Lake Shore Limited With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
One night, two destinations. The Lake Shore Limited leaves Chicago at 9:30pm as one train, runs along Lake Erie in the dark, wakes you up in upstate New York, and at Albany comes apart: half the cars go down the Hudson to New York, half go over the Berkshires to Boston. Your ticket decides which half you are in, and the arrival page of our book happens at one end or the other. My dad grew up near Buffalo and took this train to college. I took my kids to see the bison statue he told me about. It is still there. Below is every stop, in order, New York section first and then the Boston cars from Albany.
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: Albany to New York, the river ride.The New York cars leave Albany at 4:10pm and follow the Hudson on the right side to Penn Station by 6:42pm. The prettiest two and a half hours on the train. Jump to Albany.
- Ages 4 to 8: Rochester.Off at 10am eastbound, the Strong National Museum of Play all day, a night, and the train on. Jump to Rochester.
- The big one: Chicago to Boston, one night, with the Children's Museum at the end.Pajamas in the Great Hall, breakfast past Erie, the bison at Buffalo, the split at Albany, and South Station by 8:32pm. Jump to Boston South Station.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, book to the right city: a ticket to Boston puts you in a Boston car and a ticket to New York in a New York car, and they go different ways after Albany. Second, there is no Family Bedroom on this train, because it is single-level Viewliner equipment; a family of four books a Bedroom Suite or two Roomettes, and coach seats recline part way. Third, the Boston section has had no checked baggage since 2019 and has been bused between Albany and Boston for track work more than once, including on dates this fall. Alerts are on the Lake Shore Limited page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, rooms, the diner, the split, and what to pack for one night are all in our Lake Shore Limited parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Train 448 leaving Chicago October 15 to 17 and November 5 to 7 ends at Albany-Rensselaer, with Bus 3448 on to Boston South Station; Train 449 starts at Albany October 17 to 19 and November 7 to 9, with Bus 3449 from Boston. The buses skip Framingham and Back Bay. The New York section runs normally. Allow extra time and pack for a five-hour bus with small kids.
Stop 1 of 26CHITrains 48 and 448 leave about 9:30pm; Trains 49 and 449 arrive about 10:12am
Chicago Union Station
The Lake Shore leaves Chicago at 9:30 at night, which means dinner in the Loop, pajamas in the Great Hall, and the skyline lit up out the left window as the last thing before bed. The Hiawatha plan has the full Chicago day; for this train, Union Station is the staging area. Sleeper passengers get the Metropolitan Lounge and checked bags. Westbound you arrive at 10:12 in the morning with the whole day in front of you and the Riverwalk five minutes away.
Pajamas on in the Great Hall, then walking the platform to find your car number: a New York car or a Boston car, and it matters.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 5 minThe Chicago Riverwalk and the architecture boats, for a westbound morning arrival.
- 15 minMaggie Daley Park's giant slides, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 10:12am, the Riverwalk and Maggie Daley Park before lunch, then the city.
Stay the night
Chicago is a weekend; the Hiawatha plan covers it. The Lake Shore is how you leave it in the dark.
Snack stop: Dinner in the Loop before a 9:30pm train; the station food court for a westbound arrival.
Out the window: The skyline on the left for ten minutes, then the steel mills of Indiana in the dark.
Your ticket decides your car: New York cars and Boston cars split at Albany. Check the car number as you board and ask the conductor if you want to move.
Stop 2 of 26SOBEastbound about 11:59pm; westbound about 9:07amour honest take: ride on
South Bend
Midnight eastbound, with Notre Dame and the Studebaker museum asleep. Westbound at 9am it is a breakfast stop. Ride on.
None at midnight.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station on the west side of town with a waiting room.
- at stopThe Studebaker National Museum and the History Museum next to it, by cab.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
South Bend is on Eastern time; your phone jumps an hour here.
Stop 3 of 26EKHEastbound about 12:27am; westbound about 8:43amour honest take: ride on
Elkhart
There is a New York Central railroad museum right at this station, with a big steam engine outside, and you pass it at half past midnight. Westbound at 8:43am you can at least see it from the window. Ride on.
The steam locomotive beside the platform, westbound, in daylight.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a shelter, and the National New York Central Railroad Museum beside it (daytime; small admission).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The museum's locomotive, if it is light.
Stop 4 of 26WTIEastbound about 1:15am; westbound about 7:51amour honest take: ride on
Waterloo
The stop for Fort Wayne, 25 miles away, at one in the morning. A platform in a small town. Sleep.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot and platform.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 5 of 26BYNEastbound about 1:45am; westbound about 7:23amour honest take: ride on
Bryan
A small Ohio depot where the westbound passes at sunrise and the eastbound passes at a quarter to two. The town makes candy canes. Sleep.
Westbound: sunrise over flat fields with the coffee.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark eastbound; dawn westbound.
Stop 6 of 26TOLEastbound about 3:11am to 3:31am; westbound about 6:13am to 6:33amour honest take: ride on
Toledo
A big 1950 station and a 20-minute crew stop at three in the morning. Toledo has a great zoo and a science center, and the Imagination Station is on the river, but not at this hour. Sleep through it.
None. If you are awake westbound at 6:13am, the Maumee River bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopCentral Union Terminal: a big waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopToledo Zoo and the Imagination Station science center, by cab, in daylight.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip, unless Toledo is home.
Snack stop: Vending inside.
Out the window: The Maumee River bridge, dark eastbound.
The train sits 20 minutes. Do not get off with sleeping kids inside; the smoke break is for the grown-ups who can run.
Stop 7 of 26SKYEastbound about 4:23am; westbound about 5:13amour honest take: ride on
Sandusky
The stop for Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital, which you can see from the lakefront. The train passes at 4am both ways, so a Cedar Point trip means getting off bleary and sleeping at a hotel first. Big kids might think it is worth it.
Cedar Point's coasters lit up across the bay, if anyone is awake.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopCedar Point, by cab, 4 miles (seasonal; admission), and the Lake Erie islands ferries.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
A Cedar Point weekend for kids 8 and up: off at 4am, a hotel, the park, and the 5am westbound or 4am eastbound two days later. Rough but real.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Lake Erie close on the left, in the dark.
Stop 8 of 26ELYEastbound about 5:02am; westbound about 4:36amour honest take: ride on
Elyria
A suburban Cleveland stop with a small shelter, passed at 5am. Sleep.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 9 of 26CLEEastbound about 5:38am to 5:50am; westbound about 3:53am to 4:03amour honest take: ride on
Cleveland
The lakefront station sits between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Browns' stadium, with the Great Lakes Science Center next door, and the train is here at 5:50am eastbound and 4am westbound. A Cleveland day is a real thing (the science center, the zoo, the children's museum in a mansion) but it starts with a dawn arrival and a hotel. Most families sleep.
Eastbound at dawn: Lake Erie and the Rock Hall's glass pyramid out the left window as you leave.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small lakefront station with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minGreat Lakes Science Center and the steamship William G. Mather (admission).
- 5 minThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for older kids (admission).
- at stopCleveland Museum of Natural History and the art museum, free, in University Circle, by cab.
- at stopCleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Children's Museum of Cleveland, by cab.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Off at 5:50am, breakfast downtown, the science center and the Mather, the zoo, a night, and tomorrow's 5:50am train on. For hardy families only.
Snack stop: Downtown coffee after 6am.
Out the window: Lake Erie on the left, the stadium, then the river bridges.
Checked baggage and a staffed counter here, but at these hours plan for a cab.
Stop 10 of 26ERIEastbound about 7:18am; westbound about 2:16amour honest take: ride on
Erie
Breakfast stop eastbound, at a 1927 station downtown a 15-minute walk from the expERIEnce Children's Museum and 20 from the bayfront, where the brig Niagara is tied up at the maritime museum and Presque Isle's beaches are a bus ride. Westbound it is 2am. A possible one-day break eastbound: off at 7:18am, a day on the bay, the next morning's train on.
The brig Niagara's masts at the bayfront, and the beach at Presque Isle in summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station, 1927, with a waiting room and restrooms, shared with a brewery.
- 15 minexpERIEnce Children's Museum, ages 1 to 10 (admission; check days).
- 20 minErie Maritime Museum and the brig Niagara (admission; the ship sails some days).
- at stopPresque Isle State Park's beaches, by bus or cab, free.
- at stopWaldameer Park and Water World, an old-fashioned amusement park, by cab (seasonal).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard; it is 7:18am and the dining car is serving.
Stay the night
Off at 7:18am eastbound: the children's museum, the Niagara, Presque Isle's beach, Waldameer's rides, a night, and the next morning's train east.
Snack stop: A diner downtown for breakfast.
Out the window: Lake Erie's shore and vineyards, on the left, into New York.
Stop 11 of 26BUFEastbound about 8:53am to 9:05am; westbound about 12:29am to 12:39am
Buffalo Buffalo-Depew
A fiberglass bison on the lawn in front of a 1970s depot in the suburb of Depew, 10 miles from downtown Buffalo. Eastbound this is the morning stop where kids get off to see the bison during the 12-minute pause. For a day, cab downtown to Canalside, where Explore and More children's museum sits on the canal with a carousel next door, or 30 minutes to Niagara Falls. The parent guide's first ride is from here: Buffalo-Depew to Rochester, one hour, eastbound at 9:05am. The Empire Service and Maple Leaf plans cover Buffalo properly, from the downtown Exchange Street station.
The bison statue, eastbound, during the stop: a photo, and back on before the whistle.
Right off the platform
- at stopBuffalo-Depew: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage, and the bison on the lawn.
- at stopCanalside: Explore and More Children's Museum, the Buffalo Heritage Carousel (solar powered), naval ships, 10 miles, by cab.
- at stopBuffalo Museum of Science, with a dinosaur gallery, by cab.
- at stopNiagara Falls, 30 minutes by car, with the Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds (seasonal).
A few hours here
- The bison during the stop (12 minutes).
- Or get off: Canalside for the day and an Empire Service train on.
Stay the night
Off at 8:53am eastbound: Canalside's children's museum and carousel, a Niagara Falls afternoon by car, a night downtown, and an Empire Service or Maple Leaf train east. The Empire Service plan has the Buffalo and Niagara days.
Snack stop: The station has vending; Canalside has everything.
Out the window: Flat farms, then the Erie Canal alongside here and there to Rochester.
This is not downtown Buffalo. The Empire Service and the Maple Leaf also stop at Exchange Street, which is. Westbound the Lake Shore is here after midnight.
Stop 12 of 26ROCEastbound about 10:00am to 10:06am; westbound about 11:23pm to 11:29pm
Rochester
The single best stop on the Lake Shore for a kid, and it comes at 10 in the morning eastbound. The Strong National Museum of Play, one of the biggest children's museums anywhere, with a working carousel, a butterfly garden, Sesame Street and the toy hall of fame, is a 15-minute walk or 5-minute cab from the 2017 station. High Falls, a 96-foot waterfall in the middle of downtown, is a 10-minute walk the other way. Get off, play all day, sleep, and ride the Empire Service or tomorrow's Lake Shore on.
The Strong's carousel and then Sesame Street, where a three-year-old can walk into Big Bird's nest.
Right off the platform
- at stopLouise Slaughter Station, 2017: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 15 minThe Strong National Museum of Play, with a carousel, a butterfly garden and a pinball hall (admission; plan a full day).
- 10 minHigh Falls and the Pont de Rennes footbridge over the Genesee gorge, free.
- at stopSeneca Park Zoo, by cab, with elephants and a polar bear.
- at stopGeorge Eastman Museum's gardens and camera galleries, by cab, for older kids.
- at stopLake Ontario's beach at Charlotte and the Seabreeze amusement park, by cab, in summer.
A few hours here
- Eastbound: off at 10am, the Strong for three hours, lunch there, and an Empire Service train east in the afternoon.
Stay the night
The Strong until closing, dinner on Park Avenue, a night downtown, the zoo or the lake beach in the morning, and the Lake Shore east at 10:06am or west at 11:29pm.
Snack stop: The Strong has a food court; Abbott's frozen custard at the lake in summer.
Out the window: The Erie Canal and the first Finger Lakes farms; the Genesee gorge is just out of sight.
The Strong is huge. Pick two things. Westbound, the Lake Shore stops here at 11:29pm, so a Rochester day ends with a late platform or an Empire Service train west in the afternoon.
Stop 13 of 26SYREastbound about 11:28am to 11:42am; westbound about 9:51pm to 10:05pm
Syracuse
The station is a regional transit center next to Destiny USA, the enormous mall, which has an indoor carousel, a ropes course and a Wonderworks, and that is the honest reason to get off with kids here. Downtown, a cab away, the MOST science museum has a planetarium and a dinosaur, and the Erie Canal Museum is in the last weighlock building in the country. The zoo is in Burnet Park. A midday stop eastbound with 14 minutes to stretch.
The Erie Canal Museum's full-size canal boat you can walk through, or the mall carousel if it is raining.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Regional Transportation Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with the bus station attached.
- 15 minDestiny USA mall: a carousel, Wonderworks, a ropes course, food (admission for the attractions).
- at stopThe MOST, Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology, downtown, by cab (admission).
- at stopErie Canal Museum, downtown, free.
- at stopRosamond Gifford Zoo, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- The platform stretch (14 minutes).
- Or off for the afternoon: the MOST, the canal museum, and an Empire Service train on.
Stay the night
A Syracuse night: the MOST, the zoo, the canal boat, the mall's carousel in bad weather, and the Lake Shore on at 11:42am.
Snack stop: The mall's food court.
Out the window: The Erie Canal and then the Mohawk River valley opening up to the east; the canal's locks appear near Utica.
The station is not downtown; everything but the mall needs a cab.
Stop 14 of 26UCAEastbound about 12:37pm to 12:42pm; westbound about 8:45pm to 8:50pm
Utica Union Station
A 1914 marble station with a waiting room full of light, and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad's tourist trains leave from the same building, which is the reason a train kid gets off here. The Utica Children's Museum opened in a new building in May 2025 with a two-story climber, a cab ride away. The zoo is on the hill. Lunchtime eastbound, with chicken riggies and half-moon cookies the local foods to try.
Watching the Adirondack Scenic Railroad's excursion train board from the next platform, then riding it if the dates line up.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a 1914 marble waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage, and a diner inside.
- at stopAdirondack Scenic Railroad excursions from the station (seasonal; check the calendar).
- at stopUtica Children's Museum, opened 2025, by cab (admission).
- at stopUtica Zoo, by cab (admission).
- 10 minDowntown Utica's bakeries for half-moon cookies.
A few hours here
- The waiting room and a half-moon cookie (5 minutes), or off for a scenic railroad ride and a night.
Stay the night
A train kid's day: the scenic railroad to Thendara or along the Mohawk, the children's museum, the zoo, and the Lake Shore on. Empire Service trains also stop here.
Snack stop: The diner inside the station; a bakery downtown.
Out the window: The Mohawk River and the Erie Canal on the left, with the Adirondacks far off behind.
The scenic railroad runs seasonal schedules; check before you plan around it.
Stop 15 of 26SDYEastbound about 2:15pm; westbound about 7:33pmour honest take: ride on
Schenectady
A 2018 downtown station near Proctors theater, with miSci's planetarium a mile away. Thirty minutes before Albany and the split. An Empire Service stop; the Lake Shore rides through.
Across the Mohawk one last time.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 2018 station with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minProctors theater and State Street.
- 20 minmiSci, the Museum of Innovation and Science, with a planetarium (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Covered in the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: State Street.
Out the window: The Mohawk joins the Hudson near here, and the train turns south.
Stop 16 of 26ALBEastbound arrives about 2:53pm, Boston cars leave about 3:27pm, New York cars about 4:10pm; westbound both sections arrive about 6:20pm and leave together at 7:05pm
Albany Albany-Rensselaer, where the train splits
The train comes apart here. Eastbound it arrives at 2:53pm as one train; the Boston cars leave at 3:27pm across the Berkshires and the New York cars leave at 4:10pm down the Hudson with a new engine. Westbound the two halves arrive about 6:20pm and leave together at 7:05pm. That is up to an hour and a quarter in a big station with a cafe, restrooms and a platform where you can watch the uncoupling, which to a four-year-old is better than any museum. Downtown Albany and its free State Museum, with a carousel, are a 10-minute cab across the river.
Standing at the platform window while the crew splits the train and the New York cars get their dual-mode engine. Then reading the arrival page from the book and talking about who is waiting at your end.
Right off the platform
- at stopAlbany-Rensselaer: a big waiting room, restrooms, a cafe, a staffed counter and checked baggage (New York section only).
- at stopThe New York State Museum, free, with a 1912 carousel, 10 minutes by cab.
- at stopEmpire State Plaza and the Capitol, free tours.
A few hours here
- The split: cafe, platform, restrooms, and back to the right car (35 to 75 minutes).
Stay the night
Get off here and the Empire Service plan takes over: the State Museum's carousel, a night, and hourly trains to New York, or the Adirondack or Ethan Allen north.
Snack stop: The station cafe during the layover.
Out the window: New York cars: the Hudson appears on the right within minutes and stays there. Boston cars: the train crosses the Hudson and climbs into the hills.
Stay in a car going to your city. Ask the conductor before wandering; the Boston cars leave 43 minutes before the New York cars eastbound. Checked bags are not carried on the Boston section.
Stop 17 of 26RHINew York cars: eastbound about 4:55pm; westbound about 5:27pmour honest take: ride on
Rhinecliff New York section
The first stop of the New York section, a 1914 station on a bluff above the river with arched windows. Rhinebeck's village and the aerodrome's biplanes are a cab away. The Hudson is on the right now and the Empire Service plan has this stop. Ride on.
The Kingston lighthouse across the river, right side.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 station: a waiting room, restrooms, stairs or an elevator to the platform.
- at stopRhinebeck's village and the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: A cafe in the hamlet.
Out the window: The river widens; the Catskills are behind you on the right.
Stop 18 of 26POUNew York cars: eastbound about 5:13pm; westbound about 5:10pmour honest take: ride on
Poughkeepsie New York section
A 1918 station with chandeliers modeled on Grand Central, a children's museum five minutes away on the waterfront, and the Walkway Over the Hudson overhead. The best Hudson stop for kids, on the Empire Service's hourly trains; the Lake Shore passes at dinnertime. Ride on, or get off and let the Empire Service finish the job.
The Walkway Over the Hudson, 212 feet up, passing over the train a minute after the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1918 station: chandeliers, restrooms, a staffed counter.
- 5 minMid-Hudson Children's Museum on the waterfront (admission; check days).
- 10 minThe Walkway's riverfront elevator (seasonal) and Waryas Park.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: The waterfront.
Out the window: Two bridges overhead, then the river narrows toward the Highlands.
Stop 19 of 26CRTNew York cars: eastbound about 5:53pm; westbound about 4:26pmour honest take: ride on
Croton-on-Hudson Croton-Harmon, New York section
A commuter station beside the Metro-North yard, 45 minutes from Penn. The Highlands and West Point are behind you by now. Stay on.
West Point's stone walls across the river, right side, 15 minutes before this stop, and Bannerman's castle on its island before that.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room, restrooms and Metro-North.
- at stopCroton Point Park's beach and playground, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Haverstraw Bay, then the Tappan Zee bridge, then the Palisades.
Stop 20 of 26NYPTrain 48 arrives about 6:42pm; Train 49 leaves about 3:40pm
New York Moynihan Train Hall, end of the New York section
The New York cars arrive at 6:42pm after two and a half hours of the Hudson on the right side: the Saugerties lighthouse, Bannerman's castle, West Point, the Palisades, then the tunnel and Moynihan's skylight. Dinner in the city and bed. Westbound the train leaves at 3:40pm, so the Hudson is in afternoon light all year, and dinner comes somewhere past Albany after the Boston cars join. The Northeast Regional plan has New York as a city.
Coming out of the tunnel into Moynihan's hall and looking up, and whoever is waiting at the top of the escalator.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: a skylight, a food hall, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage, a Metropolitan Lounge and a Mamava pod.
- 5 minThe High Line's north end at 34th Street.
- 10 minHudson Yards.
- at stopThe 1, 2, 3, A, C and E subways under the station.
A few hours here
- Westbound: lunch in the food hall, the 3:40pm train, and the Hudson on the left until dinner.
Stay the night
New York is its own trip. The Lake Shore is the way to arrive at dinnertime with the river behind you.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall.
Out the window: Arriving: the Palisades, the George Washington Bridge, Yankee Stadium on the left, then the tunnel.
The New York section has checked baggage; the Boston section does not. Diesel engines cannot enter Penn Station, which is why the engine changes at Albany.
Stop 21 of 26PITBoston cars: eastbound about 4:30pm; westbound about 4:42pm
Pittsfield Boston section, first stop after the split
Back to Albany for the other half of the train. The Boston cars leave at 3:27pm, cross the Hudson, and climb into the Berkshires; Pittsfield, an hour later, is the hub of the hills, with the Berkshire Museum five minutes from the downtown intermodal station: a dinosaur, an aquarium and a mummy, built for kids. Hancock Shaker Village's round stone barn and its baby animals in spring are a cab ride. Westbound the Boston cars run this stretch in daylight.
The Berkshire Museum's aquarium and dinosaur, then Hancock's baby lambs if it is April.
Right off the platform
- at stopJoseph Scelsi Intermodal Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and buses.
- 5 minBerkshire Museum: a dinosaur, an aquarium, a mummy, hands-on galleries (admission; check days).
- 5 minNorth Street's shops and a diner.
- at stopHancock Shaker Village, with the round barn and farm animals, 5 miles, by cab (seasonal; admission).
- at stopArrowhead, Herman Melville's farm, by cab, for older kids who know about the whale.
A few hours here
- Berkshire Museum (90 minutes) and the next day's train, or a car.
Stay the night
A Berkshires weekend: the museum, Hancock's farm, a lake, Tanglewood's lawn in summer, and the Lake Shore on.
Snack stop: A diner on North Street.
Out the window: The Westfield River runs beside the tracks east of Pittsfield, with deer at dusk.
No checked baggage on the Boston section. Pittsfield's eastbound time varies by timetable; check your date.
Stop 22 of 26SPGBoston cars: eastbound about 5:49pm to 6:04pm; westbound about 3:21pm to 3:26pm
Springfield Union Station, Boston section
Dr. Seuss's hometown, and the Boston section sits here 15 minutes. The Quadrangle, 15 minutes from the restored 1926 station, has a free sculpture garden of Seuss characters and five museums including the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss and a science museum with dinosaurs. The Basketball Hall of Fame is on the river. The Vermonter and the Hartford Line also stop here, so a Springfield day fits a lot of plans; the Vermonter plan has the full day.
Sitting in the Lorax's lap in the sculpture garden, free, then the Seuss museum.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a restored concourse, restrooms, a staffed counter, food and the bus hub.
- 15 minThe Quadrangle: the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden (free) and the Springfield Museums (admission).
- 25 minNaismith Basketball Hall of Fame (admission).
- at stopForest Park's zoo, by cab (seasonal).
A few hours here
- The platform stretch (15 minutes), or off for the Quadrangle and a Hartford Line or Vermonter train on.
Stay the night
See the Vermonter plan for the Springfield day; from here the Boston cars are two and a half hours to South Station.
Snack stop: The station has food.
Out the window: The Connecticut River crossing, then Worcester's hills.
Stop 23 of 26WORBoston cars: eastbound about 7:30pm; westbound about 2:06pm
Worcester Union Station, Boston section
A 1911 station with two white towers, restored, a 10-minute walk from Polar Park, where the Red Sox's farm team plays, and a cab from the EcoTarium, a science museum with a planetarium, a small zoo and a narrow-gauge train. The Worcester Art Museum has armor. Eastbound you pass at 7:30pm; westbound at 2pm, which makes Boston to Worcester a 75-minute first ride with the kids, with MBTA commuter trains home every hour.
The EcoTarium's mini train and its otters, or a WooSox game with the kids' zone.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a restored 1911 waiting room with restrooms, a staffed counter and the MBTA.
- 10 minPolar Park, the WooSox ballpark, with a kids' zone (seasonal).
- at stopEcoTarium: a planetarium, a mini train, live animals, by cab (admission).
- 15 minWorcester Art Museum, with a hall of armor (admission; kids free).
- 10 minThe Canal District's restaurants and the public market.
A few hours here
- Westbound: the 12:50pm from South Station, Worcester at 2:06pm, the EcoTarium, and an MBTA train home.
Stay the night
A Worcester day: the EcoTarium, a ballgame, the armor, and the Lake Shore west at 2:06pm or east at 7:30pm.
Snack stop: The Canal District.
Out the window: Lake Quinsigamond on the right, then the suburbs.
MBTA commuter rail covers Worcester to Boston hourly; the Lake Shore is the slow way.
Stop 24 of 26FRABoston cars: eastbound about 7:58pm, drop-off only; westbound about 1:25pm, pick-up onlyour honest take: ride on
Framingham Boston section
An 1885 H. H. Richardson stone depot, a restaurant now, with the platform beside it. The eastbound only lets passengers off; the westbound only picks up. A commuter stop; the MBTA runs here all day. Stay on.
The stone depot's roof, out the right window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform beside the 1885 Richardson depot (a restaurant), with MBTA service.
- 5 minDowntown Framingham's shops.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: The restaurant in the depot.
Out the window: Suburbs, then the Charles River.
The October and November 2026 bus substitutions skip this stop; use Worcester or South Station.
Stop 25 of 26BBYBoston cars: eastbound about 8:24pm, drop-off only; westbound about 12:57pm, pick-up onlyour honest take: ride on
Boston Back Bay Boston section
The stop for the Public Garden, ten minutes away, where the Make Way for Ducklings bronze ducks are and the swan boats paddle in summer. Copley Square and the public library's courtyard are five minutes. If your hotel is in Back Bay, get off here instead of South Station, 8 minutes later. Otherwise ride to the end.
Finding Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings in the Public Garden, then a swan boat.
Right off the platform
- at stopBack Bay station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and the Orange Line, with a cast-iron sculpture called Farewell to Steam on the platform level.
- 5 minCopley Square and the Boston Public Library's courtyard.
- 10 minThe Public Garden: the ducklings statue, the swan boats (seasonal), and Boston Common's playground and Frog Pond.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard to South Station, unless Back Bay is where you sleep.
Stay the night
A Boston weekend from either station; see South Station.
Snack stop: Newbury Street's cafes.
Out the window: The tunnel under Back Bay.
Drop-off only eastbound. The October and November 2026 buses skip this stop.
Stop 26 of 26BOSTrain 448 arrives about 8:32pm; Train 449 leaves about 12:50pm
Boston South Station Boston section, end of the line
The Boston cars arrive at 8:32pm under a stone eagle and a hand-wound clock, 22 hours and one night from Chicago. The Children's Museum, with its three-story climbing maze and a giant milk bottle out front, is a 12-minute walk across the Fort Point Channel, and the Tea Party ships are on the way. The New England Aquarium's penguins and the Greenway carousel are 15 minutes. Westbound the train leaves at 12:50pm, a civilized lunchtime start with the Berkshires in daylight.
The Children's Museum's climbing maze in the morning, then throwing tea off the Tea Party ship.
Right off the platform
- at stopSouth Station: a big 1899 headhouse with a food court, restrooms, a staffed counter, the Red Line and the Silver Line to the airport; no checked baggage on this section.
- 12 minBoston Children's Museum, ages 0 to 10, on Fort Point Channel (admission).
- 8 minBoston Tea Party Ships and Museum, with tea to throw overboard (admission).
- 15 minNew England Aquarium's penguins and the Rose Kennedy Greenway's carousel (admission; carousel seasonal).
- 15 minThe Harborwalk and the ferry to the harbor islands in summer.
- 20 minBoston Common's playground, the Frog Pond and the Public Garden's ducklings.
A few hours here
- Westbound: the Children's Museum in the morning, lunch at the station, and the 12:50pm train with the Berkshires before dinner.
Stay the night
Three nights. Day one: the Children's Museum and the Tea Party ships. Day two: the aquarium, the carousel and the Harborwalk. Day three: the ducklings, the swan boats, the Freedom Trail's first mile, and the 12:50pm train west.
Snack stop: The station food court; Flour Bakery across the channel.
Out the window: Arriving: the Fort Point Channel and the skyline. Leaving: Back Bay's tunnel, then the suburbs, then hills by Worcester.
No checked bags between Boston and Albany; everything comes aboard with you. Confirm your date against the October and November 2026 bus substitutions between Albany and Boston.
Which half of the train are you on?
I like this train because it is honest about what it is: a night of sleep, a morning of lake and canal, and a decision at Albany. My kids have ridden both halves. The Hudson half is prettier. The Boston half ends at a children's museum with a giant milk bottle out front. My dad's bison is in the middle, at 9 in the morning, and we get off and pat it every time.
Next in this series: the Empire Service, the daytime train over the same New York tracks with hourly service to the Hudson stops; the Maple Leaf, which shares the line to Buffalo and crosses to Toronto; the Hiawatha for the Chicago end; the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express for Springfield and Albany onward; the Adirondack north from Albany to Montreal; and the Northeast Regional for Boston and New York as cities. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Lake Shore Limited trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Lake Shore Limited?
About 20 hours from Chicago to New York and 22 to Boston, one night aboard. Trains 48 and 448 leave Chicago at 9:30pm and arrive in New York at 6:42pm and Boston at 8:32pm the next day; westbound, the New York cars leave at 3:40pm and the Boston cars at 12:50pm, join at Albany, and arrive in Chicago at 10:12am.
Where does the Lake Shore Limited split?
At Albany-Rensselaer, across the river from Albany. Eastbound the train arrives at 2:53pm; the Boston cars leave at 3:27pm and the New York cars at 4:10pm. Westbound both halves arrive about 6:20pm and leave together at 7:05pm. Stay in a car going to your city.
Is there a Family Bedroom on the Lake Shore Limited?
No. The train uses single-level Viewliner sleepers, which have Roomettes, Bedrooms, an Accessible Bedroom and a Bedroom Suite made of two Bedrooms with four beds. Family Bedrooms exist only on two-level Superliner trains out west.
What is the best Lake Shore Limited stop for a day with kids?
Rochester. The eastbound arrives at 10am, and the Strong National Museum of Play, with a carousel, a butterfly garden and Sesame Street, is a 15-minute walk from the station. Stay the night and take an Empire Service train or the next day's Lake Shore on.
Which side of the Lake Shore Limited has the Hudson?
The right side eastbound and the left side westbound, New York section only, between Albany and Penn Station. Look for the Saugerties lighthouse, Bannerman's castle on its island and West Point across the water. The Boston cars get the Berkshires and the Westfield River instead.
Which Lake Shore Limited stops should we skip with kids?
All the night stops from South Bend to Elyria eastbound, plus Cleveland and Erie at dawn unless you are staying. Schenectady and the Hudson Valley stops belong to the Empire Service, and Framingham and Back Bay are commuter stops. The trip is Chicago, Buffalo's bison, Rochester, Albany's split, and New York or Boston.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Lake Shore Limited timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 48, 49, 448 and 449), Amtrak station pages, and the Amtrak advisory on the October and November 2026 Albany to Boston bus substitutions
- The Strong National Museum of Play, Explore and More Children's Museum, Utica Children's Museum, Berkshire Museum, EcoTarium, Boston Children's Museum, New England Aquarium: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Adirondack Scenic Railroad and Erie Maritime Museum schedules; Hancock Shaker Village and Bushnell Park seasons
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses, the 1975 start of Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited and the 2019 end of Boston-section checked baggage, 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.