional for the rest of the corridor. The Empire Service is New York's other easy first ride, up the Hudson. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Keystone Service trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Keystone Service from Philadelphia to Lancaster?
About 70 minutes, with 13 westbound trains on weekdays and 8 on weekends. Philadelphia to Harrisburg is about 1 hour 50 minutes, and New York to Harrisburg about 3.5 hours.
Do kids pay on the Keystone Service?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare on every Keystone train, any day, with an adult on the same booking. One child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. There is no Business Class, so there is no fine print.
Is there food on the Keystone?
No. Today's Keystone trains have no cafe car. Buy food at 30th Street or Moynihan before you board, or pack it. The Pennsylvanian runs the same tracks once a day with a cafe car.
What is the best Keystone stop for kids?
Lancaster. Downtown has Central Market and a hands-on science museum, and a 20-minute cab reaches Strasburg's steam train and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, with the GG1 locomotive at the station and the State Museum, is a close second.
Which side of the train has the view?
There is no long water view. The Delaware crossing at Trenton and the Susquehanna at Harrisburg are brief. Between Lancaster and Harrisburg the farms are on both sides.
Which Keystone stops should we skip with kids?
Most of them. The New Jersey stops between Newark and Trenton, Cornwells Heights, North Philadelphia, Ardmore, Exton, Downingtown, Coatesville, Parkesburg, Mount Joy and Middletown are commuter platforms. The trip is Philadelphia, Paoli, Lancaster, Elizabethtown and Harrisburg.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Keystone Service timetable, September 2026 revision, and Amtrak station pages; Amtrak Portal North Bridge advisory, October 2026
- Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburg Rail Road, Lancaster Science Factory, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, Please Touch Museum, New Jersey State Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Railway Age on the second Pennsylvanian frequency (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.