Northeast Regional With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Northeast Regional is the train most families in the Northeast will ride first, because it is the one that is always there: dozens of trains a day, half-price kids tickets every day of the week, and a stop in nearly every town between Boston and Washington. Then it keeps going, into Virginia, to a battleship, a colonial village and a railroad town in the mountains. I grew up on this corridor. My dad took me to Washington on it when I was seven. This page is every stop, all 55 of them, with the honest truth about which platforms are just parking lots and which ones have a carousel.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Checked against the fall 2026 Northeast Regional timetable and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Providence to New London.An hour along the Rhode Island shore to the ferry docks, a playground on the pier, and the train home after a nap. Add Mystic if your train stops there. Jump to New London.
- Ages 4 to 8: New York to Philadelphia.Ninety minutes, then a cab to Please Touch for the carousel and Reading Terminal Market for lunch. The cheapest big-city swap on the corridor. Jump to Philadelphia.
- The big one: Washington to Williamsburg and Norfolk.The Postal Museum, then the Virginia train to Colonial Williamsburg for two nights, and on to Norfolk for a battleship and a ferry. Jump to Williamsburg.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the Regional is unassigned coach: line up early at New York and Washington so you board together, and skip the Quiet Car. Second, not every train stops at every small station, and the Virginia trains each follow one branch, so check your train number before you book Mystic, New Brunswick, Richmond Main Street or anything south of Washington. Third, Virginia trains change engines at Washington, which means a 20-minute stop and a chance to walk the platform. Alerts are on the Northeast Regional page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, the half-price kids fare, Business Class, the cafe car, strollers and what to pack for a four-hour leg are all in our Northeast Regional 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 Washington Union Station, so no trains run between Washington and Virginia from the evening of Friday, October 16 until Monday, October 26. Virginia trains end at Alexandria, with buses and the Metro to Washington, and Roanoke and Norfolk each keep one daily round trip. Separately, weekday trains are reduced between Newark and New York through November 15 for the Portal North Bridge cutover, and weekend seats between New York and New Haven are limited through November 1. Check your train number the day before.
Stop 1 of 55BOSEvery Boston train; roughly hourly all day
Boston South Station
South Station is the big one: a curved 1899 front with a clock modeled on Big Ben, a food court, and the platforms right there at the back with no stairs. It is also the best-placed station on the whole route for kids, a 12-minute walk from the Boston Children's Museum with its giant milk bottle out front, and 15 from the aquarium. My daughter spent our whole wait hunting the sculpture made of railroad couplers in the concourse.
Walk across the Congress Street bridge toward the Children's Museum, stop halfway to look at the Tea Party ships, and let them wave at the harbor.
Right off the platform
- at stopSouth Station: a big concourse with a food court, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked bags on some trains and a Metropolitan Lounge.
- 5 minThe Boston Tea Party Ships on the Congress Street bridge, with real ships to board and tea to throw (admission).
- 12 minBoston Children's Museum on Fort Point Channel, ages 0 to 10, the three-story climbing maze and the bubble room (admission; check hours).
- 15 minNew England Aquarium and the Greenway carousel, with the harbor seals outside the front door for free.
Half a day between trains
- Congress Street bridge to the Children's Museum (2 hours).
- Lunch at the station food court or on the Greenway.
- Back through the concourse to find the couplers sculpture.
Make it a full day
Children's Museum in the morning, the Greenway carousel and the aquarium seals after lunch, the ducklings in the Public Garden, and an evening train. Or stay: Fenway, the Science Museum's lightning show, and a duck boat.
Snack stop: The station food court; Flour Bakery is a 5-minute walk toward the Children's Museum.
Out the window: Leaving Boston southbound you pass the Back Bay rail yards, then suburbs, then the woods and ponds of the Route 128 belt within 20 minutes.
South Station has checked baggage on some trains and a Metropolitan Lounge. Regionals board from the head house; the Silver Line to the airport is downstairs.
Stop 2 of 55BBYEvery Boston train, a few minutes after South Station
Boston Back Bay
An underground platform five minutes after South Station, under Copley Square. For families staying in Back Bay or heading to the Public Garden it saves a walk, and the Make Way for Ducklings statues are a 10-minute walk. The platforms are dim and loud with diesel fumes, so do not linger down there with a stroller.
The bronze ducklings in the Public Garden, which every toddler in Boston has sat on.
Right off the platform
- at stopBack Bay station: a concourse with a cafe, restrooms and the Orange Line downstairs.
- 5 minCopley Square and the Boston Public Library's courtyard.
- 10 minThe Public Garden's ducklings and the Swan Boats (April to September).
Half a day between trains
- Ducklings and the Swan Boats, then the Orange Line or a short train back.
Make it a full day
Use South Station for a full Boston day; Back Bay is a convenience stop.
Snack stop: The station cafe, or Newbury Street a block away.
Out the window: Tunnel, then the rail yards and the first glimpse of the Charles-side skyline behind you.
Stop 3 of 55RTEEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Route 128 Westwood
A park-and-ride station in the woods off the highway with a huge garage. It exists for suburban families to drive to, and it is a fine place to start a trip if you live out here. Nothing to walk to.
None; a drive-to station.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room, restrooms and a big garage.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A vending machine.
Out the window: Woods and ponds, then the open country of southeastern Massachusetts.
Stop 4 of 55PVDEvery train; about 40 minutes from Boston
Providence
Providence station sits at the foot of the marble State House, with the river and downtown five minutes down the hill. For a first ride from Boston this is the one: 40 minutes, then a walk along the river to a children's museum that has a real climbing wall and a water room. On WaterFire nights in summer and fall the river is lit by bonfires in braziers, and kids go very quiet watching it.
Providence Children's Museum, 20 minutes down the river, then back along the Riverwalk to see the braziers that hold the WaterFire bonfires.
Right off the platform
- at stopProvidence station: a waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 5 minThe State House lawn, free to walk around, and the Riverwalk at Waterplace Park.
- 10 minKennedy Plaza and downtown; the RISD Museum has a mummy and is 10 minutes further.
- 20 minProvidence Children's Museum at 100 South Street, ages 1 to 11 (admission; check hours).
- at stopRoger Williams Park Zoo and its carousel, 10 minutes by cab or the R-Line bus.
Half a day between trains
- Riverwalk to the Children's Museum (2 hours).
- Lunch downtown, back along the river.
Make it a full day
Children's Museum, Federal Hill for lunch, Roger Williams Park Zoo by cab, and WaterFire if the dates line up (check the schedule), then a late train.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Federal Hill's bakeries are a 15-minute walk.
Out the window: South of Providence the train runs fast through pine woods and past ponds toward the Rhode Island shore.
WaterFire runs on selected evenings from spring to fall; the schedule is posted months ahead.
Stop 5 of 55KINMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Kingston West Kingston
A pretty 1875 depot in the fields near the University of Rhode Island, with a bike path beside it and a small railroad museum in the freight house that opens on limited days. A nice place to stretch, not a destination; the beaches of South County need a car.
The old freight house museum if it happens to be open.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot with a waiting room and restrooms; the William C. O'Neill Bike Path starts here.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip, unless grandparents in South County are picking you up.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Woods, then the first salt marshes as you approach Westerly.
Stop 6 of 55WLYMost trains
Westerly
A handsome 1912 granite station in the middle of a small downtown, with Wilcox Park and its duck pond a 5-minute walk and the Pawcatuck River at the bottom of the street. Misquamicut's beaches are 4 miles south by cab in summer. A sweet hour, especially on the way home from Mystic.
Feeding ducks at Wilcox Park, then an ice cream on Broad Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe granite station with a waiting room.
- 5 minWilcox Park: a pond, a fountain and lawns, free.
- 5 minDowntown Westerly's bakeries and a bookshop.
- at stopMisquamicut State Beach, 10 minutes by cab, summer only.
Half a day between trains
- Wilcox Park and downtown (1 hour).
Make it a full day
A Misquamicut beach day by cab, then a late train.
Snack stop: A bakery on Broad Street.
Out the window: Crossing the Pawcatuck River you enter Connecticut, and the shoreline begins.
Stop 7 of 55MYSSelect trains; check your train number
Mystic
A small platform a few blocks from the drawbridge, and the stop with the best kid payoff per minute on the whole shore: the Mystic Seaport Museum is a 20-minute walk up the river, with real tall ships to climb aboard, a working shipyard and a children's museum building. The aquarium with the beluga whales is 2 miles north by cab. Not every Regional stops here, so check.
Standing on the deck of the Charles W. Morgan at the Seaport, the last wooden whaling ship, and then watching the bascule drawbridge go up in town.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter; no station building.
- 5 minThe Mystic River drawbridge and Main Street, with Mystic Pizza and ice cream.
- 20 minMystic Seaport Museum: tall ships, a village and a children's area (admission; check hours).
- at stopMystic Aquarium with belugas and penguins, 10 minutes by cab (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Walk to the Seaport (2 to 3 hours).
- Pizza on Main Street by the bridge.
Make it a full day
Seaport in the morning, aquarium by cab after lunch, and the 13-minute hop on to New London for the ferries, then home.
Snack stop: Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream by the bridge.
Out the window: Marshes and the Mystic River, then the Thames at New London with the submarine base across the water.
Mystic to New London is 13 minutes; it is the tiniest first ride on this route.
Stop 8 of 55NLCEvery train
New London Union Station
An 1887 brick station on the Thames River, and the ferry docks are right there: Block Island, Fishers Island and Long Island boats leave from the piers just north of the platform. Kids can watch the ferries, the Coast Guard boats and sometimes a submarine from the park next to the station. In summer, Ocean Beach Park's boardwalk and playground are 10 minutes by cab.
Standing on the pier watching the Cross Sound ferry load cars, then the Block Island boat pull out, which is better than any museum for a 3-year-old.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a brick H.H. Richardson building with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 2 minWaterfront Park and the ferry piers, with a playground.
- 5 minThe Custom House Maritime Museum on Bank Street (small admission; limited days).
- at stopOcean Beach Park: boardwalk, playground, mini golf and a beach, 10 minutes by cab, summer.
- at stopThe Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus in Groton, free, 10 minutes by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Ferry-watching and the playground (1 hour).
- Bank Street for lunch.
Make it a full day
The Nautilus submarine by cab in the morning, Ocean Beach after lunch, and the train home. Or the Block Island ferry for a real day at sea.
Snack stop: Bank Street cafes two minutes from the platform.
Out the window: The train crosses the Thames on a bridge right after the station, then runs along the shore with the Sound on the left for the best water views of the whole route.
Sit on the left side southbound from here to Old Saybrook for the water.
Stop 9 of 55OSBMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Old Saybrook
A commuter station 2 miles from the town's point and beaches, in a lot by the highway. Saybrook Point and the lighthouse need a cab. We ride on.
None without a cab.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a small waiting room.
- at stopSaybrook Point and the mini golf by the water, 10 minutes by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The Connecticut River bridge, a big one, right after the station; look down for boats.
Stop 10 of 55NHVEvery train; Springfield trains branch off here
New Haven Union Station
A 1920 Cass Gilbert station with a 35-foot waiting room and globe lights, a shiny tunnel under nine tracks with elevators up to each platform, and the best pizza in America a 15-minute walk away. Downtown and Yale are 20 minutes on foot or a short bus ride, and the Yale Peabody Museum reopened in 2024 with free admission, a brontosaurus and a hall of dinosaurs. This is a stop worth a whole day.
The Great Hall of Dinosaurs at the Peabody, free, then a slice at Sally's or Pepe's on Wooster Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a grand waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter; the tunnel to the platforms has elevators.
- 15 minWooster Street's pizza: Frank Pepe and Sally's Apizza.
- 20 minThe New Haven Green and the Yale campus; a bus or cab shortens it.
- at stopYale Peabody Museum, free, 10 minutes by bus or cab, with dinosaurs and a minerals hall (check hours).
- at stopLighthouse Point Park and its 1911 carousel, 15 minutes by cab, summer.
Half a day between trains
- Bus or cab to the Peabody (2 hours).
- Wooster Street pizza, walk back to the station.
Make it a full day
Peabody in the morning, pizza, the Green and the Yale art galleries (also free), and Lighthouse Point's carousel by cab in summer. Then a Springfield or shore train.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Wooster Street for the real thing.
Out the window: Shore trains swing west along the Sound toward Bridgeport; Springfield trains turn north up the Quinnipiac valley.
The station is at the south edge of downtown; most families take a bus or cab rather than walk with little ones.
Stop 11 of 55BRPMost trains
Bridgeport
A downtown station on the harbor, with an amphitheater where the ballpark used to be next door. The reason to get off is Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, 10 minutes by cab, with a carousel and a rainforest building, and the Discovery Science Center with its planetarium. Downtown itself is not a stroll with kids.
The carousel at Beardsley Zoo, then the Amur tigers.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and restrooms, shared with Metro-North.
- at stopBeardsley Zoo and its carousel, 10 minutes by cab (admission).
- at stopDiscovery Science Center and Planetarium, 10 minutes by cab (admission; check hours).
- 15 minSeaside Park on the Sound, with a long beach and playgrounds.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to Beardsley Zoo (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Zoo, then Seaside Park's beach in summer, then the train.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes near the station.
Out the window: Bridgeport's harbor and the Sound on the left, then the long run of shoreline towns.
The Barnum Museum downtown has been under restoration for years; check before promising a circus museum.
Stop 12 of 55STMEvery train
Stamford
A big commuter station shared with Metro-North, with a modern downtown a few blocks away. Mill River Park, a 15-minute walk, has a carousel and a splash fountain, and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center up the hill (by cab) is a farm with a planetarium. A useful stop for families with Connecticut grandparents; otherwise ride on to New York.
The carousel at Mill River Park, then the fountain in summer and the skating rink in winter.
Right off the platform
- at stopA large station with a waiting room, restrooms and food stands.
- 15 minMill River Park: carousel, playground, fountain and an ice rink in winter.
- at stopStamford Museum and Nature Center, a farm with animals and a planetarium, 15 minutes by cab (admission).
- 10 minDowntown Stamford's restaurants.
Half a day between trains
- Mill River Park (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
The Nature Center farm by cab, lunch downtown, Mill River Park, and the train.
Snack stop: Food stands in the station.
Out the window: The last Connecticut shoreline, then the Westchester suburbs and the first sight of the city skyline near New Rochelle.
Stop 13 of 55NROSome trainsour honest take: ride on
New Rochelle
A commuter platform in Westchester shared with Metro-North. New York Penn is 30 minutes further and has everything. Ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a small waiting room, shared with Metro-North.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Hell Gate Bridge over the East River and the city skyline on the right, then the tunnel under the river into Penn Station.
Stop 14 of 55NYPEvery train; the busiest station in America
New York Moynihan Train Hall and Penn Station
Moynihan Train Hall is the 2021 glass-roofed hall across Eighth Avenue from the old Penn Station, with a big clock, a food hall and the Amtrak gates. The High Line park starts 10 minutes away and the Intrepid aircraft carrier is 20. My kids think the escalator down to the platform is the ride. It is loud, it is enormous, and we hold hands the whole way.
Walk the High Line from 30th Street south as far as little legs go, looking down at the traffic and up at the buildings, then Chelsea Market for lunch.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: a skylit hall with a food hall, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage on some trains and the Metropolitan Lounge.
- 10 minThe High Line's north end at 30th Street and Hudson Yards.
- 20 minThe Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, with a space shuttle and a submarine (admission).
- at stopChildren's Museum of Manhattan on the Upper West Side, 20 minutes by subway (admission).
- at stopCentral Park's zoo and carousel, 20 minutes by subway or cab.
Half a day between trains
- High Line and Little Island (2 hours).
- Lunch at Chelsea Market, back to Moynihan.
Make it a full day
Intrepid in the morning, the High Line, Central Park's zoo and carousel, pizza, and a late train. Or two nights for the Natural History Museum's dinosaurs and the Staten Island Ferry, free.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall; Chelsea Market for everything.
Out the window: Southbound you are in the Hudson tunnel for several minutes, then the Meadowlands marsh and the Manhattan skyline behind you on the left.
Track numbers post about 10 minutes before departure; families with small children can usually ask the gate agent to board early. Elevators are at every gate.
Stop 15 of 55NWKEvery train
Newark Penn Station
A 1935 art deco station 10 minutes from New York Penn, with PATH trains and the Newark Light Rail downstairs. The Newark Museum of Art, with a planetarium and a fire museum inside, is a 15-minute walk or two light rail stops. The Prudential Center arena is across the street. Honest take: most families stay on to Philadelphia.
The planetarium show at the Newark Museum of Art, if the timing works.
Right off the platform
- at stopNewark Penn Station: an art deco waiting room, restrooms, food stands and a staffed counter.
- 2 minThe Prudential Center arena, for Devils games and shows.
- 10 minMilitary Park and Riverfront Park on the Passaic.
- 15 minNewark Museum of Art with a planetarium (admission; check hours).
Half a day between trains
- Light rail to the museum (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Museum, a Devils game, and the train. A city day, but New York is 10 minutes away.
Snack stop: Food stands in the station; the Ironbound's Portuguese bakeries are a 10-minute walk.
Out the window: Industrial Newark, the airport's runways on the left, and the New Jersey Turnpike.
Stop 16 of 55EWRMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Newark Airport
A platform with an AirTrain monorail to the terminals. Useful if you are flying; the monorail is a small bonus ride. Nothing else.
Planes landing and the AirTrain gliding over the parking lots.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and the AirTrain to the terminals, which needs a ticket.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Runways on the left, then the Turnpike and refineries.
Stop 17 of 55METMost trainsour honest take: ride on
Metropark Iselin
A park-and-ride station between office parks, with a big garage. Central New Jersey families drive here; nobody walks anywhere.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room, restrooms and garages.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A coffee stand.
Out the window: Office parks, then the Raritan River at New Brunswick.
Stop 18 of 55NBKSome trains
New Brunswick
A station on a bridge over the main street, with Rutgers' campus starting a block away. The Zimmerli Art Museum is free and 10 minutes on foot, the Rutgers Geology Museum has a mastodon and dinosaur tracks (free, limited hours), and downtown has theaters and a good park. A decent short stop for a college-bound kid.
The mastodon at the Geology Museum, if it is open; the Zimmerli's children's gallery otherwise.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 5 minThe Rutgers campus and College Avenue.
- 10 minZimmerli Art Museum, free.
- 10 minRutgers Geology Museum, free, check hours.
- 15 minBuccleuch Park's playground.
Half a day between trains
- Campus and the Zimmerli (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Skip a full day; this is a two-hour stop.
Snack stop: Easton Avenue's pizza places.
Out the window: The Raritan River, then farms and the Princeton woods.
Stop 19 of 55PJCSome trains
Princeton Junction West Windsor
A suburban station whose reason to exist for a family is the Dinky: a one-car NJ Transit shuttle that runs from the far platform to Princeton's campus in five minutes. Kids love it. The campus is a lawn to run on, with a university art museum that reopened in 2025 in a new building, and a quiet town with ice cream.
The Dinky itself, then an ice cream on Nassau Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room; the Dinky leaves from its own platform.
- at stopPrinceton campus and Nassau Street, five minutes by Dinky plus a 10-minute walk.
- at stopPrinceton University Art Museum, free, by Dinky.
Half a day between trains
- The Dinky to Princeton, campus and ice cream (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Skip a full day.
Snack stop: Nassau Street in Princeton.
Out the window: Woods, then the Delaware River at Trenton.
The Dinky needs a separate NJ Transit ticket.
Stop 20 of 55TREEvery train
Trenton Transit Center
New Jersey's capital, with a modern transit center and the famous Trenton Makes bridge over the Delaware just south. The State Museum is free, with a planetarium and a mastodon, 15 minutes on foot, and the Old Barracks next to it has costumed guides. The Trenton Thunder's ballpark is on the river. A reasonable half day.
The planetarium at the State Museum, free, then the bridge letters from the riverbank.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Transit Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 15 minThe New Jersey State Museum and planetarium, free (check planetarium times).
- 15 minThe Old Barracks Museum from the Revolution (admission).
- 20 minTrenton Thunder baseball on the river, summer.
Half a day between trains
- State Museum and planetarium (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Museum, Old Barracks, a Thunder game, and the train.
Snack stop: The station cafe.
Out the window: The Delaware River crossing with the Trenton Makes bridge on the right, then Pennsylvania.
Stop 21 of 55CWHA few trains; check your train numberour honest take: ride on
Cornwells Heights Bensalem
A park-and-ride platform in the Philadelphia suburbs shared with SEPTA. Only a handful of Amtrak trains stop, and there is nothing to walk to.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with shelters and a parking lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburban Bucks County, then the rowhouses of Northeast Philadelphia.
Stop 22 of 55PHNA few weekday trains; check your train numberour honest take: ride on
North Philadelphia
A small 1991 Amtrak building across from a grand 1901 station that is now offices, on North Broad Street. A few weekday trains stop. Not accessible, no ticket office. Ride 10 minutes on to 30th Street.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station building with a platform; SEPTA trains and the Broad Street subway nearby.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Philadelphia skyline ahead on the left, then the Zoo's grounds across the river as you swing toward 30th Street.
Stop 23 of 55PHLEvery train; about 90 minutes from New York
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
A 1933 hall with 95-foot ceilings, a bronze angel lifting a soldier, and a flip-board clatter that is gone but a big departures board that kids still stare at. The Schuylkill River Trail is five minutes away, the Franklin Institute's giant walk-through heart is 20, and the Please Touch Museum, the best children's museum on the East Coast, is 10 minutes by cab in Fairmount Park with a 1908 carousel. Our favorite city on the route.
The walk-through heart at the Franklin Institute for ages 5 and up; the carousel at Please Touch for everyone younger.
Right off the platform
- at stop30th Street Station: the main hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge.
- 5 minThe Schuylkill River Trail and its boardwalk, with the skyline across the water.
- 15 minThe Academy of Natural Sciences, with dinosaurs and a butterfly room (admission).
- 20 minThe Franklin Institute: the heart, the planetarium and a real train engine (admission).
- at stopPlease Touch Museum in Memorial Hall, ages 0 to 7, with the carousel, 10 minutes by cab (admission; check hours).
- at stopReading Terminal Market and the Liberty Bell, 10 minutes by the Market-Frankford subway.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to Please Touch (2 to 3 hours).
- Reading Terminal Market for lunch by subway.
Make it a full day
Please Touch in the morning, Reading Terminal lunch, the Liberty Bell and a run on Independence Mall, the Franklin Institute, and a late train. Or two nights with the zoo and the Art Museum steps.
Snack stop: The station food court; Reading Terminal Market is the real answer.
Out the window: Southbound you cross the Schuylkill, pass the stadiums and the airport on the left, then the refineries and the Delaware marshes.
30th Street Station has been under renovation since 2024; the main hall stays open but counters and food stands move around. Checked bags and a lounge are here.
Stop 24 of 55WILEvery train
Wilmington
A restored 1908 brick station with a long covered platform, and the Riverfront, Wilmington's best family stretch, 10 minutes down the hill: a riverwalk, the Delaware Children's Museum, a minor league ballpark and an environmental center at the marsh. Biden's station, with a plaque. A good half day between Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The Delaware Children's Museum's water tables, then the riverwalk to the DuPont Environmental Education Center to look for turtles in the marsh.
Right off the platform
- at stopWilmington station: a restored waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 10 minThe Riverfront's riverwalk, with restaurants and a market.
- 15 minDelaware Children's Museum, ages 0 to 10 (admission; check hours).
- 15 minFrawley Stadium, home of the Blue Rocks, summer.
- 25 minDuPont Environmental Education Center on the marsh, free.
- at stopBrandywine Zoo in the park, 10 minutes by cab (small admission).
Half a day between trains
- Riverfront walk and the Children's Museum (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Children's Museum, the marsh boardwalk, lunch on the Riverfront, a Blue Rocks game, and the train.
Snack stop: The Riverfront Market, 10 minutes away.
Out the window: The Christina River, then Delaware's rolling farms and the first Maryland fields.
Stop 25 of 55NRKA few trainsour honest take: ride on
Newark, Delaware
A newer station on the edge of the University of Delaware campus, served by a few Regionals a day and SEPTA. Main Street's ice cream is a 15-minute walk, but there is no reason to plan around this stop.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a parking lot.
- 15 minNewark's Main Street and the UD campus.
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 Susquehanna River bridge, long and high, with the river wide below.
Stop 26 of 55ABESome trainsour honest take: ride on
Aberdeen
A small Maryland station beside the Army proving ground, shared with MARC. Cal Ripken's ballpark is a cab ride. Ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room.
- at stopRipken Stadium and the IronBirds, 5 minutes by cab, summer.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Gunpowder River and the Chesapeake marshes, then the Baltimore suburbs.
Stop 27 of 55BALEvery train; about 35 minutes from Washington
Baltimore Penn Station
A 1911 Beaux-Arts station being restored a piece at a time, in the Station North neighborhood a mile north of the Inner Harbor. The payoff for train kids is the B&O Railroad Museum, 10 minutes by cab, the best railroad museum in the country with a roundhouse full of engines and train rides on weekends. The National Aquarium and Port Discovery children's museum are at the harbor, a cab or light rail ride.
The roundhouse at the B&O, where a 4-year-old can stand under a locomotive wheel taller than Dad, then the short train ride on the first mile of American railroad.
Right off the platform
- at stopPenn Station: a marble waiting room, restrooms, a cafe, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopThe B&O Railroad Museum, 10 minutes by cab: the roundhouse, train rides on weekends (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe National Aquarium at the Inner Harbor, 10 minutes by cab or light rail (admission; timed tickets).
- at stopPort Discovery Children's Museum near the harbor (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe Maryland Zoo in Druid Hill Park, 10 minutes by cab.
- 10 minCharles Village's cafes and the Johns Hopkins campus lawns.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to the B&O (2 to 3 hours).
Make it a full day
B&O in the morning, crab cakes, the aquarium or Port Discovery, a water taxi across the harbor, and the train. Or stay for an Orioles game at Camden Yards, next to the B&O.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Charles Village is 10 minutes.
Out the window: Southbound you drop into the 1873 B&P Tunnel right after the station, then the Baltimore rowhouses and the long run through Maryland woods.
Penn Station's renovation keeps changing which doors and counters are open; allow extra minutes. A new tunnel to replace the B&P is under construction.
Stop 28 of 55BWIMost trainsour honest take: ride on
BWI Airport Thurgood Marshall Airport Station
A station a mile from the airport terminal with a free shuttle bus, shared with MARC. It was the first American train station built for an airport. Fine for flights; nothing to walk to.
The shuttle bus if your kid counts a bus as a ride.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room, restrooms and the free airport shuttle.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A coffee stand.
Out the window: Woods and the airport's edge, then the Washington suburbs.
Stop 29 of 55NCRMost trainsour honest take: ride on
New Carrollton
A suburban Maryland stop with the Metro's Orange Line next door. Useful for Prince George's County families; Washington is 10 minutes on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and the Metro across the platform.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Anacostia, then the Capitol dome appears ahead as you curve into Union Station.
Stop 30 of 55WASEvery train; the end of the electrified line and the start of the Virginia branches
Washington Union Station
Union Station's Main Hall has 46 Roman soldier statues around the balcony, a vaulted gold ceiling, and the Capitol dome straight out the front doors, five blocks away. The National Postal Museum, free and quietly one of the best for kids, is across the street. The Mall and its free museums are a 20-minute walk or two Metro stops. My dad brought me here when I was seven and I remember the soldiers; my daughter counted them for me last spring.
Count the 46 soldiers, cross the street to the Postal Museum's mail trucks and a real railway post office car, then walk down to the Capitol lawn.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Main Hall, restrooms, a big food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge.
- 2 minThe National Postal Museum, free, with a railway mail car and a stagecoach.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds and the Botanic Garden's jungle room, free.
- 20 minThe National Mall: Natural History's elephant and dinosaurs, American History, and the carousel, all free (some need timed passes).
- at stopThe National Air and Space Museum on the Mall, free with timed passes; its long renovation was due to finish in 2026, so check which galleries are open.
- at stopThe National Zoo, free, by the Red Line Metro from the station.
Half a day between trains
- Postal Museum and the Capitol lawn (2 hours).
- Food court lunch, then the Virginia train.
Make it a full day
Two nights at least: Natural History and the carousel, Air and Space, the zoo by Metro, the Postal Museum, and the Capitol tour. All of it is free.
Snack stop: The station food court; the Capitol Visitor Center has a cafe.
Out the window: Southbound trains swap electric for diesel engines here (about 20 minutes), then run through the First Street tunnel under Capitol Hill and over the Potomac into Virginia with the monuments on the right.
Virginia-bound trains change engines here; the stop is long. Washington has checked baggage and a lounge. The Metro is inside the station.
Stop 31 of 55SPGA few Regionals a day run through to Springfield; Hartford Line and Valley Flyer trains fill in
Springfield Union Station (Springfield section)
The northern end of the Springfield section, a restored 1926 Union Station with a bus terminal attached. Fifteen minutes on foot is the Quadrangle, five museums around one lawn, including the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum with bronze Seuss statues outside, and the Science Museum's dinosaurs. The Basketball Hall of Fame is a 20-minute walk down to the river. Grandparents in western Massachusetts make this the stop.
The Seuss statues in the sculpture garden, which are free and climbable, then the museum itself with the Cat's hat.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a restored waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 15 minThe Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle: the Seuss museum, a science museum with a planetarium and dinosaurs, and the sculpture garden (one admission; check hours).
- 20 minThe Basketball Hall of Fame, with courts to shoot on (admission).
- at stopForest Park's zoo and playgrounds, 10 minutes by cab.
- at stopThe Big E fair in West Springfield, late September, by cab.
Half a day between trains
- The Quadrangle: Seuss garden and museum (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Seuss and the science museum, lunch downtown, the Hall of Fame, and the train south. Or stay for Forest Park and Six Flags New England by cab.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Main Street downtown.
Out the window: Southbound you cross the Connecticut River right away, then run along it into Connecticut's tobacco fields.
Hartford Line tickets, including the $1 kids fare, are accepted on Regionals between Springfield and New Haven; see our Hartford Line guide.
Stop 32 of 55WNLSpringfield section; most trainsour honest take: ride on
Windsor Locks
A park-and-ride platform south of the airport, with a new downtown station under construction and now expected around 2027. The New England Air Museum, with hangars full of planes, and the Connecticut Trolley Museum with rides are both 10 minutes by cab. Worth it only if planes or trolleys are the whole plan.
The trolley ride at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, if you cab there.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a parking lot.
- at stopNew England Air Museum, 10 minutes by cab (admission).
- at stopConnecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor, 10 minutes by cab, with rides (admission; seasonal).
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
An air museum and trolley day by cab.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Tobacco barns and the river.
Some weekday Hartford to Springfield trains were replaced by buses through October 2026 for track work; check your train.
Stop 33 of 55WNDSpringfield section; most trainsour honest take: ride on
Windsor
A small platform by Connecticut's oldest town green, with a historic society and a pizza place. Pleasant, five minutes from Hartford, not a destination.
The town green.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
- 5 minWindsor's green and the Palisado historic district.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A bakery on Broad Street.
Out the window: The Connecticut River flats, then Hartford's skyline.
Stop 34 of 55HFDSpringfield section; every train
Hartford Union Station (Springfield section)
An 1889 brownstone station a 5-minute walk from Bushnell Park, where a 1914 carousel spins under a pavilion for a dollar or two a ride, with the gold-domed Capitol on the hill above. The Connecticut Science Center, 10 floors of hands-on stuff with a river view, is 15 minutes on foot. The Mark Twain House, with his real bed and the butler's pantry, is a short cab ride and works for kids 7 and up.
The Bushnell Park carousel, then the Science Center's kid floor.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minBushnell Park and its 1914 carousel (small fee; seasonal hours).
- 5 minThe State Capitol, free tours.
- 10 minThe Wadsworth Atheneum's armor and the Old State House.
- 15 minConnecticut Science Center (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe Mark Twain House and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 5 minutes by cab (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Carousel and the Science Center (2 to 3 hours).
Make it a full day
Carousel, the Science Center, lunch downtown, Twain's house, and a train either way.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes 5 minutes away; the Science Center has a cafe.
Out the window: The Capitol dome on the right leaving southbound, then the Berlin suburbs.
Stop 35 of 55BERSpringfield section; most trainsour honest take: ride on
Berlin Kensington
A rebuilt platform in a small Connecticut town. A stop for commuters and the town fair in October. Ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with shelters and a lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Woods and the traprock ridges that run down the middle of Connecticut.
Stop 36 of 55MDNSpringfield section; most trainsour honest take: ride on
Meriden
A downtown transit center beside the Meriden Green, a park with a playground and an amphitheater built where a flood channel used to be. Hubbard Park and its stone castle on the ridge are a cab ride. A 20-minute leg stretch if you need one.
The playground on the Green, two minutes from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 2 minThe Meriden Green: playground, lawns and a stream.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, or the Green for 20 minutes.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes.
Out the window: The Hanging Hills on the right.
Stop 37 of 55WFDSpringfield section; most trainsour honest take: ride on
Wallingford
A newer platform at the edge of downtown. Nothing for a family within a short walk. Ride on to New Haven.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with shelters and a lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Quinnipiac valley, then North Haven and the New Haven yards.
Stop 38 of 55STSSpringfield section; only some trains, most use Union Stationour honest take: ride on
New Haven State Street
A small platform on the east side of downtown New Haven, two minutes before Union Station, used mostly by Hartford Line and Shore Line East trains. Most Regionals go straight to Union Station. If yours stops here, Wooster Street's pizza is a 10-minute walk.
Pizza, if you get off here.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and elevators.
- 10 minWooster Square and the pizza places.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
See New Haven Union Station.
Snack stop: Wooster Street.
Out the window: Downtown New Haven, then the main line.
Check whether your ticket says State Street or Union Station; they are separate stops two minutes apart.
Stop 39 of 55ALXEvery Virginia train, both branches
Alexandria Union Station
A 1905 brick depot across the tracks from the King Street Metro, with the Masonic Memorial tower on the hill behind. Old Town's King Street runs a mile from here down to the Potomac, with a free trolley the whole way, and ends at the Torpedo Factory art center and a waterfront with boats and ducks. Every Virginia train stops here, so it is the easy place to break a trip.
The free King Street trolley down to the water, then the waterfront park's piers, then the trolley back up.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room with restrooms and a staffed counter; the Metro is across the tracks.
- at stopThe King Street trolley, free, to the waterfront in 15 minutes.
- 20 minThe Torpedo Factory Art Center and Waterfront Park, with boats, ducks and ice cream.
- at stopMount Vernon, 25 minutes by cab or bus, with a farm, a wharf and a four-story museum (admission).
- 5 minThe George Washington Masonic Memorial, with an observation deck.
Half a day between trains
- Trolley to the waterfront and back (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Old Town in the morning, Mount Vernon by bus in the afternoon, dinner on King Street, and a train either way.
Snack stop: King Street has everything; Union Street Public House near the water.
Out the window: Roanoke trains turn west toward Manassas; Richmond trains run south along the Potomac with glimpses of the river on the left.
During the October 16 to 26, 2026 track work, Virginia trains end here and buses or the Metro take you on to Washington.
Stop 40 of 55BCVRoanoke branch; a few trains, plus VREour honest take: ride on
Burke Centre
A commuter platform in the Fairfax County suburbs, shared with VRE. A park-and-ride; ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with shelters and a big lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburban woods, then the open country toward Manassas.
Stop 41 of 55MSSRoanoke branch; two Regionals a day each way, plus the Crescent
Manassas
A 1914 depot in a walkable old town, with the Manassas Museum a few minutes away and a candy shop on the main street. The Civil War battlefield with its cannons and Henry Hill is 15 minutes by cab. A railway festival takes over the depot one Saturday in June. A good two hours.
The cannons on Henry Hill at the battlefield, or the candy shop if the kids are small.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 depot with a waiting room and a visitor center.
- 5 minOld Town Manassas: the museum (free), shops and a candy store.
- at stopManassas National Battlefield Park, free, 15 minutes by cab.
- 10 minHarris Pavilion's ice rink in winter and farmers market in summer.
Half a day between trains
- Old Town and the museum (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
The battlefield by cab in the morning, lunch in Old Town, the train on.
Snack stop: Old Town's cafes and the candy shop.
Out the window: Rolling Piedmont farms and the first blue line of the mountains ahead.
Stop 42 of 55CLPRoanoke branch; two Regionals a day each way, plus the Crescent and Cardinal
Culpeper
A 1904 depot in the middle of a small downtown, with a visitor center and the Museum of Culpeper History right in the station, including real dinosaur footprints from a nearby quarry. Davis Street's shops and a toy store are two minutes away. One of the nicest small stops in Virginia.
The dinosaur tracks in the museum inside the depot, before you even leave the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot: a waiting room, restrooms, a visitor center and the Museum of Culpeper History (small admission).
- 2 minDavis Street: shops, a toy store, ice cream and cafes.
- 10 minYowell Meadow Park's playground.
Half a day between trains
- The museum and Davis Street (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Skip a full day; this is a two-hour town.
Snack stop: Davis Street's bakery.
Out the window: Farms and the Blue Ridge growing on the right, then the Rivanna River into Charlottesville.
Stop 43 of 55CVSRoanoke branch; two Regionals a day each way, plus the Crescent and Cardinal
Charlottesville
A 1885 station on West Main Street, halfway between the University of Virginia and the Downtown Mall, a brick pedestrian street with a free trolley. The Virginia Discovery Museum on the Mall is built for ages 0 to 8 and has a carousel inside. The Lawn at UVA is a 15-minute walk the other way. Monticello is a cab ride up the mountain. Easy, flat and good.
The Virginia Discovery Museum's carousel, then an ice cream on the Mall.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe station: a waiting room with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- at stopThe free trolley along Main Street between UVA and the Downtown Mall.
- 15 minThe Downtown Mall and the Virginia Discovery Museum (admission; check hours).
- 15 minThe UVA Lawn and the Rotunda, free.
- at stopMonticello, 15 minutes by cab, with a family tour and a shuttle up the hill (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Trolley to the Mall, the Discovery Museum, ice cream (2 to 3 hours).
Make it a full day
Discovery Museum in the morning, lunch on the Mall, Monticello by cab, and a night here; the morning train on.
Snack stop: The Downtown Mall's bakeries and Splendora's gelato.
Out the window: West of Charlottesville the train climbs along the James River valley with the Blue Ridge on the right.
On the fall 2026 timetable, Train 1078 leaves Roanoke at 9:48am, Lynchburg at 11:10am and reaches Charlottesville about 12:38pm; the Lynchburg to Charlottesville hop is a relaxed 90 minutes.
Stop 44 of 55LYHRoanoke branch; two Regionals a day each way, plus the Crescent
Lynchburg Kemper Street Station
A restored 1912 station on a bluff south of downtown, with a bus hub attached. Downtown and the James River are 2 miles, a cab ride: Amazement Square is a four-story children's museum in an old warehouse by the river, with a climbing tower up the middle, and the riverfront park next to it has a splash pad. Not walkable from the platform, but worth the cab.
Climbing the Amazement Tower through all four floors, then the splash pad at Riverfront Park in summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopKemper Street Station: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- at stopAmazement Square children's museum, 10 minutes by cab (admission; check hours).
- at stopRiverfront Park and the Percival's Island trail over the river, by cab.
- at stopDowntown's Bluffwalk and the Monument Terrace steps, by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to Amazement Square and the river (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Amazement Square, the river trail, lunch downtown, and the afternoon train either way.
Snack stop: Downtown Lynchburg's cafes; nothing at the station.
Out the window: The James River and the ridge lines toward Roanoke.
Stop 45 of 55RNKEnd of the Roanoke branch; two trains a day each way
Roanoke
The end of the longest Regional run, 682 miles from Boston, at a platform in downtown next to the old Norfolk and Western yards. Roanoke is a railroad town, and it shows: the Virginia Museum of Transportation is a 10-minute walk with the giant 611 steam engine when it is home, the O. Winston Link Museum of night railroad photographs is in the old passenger station, and Center in the Square has a science museum and Kids Square on top of each other. The illuminated star on Mill Mountain is a cab ride up.
Standing beside the drivers of the 611 at the Transportation Museum, then the kids' play floor at Kids Square.
Right off the platform
- at stopA downtown platform with a shelter; the staffed waiting area is in the adjacent building (check hours).
- 5 minThe O. Winston Link Museum in the old N&W station, with the visitor center (admission).
- 10 minThe Virginia Museum of Transportation: steam engines, a rail yard and a kids' area (admission; check which engines are home).
- 10 minCenter in the Square: the Science Museum of Western Virginia, Kids Square children's museum and a pinball museum (admission).
- at stopMill Mountain Star and Zoo, 10 minutes by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Transportation Museum and the Market (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Transportation Museum in the morning, Kids Square after lunch, the star at dusk by cab, a night downtown, and the morning train.
Snack stop: The City Market and Texas Tavern, a tiny 1930 diner.
Out the window: Arriving, the train runs along the big N&W yard with coal cars and the old shops; Mill Mountain and its star are ahead on the left.
Trains are two a day; a Roanoke visit is a night, not an afternoon. A new station at Christiansburg in the New River Valley is being built for 2027.
Stop 46 of 55WDBRichmond branches; some trains, plus VREour honest take: ride on
Woodbridge
A commuter station on the Potomac shared with VRE. The old mill town of Occoquan is a cab ride. Ride on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and a lot.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Potomac widens on the left; look for ospreys on the pilings.
Stop 47 of 55QANRichmond branches; some trains, plus VREour honest take: ride on
Quantico
A small station at the gate of the Marine Corps base, in a tiny town inside the base. The National Museum of the Marine Corps, free, with aircraft hung from a soaring glass ceiling, is 10 minutes by cab and genuinely good for kids 6 and up. Otherwise ride on.
The Harrier jet hanging in the museum's atrium, if you cab there.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a small waiting room, shared with VRE.
- at stopThe National Museum of the Marine Corps, free, 10 minutes by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard, unless the museum is the plan (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A diner on the town's one street.
Out the window: The Potomac, then woods and the Rappahannock crossing into Fredericksburg.
Stop 48 of 55FBGRichmond branches; most trains, plus VRE
Fredericksburg
An elevated station in the middle of a brick downtown that has not changed much since the 1800s. Caroline Street's shops, a toy store and ice cream are five minutes away, the Rappahannock riverfront park is 10, and the Civil War battlefield visitor center and the Sunken Road are a 20-minute walk. Carl's frozen custard, a 1947 stand with a line, is 15 minutes up Princess Anne Street from spring to fall.
A cone at Carl's, then the riverfront to throw rocks in the Rappahannock.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe station: a platform with a shelter; a small waiting room downstairs.
- 5 minCaroline Street: shops, a toy store and ice cream.
- 10 minRiverfront Park on the Rappahannock, with a playground.
- 15 minCarl's frozen custard, seasonal, cash only.
- 20 minFredericksburg Battlefield visitor center and the Sunken Road, free.
Half a day between trains
- Caroline Street and the river (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Downtown, Carl's, the battlefield walk, a riverside dinner, and the train on.
Snack stop: Carl's, and the bakeries on Caroline Street.
Out the window: The Rappahannock, then pine woods and the long straight run toward Richmond.
Stop 49 of 55ASDRichmond branches; some trains
Ashland
The tracks run right down the middle of Center Street here, with porches on both sides, which makes Ashland the best train-watching town in Virginia. The platform is a few steps from a coffee shop, the Randolph-Macon campus and a toy store. Not a full stop, but a lovely 90 minutes for a child who wants to see freight trains roll past front yards.
Sitting on a bench on Center Street while a freight train rumbles past the houses at arm's length.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a visitor center in the old depot.
- 2 minCenter Street's coffee shop, bookstore and toy store.
- 5 minThe Randolph-Macon College campus lawns.
- 10 minCarter Park's playground.
Half a day between trains
- Center Street and train-watching (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Skip a full day; Richmond is 20 minutes on.
Snack stop: Ashland Coffee and Tea, steps from the platform.
Out the window: Center Street's porches on both sides, then the Richmond suburbs.
Stop 50 of 55RVRRichmond branches; every train, including the long-distance trains south
Richmond Staples Mill Road
Virginia's busiest station is a plain 1975 building in the Henrico suburbs, 7 miles from downtown, so a cab is part of every plan here. The reward is one cab to two museums side by side on Broad Street: the Science Museum of Virginia in the old Broad Street station, with a giant dome theater, and the Children's Museum of Richmond next door, with a carousel. Maymont's farm and Lewis Ginter's children's garden are also cab rides.
The Children's Museum carousel, then the Science Museum's dome, in one visit.
Right off the platform
- at stopStaples Mill Road station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopThe Science Museum of Virginia, 15 minutes by cab (admission).
- at stopChildren's Museum of Richmond, next door, ages 0 to 8 (admission; check hours).
- at stopMaymont, a free estate with a farm and a nature center, 20 minutes by cab.
- at stopLewis Ginter Botanical Garden's children's garden, 15 minutes by cab (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Cab to the two Broad Street museums (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Museums, lunch in the Fan, Maymont's farm, and a night downtown; the Main Street station the next morning if your train stops there.
Snack stop: Nothing good at the station; the museums have cafes.
Out the window: Suburbs, then the James River if you continue to Main Street; Norfolk trains swing south across the river at Petersburg.
Staples Mill has all the trains; Main Street downtown has only the Newport News trains. Pick the station by your train number, not by convenience.
Stop 51 of 55RVMNewport News trains only; a couple a day each way
Richmond Main Street Station
The 1901 clock tower station in Shockoe Bottom, with one of the last long train sheds in the country, now a market hall. You step off into downtown: the Canal Walk is five minutes, the Capitol 10, and the Pulse bus runs up Broad Street to the Science Museum and the Children's Museum in 15 minutes. Only the Newport News trains stop here, so plan with the timetable.
The Canal Walk's boat ride in summer, under the bridges, then the Capitol lawn.
Right off the platform
- at stopMain Street Station: a restored waiting room, restrooms and the train shed market.
- 5 minThe Canal Walk and the Richmond Canal Cruises boat (seasonal; small fee).
- 5 minThe Edgar Allan Poe Museum, for kids 8 and up (admission).
- 10 minThe Virginia State Capitol, free tours.
- at stopThe Science Museum of Virginia and Children's Museum of Richmond, 15 minutes by the Pulse bus.
- 15 minBelle Isle's rocks and the pedestrian bridge over the James rapids.
Half a day between trains
- Canal Walk and the Capitol (2 hours).
Make it a full day
Pulse bus to the museums, lunch in Shockoe Bottom, Belle Isle in the afternoon, and a night here before Williamsburg.
Snack stop: The market in the train shed, and Shockoe Bottom's cafes.
Out the window: The train crosses the James right after the station with the rapids and the skyline on both sides; the best Richmond view there is.
Check the schedule: Norfolk and Roanoke trains do not stop here.
Stop 52 of 55WBGNewport News branch; two trains a day each way
Williamsburg Transportation Center
A 1935 brick station a 10-minute walk from Colonial Williamsburg, which is the whole point: costumed blacksmiths, a fife and drum parade, horses and carts, stocks to be photographed in, and a lot of lawn. Merchants Square's ice cream and the William and Mary campus are on the way. Busch Gardens and Water Country are a cab ride. One of the three or four best stops in this whole guide for ages 4 to 10.
The fife and drum march down Duke of Gloucester Street, then the stocks, then a horse-drawn cart.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Transportation Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and the bus hub.
- 10 minMerchants Square and the William and Mary campus.
- 15 minColonial Williamsburg's historic area, free to walk, with tickets for the buildings and trades (check hours).
- at stopBusch Gardens Williamsburg, 15 minutes by cab, with a kids' area and a real steam train (admission; seasonal).
- at stopJamestown Settlement and the Yorktown museum, by car or cab.
Half a day between trains
- Walk to the historic area and watch the trades (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Two nights: the historic area one day, Busch Gardens the next, and Jamestown's ships if you have a third.
Snack stop: Merchants Square's ice cream and the bakery in the historic area.
Out the window: Pine woods and the shipyard cranes of Newport News ahead.
Colonial Williamsburg's streets are free to walk; the buildings, trades and carriage rides need a ticket.
Stop 53 of 55NPNEnd of the Newport News branch; two trains a day each way
Newport News Transportation Center
A new 2024 transportation center near the airport, replacing the old downtown station, with buses to the rest of the Peninsula. Nothing walkable, but the Virginia Living Museum, with native animals, a planetarium and a boardwalk through the woods, is 10 minutes by cab, and the Mariners' Museum has the USS Monitor's turret and a park with a 5-mile lake loop. Grandparents on the Peninsula are the usual reason to end here.
The otters and the loggerhead turtle at the Virginia Living Museum, then the boardwalk.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Transportation Center: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and a bus hub.
- at stopVirginia Living Museum, 10 minutes by cab (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe Mariners' Museum and Park, 15 minutes by cab (small admission).
- at stopHuntington Park's beach and playground, by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Cab to the Virginia Living Museum (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Living Museum, the Mariners' Museum, Huntington Park's beach, and a night on the Peninsula before the morning train.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station; the Living Museum has a cafe.
Out the window: Arriving, the train runs past the shipyard where aircraft carriers are built.
The old downtown station closed in 2024; this one is near the airport on Bland Boulevard. A cab is required for everything.
Stop 54 of 55PTBNorfolk branch; three trains a day each way, plus long-distance trains southour honest take: ride on
Petersburg Ettrick
A small station in Ettrick, across the Appomattox from downtown Petersburg and next to Virginia State University. Old Towne and the siege battlefield need a cab. We ride on to Norfolk.
None without a cab.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room.
- at stopPetersburg National Battlefield and Pamplin Park, by cab.
Half a day between trains
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The flat Tidewater pine woods, then the first bridges and inlets of Norfolk.
Stop 55 of 55NFKEnd of the Norfolk branch; three trains a day each way
Norfolk
The end of the line, a platform next to Harbor Park baseball stadium on the Elizabeth River, with the Tide light rail two minutes away. Nauticus and the battleship Wisconsin are three Tide stops and a short walk: you can stand on the deck of a real battleship, then touch rays inside. The ferry across to Portsmouth's Children's Museum of Virginia leaves from Waterside. Norfolk is a water town, and for a kid who likes boats it is the best end point on the whole route.
Walking the teak deck of the Wisconsin, then the paddle-wheel ferry across to Portsmouth for the Children's Museum's climbing structure.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a waiting room; the Tide light rail is beside it.
- 2 minHarbor Park, home of the Tides, with a kids' zone, April to September.
- at stopNauticus and the Battleship Wisconsin, by Tide to the Civic Plaza stop plus a 5-minute walk (admission).
- at stopWaterside and the Elizabeth River ferry to Portsmouth, a paddle-wheeler (small fare).
- at stopChildren's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth, across the ferry, ages 0 to 10 (admission; check hours).
- at stopThe Virginia Zoo, 10 minutes by cab, with a train ride (admission).
Half a day between trains
- Tide to Nauticus and the battleship (3 hours).
Make it a full day
Battleship in the morning, the ferry to Portsmouth and the Children's Museum, a Tides game at night, the zoo next day, and the morning train.
Snack stop: Waterside's food hall; the ballpark in season.
Out the window: Arriving, the train crosses the river inlets with shipyard cranes and Navy ships on the right.
Trains are three a day; plan a night. The Tide and the ferry are on one transit fare.
The train that is always there
Nobody writes songs about the Northeast Regional. It is the train you take to see your grandmother, the one that gets you to the museum and back by dinner, the one with the cafe car coffee and the conductor who has seen every kind of toddler. My dad rode it to work for twenty years and I never thought about it until I was riding it with his grandchildren, counting the soldiers in Union Station the way he taught me. That is what it is for. Pick a short hop, sit on the left for the water, and let them call out the stations.
Next in this series: the Acela, the fast version of the same tracks with assigned seats, the Keystone Service from Philadelphia to Lancaster's farms, the Empire Service up the Hudson, and the Downeaster from Boston to Maine's beaches. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Northeast Regional trips with kids: questions parents ask
How many stops does the Northeast Regional make?
About 30 between Boston and Washington, 8 on the Springfield section north of New Haven, and 17 in Virginia across three branches, for 55 in all. No single train stops at all of them; most skip a few small stations, and each Virginia train follows one branch.
Do kids pay on the Northeast Regional?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult coach fare every day of the week, and one child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. The discount does not cover the Business Class add-on. Between New Haven and Springfield, Hartford Line tickets with the $1 kids fare are accepted too.
What is the best short Northeast Regional ride with a toddler?
Mystic to New London, 13 minutes, which ends at the ferry docks. Providence to New London is about an hour and runs along the shore. In Virginia, Lynchburg to Charlottesville is a relaxed 90 minutes.
Which side of the train has the water view?
The left side southbound (the right side northbound) between New London and Old Saybrook, where the train runs along Long Island Sound. South of Washington, the Potomac is on the left between Alexandria and Quantico.
Which Northeast Regional stops are best for a day with kids?
Boston, Providence, New London, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington on the main line; Springfield and Hartford on the Springfield section; Alexandria, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Williamsburg and Norfolk in Virginia. Each has a museum or a waterfront within a short walk or one cab ride.
Which Northeast Regional stops should we skip with kids?
The park-and-ride platforms: Route 128, Kingston, Old Saybrook, New Rochelle, Newark Airport, Metropark, Cornwells Heights, North Philadelphia, Newark Delaware, Aberdeen, BWI, New Carrollton, the small Hartford Line towns, Burke Centre, Woodbridge, Quantico and Petersburg. They exist for commuters and flyers, and the next real town is minutes away.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Northeast Regional timetable, fall 2026, Amtrak station pages and the October 2026 Virginia service advisory
- Boston Children's Museum, Providence Children's Museum, Mystic Seaport Museum, Yale Peabody Museum, Please Touch Museum, B&O Railroad Museum, Springfield Museums, Connecticut Science Center, Virginia Discovery Museum, Virginia Museum of Transportation, Science Museum of Virginia, Children's Museum of Richmond, Colonial Williamsburg, Nauticus: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Virginia Passenger Rail Authority station pages, CTrail Hartford Line, Hampton Roads Transit (the Tide and the ferry), the King Street trolley
- 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.