Vermonter With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Nobody rides the whole Vermonter, and you should not either. It is thirteen hours and thirty stops from Washington to the top of Vermont, and the first ten stops are the Northeast Corridor, which has a better train for every one of them. The trick is to pick a piece: New York to Brattleboro, Springfield to White River Junction, Northampton to Holyoke for a carousel. North of New Haven the stations shrink to brick depots and the river shows up out the window, and that is the ride. My daughter checked off nine states on a paper list and then asked why we did not stop at any of them. Here is where to stop.
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: Northampton to Springfield and back.The 2:01pm south, the Seuss sculpture garden, and the 3:15pm back. Or get off one stop early at Holyoke for the merry-go-round. Jump to Holyoke.
- Ages 4 to 8: White River Junction.Climb into steam engine 494 beside the platform, cab to the Montshire's water park, and sleep at the Hotel Coolidge across the street. Jump to White River Junction.
- The big one: New York to Brattleboro and on.The 11:20am weekday train, Hartford's carousel if you break the trip, Brattleboro by 5, and the next day's train to Waterbury for Ben and Jerry's. Jump to Brattleboro.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, south of New Haven this is a Northeast Regional in everything but name, and that train runs hourly; use it for Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, and use this page for the stops north. Second, north of Springfield most stops are platforms with no staff and sometimes no shelter, and one train a day means getting off is a night or a car pickup; the Hartford Line and Valley Flyer add trains between New Haven and Greenfield. Third, Business Class on the Vermonter includes seat selection, which is the only sure way to sit four together. Alerts are on the Vermonter page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, Business Class, the cafe, strollers on bare platforms and what to pack are all in our Vermonter parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Amtrak lists reduced weekend service between New York and Boston while crews remove old towers and wires at the WALK Bridge in Norwalk, Connecticut, and the state says seats between New York and New Haven are very limited on work weekends. Weekdays are not affected. Book weekend Vermonter seats early and confirm your train in the Amtrak app before you leave home.
Stop 1 of 30WASNorthbound leaves about 7:30am weekdays (5:25am weekends); southbound arrives about 10:36pm
Washington Union Station
The Vermonter starts at Union Station at 7:30 in the morning, 5:25 on weekends, under the Burnham arches two blocks from the Capitol. Almost nobody rides it from here to Vermont in one go; it is the Northeast Regional's track as far as New Haven, and that train runs hourly. The Northeast Regional plan covers Washington as a city. For this train, Washington is where the bag of breakfast gets opened.
The Main Hall's gold ceiling on the way to the gate, then the Capitol dome out the front doors if you have ten minutes.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Main Hall, a food court, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds and the start of the Mall.
- 15 minThe National Postal Museum, free, next door, with a stagecoach and a real mail car.
A few hours here
- Arriving southbound at 10:36pm: a cab and bed.
Stay the night
Washington is a week; see the Northeast Regional plan. On the Vermonter it is a 7:30am start.
Snack stop: The food court before boarding.
Out the window: The tunnel under the Capitol, then Maryland suburbs.
The weekend northbound leaves at 5:25am and skips New Carrollton. Check which day you are riding.
Stop 2 of 30NCRWeekday northbound about 7:44am; southbound about 10:22pmour honest take: ride on
New Carrollton
A Metro-and-MARC transfer stop in the suburbs. The weekend northbound skips it. A Northeast Regional stop; stay on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a Metro station attached.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs.
Stop 3 of 30BWINorthbound about 8:00am; southbound about 10:00pmour honest take: ride on
BWI Airport
A platform by the airport with a shuttle to the terminals. Useful for flights, and planes land low over the tracks. Covered in the Northeast Regional plan.
Planes.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and a shuttle bus to the terminal.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Vending.
Out the window: Planes landing.
Stop 4 of 30BALNorthbound about 8:15am; southbound about 9:47pmour honest take: ride on
Baltimore Penn Station
A 1911 station a mile and a half from the Inner Harbor, where Port Discovery children's museum and the aquarium are. A Baltimore day belongs to the hourly Northeast Regional, which is in that plan. On the Vermonter, ride on.
The B and O Railroad Museum's roundhouse, if you ever do get off here; it is the best train museum in the country.
Right off the platform
- at stopPenn Station: a restored waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage.
- at stopPort Discovery, the National Aquarium and the B and O Railroad Museum, by cab or light rail.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: The station cafe.
Out the window: Rowhouses, then the tunnel.
Stop 5 of 30WILNorthbound about 9:01am; southbound about 8:47pmour honest take: ride on
Wilmington
A Frank Furness brick station by the Riverwalk, with the Delaware Children's Museum a 15-minute walk. A Northeast Regional stop. Ride on.
The Christina River on the left.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1908 station with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 15 minThe Delaware Children's Museum on the Riverwalk (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: A cafe by the Riverwalk.
Out the window: The river, then the refineries, then Pennsylvania.
Stop 6 of 30PHLNorthbound about 9:23am; southbound about 8:26pm
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
The grandest station on the East Coast, with a ceiling you can lie under and a bronze angel the size of a house. The Franklin Institute's walk-through heart is 15 minutes away and the Please Touch Museum is a trolley ride. It is a full day, and the Northeast Regional plan has it. On the Vermonter you get 2 minutes and the view of the ceiling from the window.
The angel statue in the concourse, if you ever get off. From the train: the Schuylkill River and the art museum on the right leaving north.
Right off the platform
- at stop30th Street Station: the concourse, restrooms, food, a staffed counter, checked baggage, a Mamava pod in the Main Hall.
- 15 minThe Franklin Institute (admission).
- at stopPlease Touch Museum in Fairmount Park, by trolley or cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard; the Northeast Regional plan has the Philadelphia day.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: The station's food hall.
Out the window: The Schuylkill, the boathouses and the art museum on the right, then the Philadelphia Zoo's balloon.
Stop 7 of 30TRENorthbound about 9:53am; southbound about 7:57pmour honest take: ride on
Trenton
The bridge with the sign that says Trenton Makes, the World Takes is right after the station. A commuter stop otherwise. Northeast Regional plan.
Reading the bridge sign out loud.
Right off the platform
- at stopA big transit center with restrooms, a staffed counter and NJ Transit and SEPTA.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Vending.
Out the window: The Delaware River bridge and its sign.
Stop 8 of 30METNorthbound about 10:14am; southbound about 7:33pmour honest take: ride on
Metropark
An office-park station in Iselin for commuters. Some timetables have listed it as a weekend-only Vermonter stop; check your date. Stay on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a waiting room and NJ Transit.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: New Jersey.
Stop 9 of 30NWKNorthbound about 10:30am; southbound about 7:18pmour honest take: ride on
Newark Penn Station
A 1935 art deco station with the PATH train to lower Manhattan and the AirTrain to the airport. Nothing for a kid within a walk. Northeast Regional plan.
The AirTrain monorail curving past on the airport side a few minutes before.
Right off the platform
- at stopNewark Penn: a big waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter, PATH and NJ Transit.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Vending.
Out the window: The Meadowlands, the Manhattan skyline on the right, then the tunnel.
Stop 10 of 30NYPNorthbound about 10:45am to 11:20am; southbound about 6:27pm to 7:01pm
New York Moynihan Train Hall
Most Vermonter families start here, on the weekday 11:20am departure, which is the civilized one: a slow breakfast, the subway to Moynihan, and Brattleboro by about 5pm. The train sits 35 minutes here, long enough to run to the food hall for lunch if you are riding through. Moynihan has a skylight and clean bathrooms and a Mamava pod. New York as a city is in the Northeast Regional plan.
The flip of the gate number on the big board, then the walk down together.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: a skylight, a food hall, restrooms, a staffed counter, checked baggage and a Mamava pod.
- 5 minThe High Line's north end at 34th Street.
- at stopThe 1, 2, 3, A, C and E subways under the station.
A few hours here
- Riding through: the 35-minute stop is long enough for the food hall and a diaper change, but ask the conductor before you step off.
Stay the night
New York is its own trip. From here the Vermonter is five and a half hours to Brattleboro and nine and a half to St. Albans.
Snack stop: The Moynihan food hall; pack lunch for Connecticut.
Out the window: The East River tunnel, Queens, then the Hell Gate Bridge with the Manhattan skyline behind you on the left.
Weekends through November 1, 2026, Amtrak lists reduced service between New York and New Haven for bridge work in Norwalk; book early and confirm your train. Weekdays are not affected.
Stop 11 of 30STMNorthbound about 12:20pm; southbound about 5:25pmour honest take: ride on
Stamford
A commuter station in a concrete transportation center. The Stamford Museum and Nature Center's farm is a cab away. Northeast Regional plan; ride on.
Long Island Sound on the right, in glimpses.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room, restrooms and Metro-North.
- at stopStamford Museum and Nature Center's farm animals, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Station vending.
Out the window: The Sound on the right, with sailboats in summer.
Stop 12 of 30BRPNorthbound about 12:45pm; southbound about 4:57pmour honest take: ride on
Bridgeport
The station is next to the ferry to Long Island and a ten-minute cab from Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut's only zoo, with a carousel. The Barnum Museum downtown tells the circus story. A Northeast Regional stop; on this train, ride on.
The harbor and the ferry out the right window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and restrooms, next to the Port Jefferson ferry.
- at stopBeardsley Zoo and its carousel, by cab (admission).
- 10 minThe Barnum Museum (limited hours).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Vending.
Out the window: The harbor, then marshes along the Sound.
Stop 13 of 30NHVNorthbound about 1:15pm to 1:30pm; southbound about 4:14pm to 4:34pm
New Haven Union Station
The turn. The Vermonter leaves the electric Northeast Corridor here and a diesel engine takes over, which means 15 to 20 minutes on the platform watching it happen. Union Station is a 1920 Cass Gilbert building with a high waiting room, a 15-minute walk from Wooster Street's pizza and a 25-minute walk or short bus ride from the Yale Peabody Museum, which reopened in 2024 with a brontosaurus and free admission. For a kid who likes dinosaurs and pizza, this is a real stop, and the hourly trains south make it easy to get home.
The engine swap from the platform, then the Peabody's dinosaur hall, free.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a big 1920 waiting room, restrooms, food, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 15 minWooster Street: Frank Pepe's and Sally's pizza, with lines.
- 15 minThe New Haven Green and Yale's campus.
- 25 minYale Peabody Museum: dinosaurs, a giant squid, free (closed Mondays; check hours), or a short bus ride.
- at stopShore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven, by cab, with rides on old streetcars (seasonal; admission).
A few hours here
- The engine change (15 minutes), or get off: the Peabody (2 hours), pizza on Wooster Street, and a Northeast Regional home.
Stay the night
A New Haven day: the Peabody, the Green, pizza, the trolley museum in summer, and the Vermonter north the next afternoon or a Regional south tonight.
Snack stop: Pizza on Wooster Street; the station has a cafe.
Out the window: The train turns inland and the Sound disappears; from here north it is towns and river.
The engine change is the longest stop on the route after New York. Ask the conductor before stepping onto the platform.
Stop 14 of 30MDNNorthbound about 1:55pm; southbound about 3:44pmour honest take: ride on
Meriden
A 2018 station with a new park beside it, the Meriden Green, with a playground and a stream. Hubbard Park's stone tower on the ridge needs a car. Hartford Line trains stop here all day. A stretch stop, not a day.
The green's playground, two minutes from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform station with canopies, elevators and the Hartford Line.
- 2 minMeriden Green: a playground, a stream and an amphitheater.
- at stopHubbard Park and Castle Craig tower, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on Colony Street.
Out the window: The traprock ridges on the right, then Hartford's skyline ahead.
Stop 15 of 30HFDNorthbound about 2:15pm; southbound about 3:22pm
Hartford Union Station
A brownstone 1889 station a five-minute walk from Bushnell Park, where a 1914 carousel spins under a pavilion for a couple of dollars a ride and the state Capitol's gold dome sits on the hill above. The Connecticut Science Center is 15 minutes toward the river, five floors of hands-on everything with a rooftop garden. Hartford Line trains run here all day from New Haven and Springfield, so a Vermonter family can get off, spend three hours, and go on by a later train.
The Bushnell Park carousel: a couple of dollars, a real band organ, horses with glass eyes.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and the Hartford Line.
- 5 minBushnell Park: the 1914 carousel (seasonal; small fee), a pond and a playground.
- 10 minThe Connecticut State Capitol, free tours, with the gold dome.
- 15 minConnecticut Science Center on the riverfront (admission).
- 15 minWadsworth Atheneum, the oldest public art museum in the country, with kids' hours (admission).
- at stopThe Mark Twain House, by bus or cab (admission; tours).
A few hours here
- Carousel and the park (45 minutes).
- Science Center (2 hours).
- A Hartford Line train on to Springfield or back to New Haven.
Stay the night
Carousel, Science Center, the Capitol tour, the Twain house for kids over 8, and the Vermonter on the next day. The Hartford Line and Valley Flyer parent guide has more.
Snack stop: Cafes on Pratt Street; the Science Center has a cafe.
Out the window: The Connecticut River on the right for the first time, with the river crossing just north of town.
Bushnell Park's carousel runs roughly spring through fall; check the day. The Hartford Line is a separate ticket.
Stop 16 of 30WNLNorthbound about 2:28pm; southbound about 3:07pmour honest take: ride on
Windsor Locks
A new downtown station on Main Street opens October 18, 2026, replacing the old one on South Main, and the canal towpath trail starts nearby. The New England Air Museum, with a hangar full of planes you can climb into, is 5 miles by car. Bradley Airport's shuttle is planned from here. For the air museum, get off; otherwise ride on.
The air museum's cockpits, if you have a car.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe new Main Street station (from October 18, 2026) with the Hartford Line.
- 10 minWindsor Locks Canal State Park's towpath trail along the river.
- at stopNew England Air Museum, 5 miles, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Air museum by cab and the next train.
Snack stop: A diner on Main Street.
Out the window: The canal and the river on the right, then tobacco barns.
Confirm which station is in use: the old South Main Street station closes permanently October 18, 2026.
Stop 17 of 30SPGNorthbound about 2:55pm to 3:15pm; southbound about 2:35pm to 2:45pm
Springfield Union Station
Dr. Seuss was born here, and the Quadrangle, a 15-minute walk from the restored Union Station, has a free sculpture garden with a bronze Cat in the Hat, Horton and the Lorax, plus five museums around it including the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss and a science museum with a dinosaur hall and planetarium. The Basketball Hall of Fame is 25 minutes the other way. The Vermonter pauses here for 10 to 20 minutes, and Hartford Line and Valley Flyer trains fill in, so a Springfield afternoon fits almost any plan.
Sitting in the Lorax's lap in the sculpture garden, free, then the Seuss museum's Mulberry Street room.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a restored 1926 concourse, restrooms, a staffed counter, food and the bus hub.
- 15 minThe Quadrangle: the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden (free) and the Springfield Museums, one ticket for five (admission).
- 15 minThe Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, in the Quadrangle, ages 2 to 10 especially.
- 25 minNaismith Basketball Hall of Fame on the river, with courts to shoot on (admission).
- at stopForest Park's zoo and playgrounds, by cab (seasonal; admission).
- at stopSix Flags New England in Agawam, by cab, for the big kids.
A few hours here
- Sculpture garden and the Seuss museum (2 hours).
- Lunch on Main Street.
- A Valley Flyer or the Vermonter on.
Stay the night
The parent guide's toddler ride starts here: Northampton to Springfield at 2:01pm and back at 3:15pm, under two hours. Or a Springfield day: the Quadrangle's five museums, the Hall of Fame, Forest Park's zoo.
Snack stop: The station has food; Main Street has a diner.
Out the window: North of Springfield the train crosses the Connecticut River and follows it, mostly on the right, for the rest of Massachusetts.
The Quadrangle museums are closed Mondays most of the year; the sculpture garden is outdoors and always open.
Stop 18 of 30HLKNorthbound about 3:41pm; southbound about 2:16pm
Holyoke
A surprise. The platform is a few blocks from Holyoke Heritage State Park, where the Children's Museum and the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, a 1929 carousel in its own glass pavilion, sit next to each other with a playground and the canals between. Rides are a couple of dollars and the carousel runs continuously, so nobody waits. The Volleyball Hall of Fame is in the same park, because volleyball was invented here. An hour and a half, easily, and Valley Flyer trains fill in.
The Merry-Go-Round's band organ starting up, then the water table at the Children's Museum next door.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform station on Dwight Street, 2015, with a shelter and the Valley Flyer.
- 8 minHolyoke Merry-Go-Round, a 1929 carousel, rides for a few dollars (closed most Mondays; check hours).
- 8 minChildren's Museum at Holyoke, ages 6 months to about 8 (admission; closed Mondays).
- 8 minHeritage State Park's playground and canal walk, free.
- 10 minVolleyball Hall of Fame (admission).
A few hours here
- Carousel and Children's Museum (90 minutes).
- The playground.
- A Valley Flyer on.
Stay the night
Pair Holyoke's carousel with Springfield's Seuss garden, 15 minutes apart by train, for the best two-stop day on the route for kids under 8.
Snack stop: A cafe on High Street; the carousel sells snacks.
Out the window: The canals and the mills, then the river on the right.
Most of this is closed Mondays. The platform has no restroom; the park does.
Stop 19 of 30NHTNorthbound about 3:57pm; southbound about 2:01pm
Northampton
A college town with a platform beside the old Union Station, which is a restaurant now, five minutes from Main Street's bookstores, toy store and ice cream. Smith College's botanic garden and its glass conservatory are free and 15 minutes away, with a lily pond. Look Park, with a mini train and paddle boats, is a cab ride. The parent guide's toddler ride, Northampton to Springfield and back, starts here at 2:01pm.
The conservatory's tropical room at Smith, free, with a toddler who has never seen a banana tree.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter beside the 1897 depot (restaurant), no staff.
- 5 minMain Street: a bookstore, a toy store, Herrell's ice cream.
- 15 minSmith College Botanic Garden and Lyman Conservatory, free (check hours).
- at stopLook Park: a mini steam train, paddle boats, a small zoo, by cab (seasonal; small fees).
- at stopYankee Candle's village in Deerfield, by car, for the kids who like that.
A few hours here
- Main Street ice cream and the toy store (1 hour).
- Smith's conservatory (1 hour).
- The 2:01pm south to Springfield, the 3:15 back.
Stay the night
Look Park's train and boats, Main Street, the conservatory, dinner on Main, and the Vermonter on.
Snack stop: Herrell's for ice cream; a bakery on Main.
Out the window: Farms in the river bottomland, the Holyoke Range behind you.
The Valley Flyer adds trains here between Springfield and Greenfield; the Hartford Line and Valley Flyer parent guide covers them.
Stop 20 of 30GFDNorthbound about 4:22pm; southbound about 1:36pmour honest take: ride on
Greenfield
A 2012 transit center downtown with a small park next door full of old rail equipment, including a caboose kids can look at. Main Street is five minutes. The Poet's Seat tower on the ridge needs a car. The last Massachusetts stop; a stretch, not a day.
The caboose in Energy Park, next to the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopJohn W. Olver Transit Center: a waiting room, restrooms and buses.
- 3 minEnergy Park with a caboose and rail cars.
- 5 minMain Street's shops and a diner.
- at stopPoet's Seat Tower, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A diner on Main Street.
Out the window: The Connecticut River crossing at the state line, then Vermont.
Stop 21 of 30BRANorthbound about 4:56pm; southbound about 1:02pm
Brattleboro
The first Vermont stop and the one most New York families ride to. The station is dug into a bluff over the river, with the waiting room downstairs and the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center upstairs, and Main Street's bookstores and bakery are a three-minute walk uphill. Retreat Farm, a mile and a half north, has barn animals and trails and a free common. The parent guide's day trip, White River Junction to Brattleboro and back, gives almost four hours here.
The goats and cows at Retreat Farm, then a creemee on Main Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a waiting room with restrooms downstairs, the art museum upstairs (admission; check hours).
- 3 minMain Street: a bookstore, a toy store, a bakery, the food co-op.
- 5 minThe Harmony Lot's murals and the riverfront walk.
- at stopRetreat Farm's animals and trails, 1.5 miles, by cab or a 30-minute walk (grounds free; check the farm's season).
- at stopLiving Memorial Park's pool and ski hill, by cab.
A few hours here
- Main Street and the bakery (1 hour).
- Retreat Farm (2 hours).
- The 4:56pm northbound or the 1:02pm southbound.
Stay the night
A Brattleboro weekend: the farm, the art museum, Main Street, the river, and the Vermonter on. New York to here is five and a half hours on the 11:20am train.
Snack stop: A bakery and the food co-op on Main Street; creemees in summer.
Out the window: The Connecticut River on the right for the next hour, with New Hampshire across it.
Stop 22 of 30BFSNorthbound about 5:26pm; southbound about 12:30pmour honest take: ride on
Bellows Falls
A 1923 depot built for two railroads, in a village at a sharp bend of the river with a canal and petroglyphs carved in the rock by the falls. The square is five minutes with a bakery. A good ten-minute stretch; the next real stop is White River Junction.
The river bend and the canal gates, and finding the petroglyphs by the bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1923 depot with a waiting room.
- 5 minThe village square: a bakery, a bookstore, the canal.
- 10 minThe petroglyphs on the rocks below the Vilas Bridge.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A bakery on the square.
Out the window: The river bend, then the train crosses into New Hampshire for one stop.
Stop 23 of 30CLANorthbound about 5:47pm; southbound about 12:06pmour honest take: ride on
Claremont
The one New Hampshire stop, a bare platform 2 miles from downtown Claremont and its old mill buildings. Nothing to walk to. Listen for the conductor's announcement and check off the state.
Checking New Hampshire off the list.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a small shelter, no staff.
- at stopDowntown Claremont and the Monadnock Mills, 2 miles, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The river on the left now, with Mount Ascutney ahead.
Stop 24 of 30WNMNorthbound about 5:56pm; southbound about 11:56amour honest take: ride on
Windsor-Mt. Ascutney
A platform with no shelter beside a depot that is now a restaurant, in the town where Vermont's constitution was signed. The Cornish-Windsor covered bridge, the longest wooden covered bridge in the country, is a 15-minute walk, and the American Precision Museum, full of old machines in a mill, is ten. Nice for an hour with a car; otherwise ride on.
Walking across the covered bridge to New Hampshire and back.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with no shelter; the old depot is a restaurant.
- 10 minAmerican Precision Museum, in an 1846 armory (seasonal; admission).
- 15 minThe Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, 449 feet, across the river.
- 10 minThe Old Constitution House, free (seasonal).
- at stopHarpoon Brewery's beer garden with a kids' menu, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
An hour at the bridge and the museum with a car waiting.
Snack stop: The restaurant in the depot.
Out the window: Mount Ascutney on the left.
No shelter. In winter stay in the car until the doors open.
Stop 25 of 30WRJNorthbound about 6:18pm; southbound about 11:37am
White River Junction
A railroad town with a 1937 depot, a steam engine weathervane on its cupola, and a real Boston and Maine steam locomotive, number 494, parked next to the platform. The Hotel Coolidge is across the street, Main Street Museum's cabinet of curiosities is a block away, and the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, with its outdoor water park and a planet walk, is ten minutes by cab and one of the best science museums for kids anywhere. The southbound at 11:37am makes the Brattleboro day trip; the northbound at 6:18pm is dinner.
Climbing into the cab of engine 494 beside the platform, then the Montshire's water tables in summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1937 depot: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and the Welcome Center.
- 1 minBoston and Maine locomotive 494 and a caboose, beside the station.
- 2 minThe Hotel Coolidge, Tuckerbox cafe, Main Street Museum, Northern Stage theater.
- at stopMontshire Museum of Science in Norwich, 4 miles, by cab (admission; outdoor exhibits in summer).
- at stopQuechee Gorge and VINS Nature Center's raptors, 10 miles, by car (admission).
- at stopKing Arthur Baking's cafe and store in Norwich, by cab.
A few hours here
- Engine 494 and the depot (20 minutes).
- Montshire by cab (3 hours).
- Dinner at the hotel.
Stay the night
Stay at the Coolidge: the Montshire, Quechee Gorge, King Arthur's bakery, and the 11:37am south to Brattleboro and the 6:18pm back for the day trip.
Snack stop: Tuckerbox across the street; the depot has vending.
Out the window: The White River joins the Connecticut here; north of town the train follows the White River valley into the hills.
Montshire is the best thing within a cab ride of any Vermonter stop. Book the cab ahead; this is a small town.
Stop 26 of 30RPHNorthbound about 6:56pm; southbound about 10:59amour honest take: ride on
Randolph
A platform on Depot Square with the village's cafe and bookstore two minutes away and the Chandler arts center up the hill. Pretty and small. A stretch stop.
A cookie from the cafe on the square.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter on Depot Square.
- 2 minRandolph's Main Street: a cafe, a bookstore, the Chandler Center for the Arts.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: The cafe on the square.
Out the window: The valley narrows, the hills close in, and the train climbs toward Montpelier.
Stop 27 of 30MPRNorthbound about 7:34pm; southbound about 10:25amour honest take: ride on
Montpelier-Berlin
The platform is in Berlin, 3 miles from Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the country, with a gold-domed State House you can tour free and a history museum next door. A cab is required, and the northbound arrives at 7:34pm. Southbound at 10:25am, a Montpelier morning works with a car at the end.
The State House's gold dome, free to walk into, with a statue of Ceres on top.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter in Berlin, no staff.
- at stopMontpelier: the State House (free tours), the Vermont History Museum, Hubbard Park's tower, 3 miles, by cab.
- at stopMorse Farm Maple Sugarworks, by car, with free samples and a sugarhouse.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
A Montpelier day by cab: the State House, the history museum, Morse Farm, and the next day's train.
Snack stop: Montpelier's bakeries, by cab.
Out the window: The Winooski River on the right, following the train toward the lake.
No cab stand; book ahead.
Stop 28 of 30WABNorthbound about 7:50pm; southbound about 10:10am
Waterbury-Stowe
The ice cream stop. The 1875 brick depot sits on the village green with a cafe and a visitor center inside, and the Ben and Jerry's factory, with its tours, flavor graveyard and playground, is a mile and a half up Route 100: a 30-minute walk with a stroller or a short cab. Cold Hollow Cider Mill's donuts are a bit farther. Stowe, with its mountain and its recreation path, is 10 miles by bus or cab. The southbound at 10:10am makes this an easy morning.
The flavor graveyard at Ben and Jerry's, reading the headstones of discontinued flavors, then a free sample at the end of the tour.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1875 depot: a waiting room, a cafe, a visitor center and restrooms.
- 2 minWaterbury's green and Main Street.
- 30 minBen and Jerry's factory tour, flavor graveyard and playground, 1.5 miles (tour fee; cab 5 minutes).
- at stopCold Hollow Cider Mill's donuts and cider, 3 miles, by cab.
- at stopStowe's recreation path, Mount Mansfield's gondola and Trapp Family Lodge, 10 miles, by bus or cab.
- at stopWaterbury Reservoir's beach at Little River State Park, by car.
A few hours here
- Southbound: off at 10:10am, cab to Ben and Jerry's (90 minutes), cider donuts, and a car or cab on.
Stay the night
A Stowe weekend from this platform: Ben and Jerry's, the gondola, the rec path by bike, and the Vermonter home.
Snack stop: The depot cafe, then ice cream and cider donuts.
Out the window: The Winooski River and Camel's Hump on the left.
Ben and Jerry's tours fill up in summer and fall; book online ahead. The depot's cafe hours vary.
Stop 29 of 30ESXNorthbound about 8:18pm; southbound about 9:44am
Essex Junction
The Vermonter's stop for Burlington, 5 miles from the lake. Six railroads once crossed here, and the Champlain Valley fairgrounds are next door, which matters in late August. A Green Mountain Transit bus or a 15-minute cab gets you to the waterfront, ECHO and Church Street; the Ethan Allen Express goes right into downtown Burlington, so if the lakefront is the whole plan, look at that train. From here, the Vermonter's last half hour to St. Albans is farms.
The Champlain Valley Fair's midway, if your dates line up with the end of August.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room (limited hours) and a platform.
- 5 minFive Corners, the village center, with a cafe and a park.
- 5 minChamplain Valley Expo: the fair in late August and early September.
- at stopBurlington's waterfront, ECHO and Church Street, 5 miles, by GMT bus or cab.
A few hours here
- Southbound: the 9:44am to Waterbury's ice cream or White River Junction's steam engine, with a car back.
Stay the night
Burlington: three days of ECHO, the bike path and creemees, from this station by cab. The Ethan Allen Express plan has the Burlington days.
Snack stop: A cafe at Five Corners.
Out the window: Dairy farms and the Green Mountains behind you; the lake stays out of sight.
The station is getting a renovation that was approved partly for a possible Montreal extension; expect construction. No Montreal service yet.
Stop 30 of 30SABTrain 56 arrives about 8:50pm; Train 55 leaves about 9:15am
St. Albans
The end of the line, a railroad town near the top of Vermont with a brick depot from about 1900 that used to be a switch house, and Taylor Park with its fountain and bandstand five minutes away downtown. The train arrives at 8:50pm, which is bed, and leaves at 9:15am, which is breakfast and a walk around the park. The Vermont Maple Festival takes over the town in late April. The lake is 3 miles west at St. Albans Bay. Montreal is 60 miles north by car, and the train may go there someday.
Taylor Park's fountain in the morning before the 9:15 train, and a maple creemee if it is summer.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot: a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minTaylor Park, the bandstand, downtown Main Street's shops and diner.
- 5 minSt. Albans Museum in an old school (seasonal; small admission).
- at stopSt. Albans Bay Park on Lake Champlain, 3 miles, by cab, with a playground and a beach.
- at stopThe Maple Festival, late April, downtown.
A few hours here
- Reverse direction: a morning walk to Taylor Park, breakfast, and the 9:15am southbound.
Stay the night
A night at the end of Vermont: Taylor Park, the bay in summer, breakfast downtown, and the 9:15am train south with the whole state in daylight.
Snack stop: A diner and a bakery on Main Street.
Out the window: Arriving in the dark most of the year. Leaving at 9:15am, farms and the first look at the Green Mountains in morning light.
The train ends here; there is no Montreal service. For Montreal by train, the Adirondack from New York is the one.
Pick a piece of it
The Vermonter taught me that a long route is just a lot of short ones stacked up. We never rode more than three hours of it at a time, and every piece had something at the end: a carousel, a steam engine, a cow, an ice cream factory. If your kids are small, do Holyoke and Springfield. If they can sit for an afternoon, do New York to Brattleboro. Save the whole thing for when they are old enough to want to say they did it.
Next in this series: the Ethan Allen Express, the other train into Vermont, which goes right to Burlington's waterfront; the Adirondack, up the New York side of Lake Champlain to Montreal; the Northeast Regional for every stop south of New Haven; and the Lake Shore Limited, the overnight that also serves Springfield. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Vermonter trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Vermonter?
About 13 hours 20 minutes end to end on weekdays, Washington to St. Albans, with 30 stops. Most families ride a piece: New York to Brattleboro is about five and a half hours, and Springfield to White River Junction about three.
Do kids pay on the Vermonter?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare with an adult on the booking, and one baby under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. The child discount does not reduce the Business Class charge.
What is the best Vermonter stop for kids?
For small kids, Holyoke, where a 1929 carousel and a children's museum sit next to each other eight minutes from the platform. For a day, White River Junction, with a steam engine beside the station and the Montshire Museum of Science a cab ride away. For ice cream, Waterbury.
Does the Vermonter go to Burlington?
Its stop for Burlington is Essex Junction, 5 miles from the lake, with a bus or cab into town. The Ethan Allen Express goes to Burlington's waterfront station directly. The Vermonter ends at St. Albans; there is no Montreal service yet.
Which side of the Vermonter has the view?
North of Springfield the Connecticut River is mostly on the right northbound and the left southbound, switching sides at the bridges. South of New Haven, Long Island Sound shows on the right northbound in glimpses.
Which Vermonter stops should we skip with kids?
Everything from Washington to Bridgeport is better on the Northeast Regional. North of there, Meriden, Windsor Locks, Greenfield, Bellows Falls, Claremont, Windsor, Randolph and Montpelier-Berlin are stretch stops. The trip is Hartford, Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Brattleboro, White River Junction and Waterbury.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Vermonter timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 54 to 57), and Amtrak station pages; Amtrak service alerts for the WALK Bridge work
- Connecticut Science Center, Bushnell Park Carousel, Springfield Museums, Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, Children's Museum at Holyoke, Montshire Museum of Science, Ben and Jerry's factory tours: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- CTDOT and Trains in the Valley for the Windsor Locks station opening and Valley Flyer service
- 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.