Ride a Train

Steamtown's seasonal train rides offer a unique National Park experience.

NPS Photo

Steamtown's seasonal train rides offer a unique National Park experience. Rail experiences vary from short 30-minute trips exploring the park’s historic railroad yard to full-day trips through the Poconos.

Excursions
Those looking to spend the majority of their Steamtown visit on a train may wish to consider an excursion experience. Offered seasonally between May-October, the length of excursions and departure times will vary depending on the event being offered and the destination. View the 2024 schedule.

Tickets for our excursions are now available for advance purchase and reservation through recreation.gov. Ticket prices vary depending on the destination and are broken down into the following categories:
Adult (ages 12-61) $25.00/person - $55.00/person;
Senior (ages 62+) $23.00/person - $50.00/person;
Youth (ages 3-11) $18.00/person - $33.00/person;
Child (ages 2 and under) $1.00

Short Train Rides
Scranton Limited: a 3-mile round trip ride lasting approximately 30-minutes. The locomotive travels through the rail yards, crosses the Lackawanna River, passes the historic Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel and stops at the University of Scranton before returning to the Steamtown boarding area.


2024 Season:

• Beginning  May 4th, our short train rides, the Scranton Limited, will operate Saturdays, and Sundays, as staffing permits. From June 1st, they will operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Departure times are: 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:15pm, and 2:30pm.
• Tickets are $6.00 for adults and kids over the age of 5; kids 5 and under are $1.00. Tickets may be purchased on-site at the Information Kiosk, the day of your visit or in advance on Recreation.gov. Tickets are valid all day and for ANY departure time on the date of purchase.
• Seating availability is first come, first served; we recommend getting in line 15-20 minutes ahead of scheduled departure time.

Details

Duration

1-10 Hours

Steamtown rail experiences vary from short 30-minute trips exploring the park’s historic railroad yard to full-day trips through the Poconos.

Activity

Guided Tours

Pets Allowed

No

Pets are limited to the parking lot and the grassy area outside of the Theater Building. Please pick up after your pet and properly dispose of waste.

Service Animals are permitted in all public buildings, railroad cars and locomotives and are not subject to the park’s pet policies and, when accompanying an individual with a disability, they are allowed wherever visitors are allowed. A service animal means any dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability.”

Please do not leave your pet unattended in a vehicle or tethered outside.

For more information, visit the National Park Service Service Animals page or call Steamtown at [phone].

Activity Fee

Yes

While there is no entrance fee for Steamtown National Historic Site, fees do apply to our train rides. Costs vary depending on the destination.

Short Train Rides
Tickets must be purchased on-site at the Information Kiosk, the day of your visit. Tickets are valid all day and for ANY departure time on the date of purchase.
General Admission (ages 6+) $6.00
Child under 6 years old (ages 0-5): $1.00

Excursions

Tickets for our Excursions may be purchased in advance online through recreation.gov. Additionally, excursion tickets may be purchased on-site at the Information Kiosk, during regular business hours. All ticket sales will be credit card only.

Ticket prices vary depending on the destination and are broken down into the following categories:
Adult (ages 12-61) $25.00-$55.00;
Senior (ages 62+) $23.00-$50.00;
Youth (ages 3-11) $18.00-$33.00;
Child (ages 2 and under) $1.00

Reservations

Yes

Tickets for our Excursions may be purchased in advance online through recreation.gov. Additionally, excursion tickets may be purchased on-site at the Information Kiosk, the day of the excursion. All ticket sales will be credit card only.

Season

Summer, Fall

Steamtown's train rides are offered seasonally, typically May-October, as staffing and resources allow. View the 2023 schedule.

Time of Day

Day, Night

Short Train Rides
May 11, 2023 through November 12, 2023: The Scranton Limited or the Caboose Experience will operate on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as staffing permits. Departure times are: 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:15pm, and 2:30pm.

Excursions
Departure times for our excursions vary depending on the event being offered and the destination. View the 2023 schedule.

Accessibility Information

NOTICE: Steamtown's live train experiences may contain bright lights, loud sounds, and potent odors which may, at times, become overwhelming for individuals with varying degrees of sensory sensitivities.

Steamtown National Historic Site is accessible, with the exception of some historic locomotives and railroad cars. IMPORTANT NOTE: Some train rides/excursions are NOT accessible. Please explain your accessibility needs before purchasing train ride tickets. We are working to correct accessibility deficiencies to ensure an enjoyable experience for all of our visitors.

• Public use elevators are located in the History and Technology Museums; the Roundhouse are accessible via ramps. Note: the Visitor Center and Theater buildings are currently closed due to HVAC issues.

• There are 2 standard wheelchairs available for individuals who may have difficulty walking the museum complex areas; motorized wheelchairs are not available. The wheelchairs may be signed-out on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations), upon request at the Tickets & Information Kiosk. Wheelchairs may not be removed from the Museum Complex property.
• Designated accesible parking in the main parking lot is available.

For Visitors with Hearing Impairments

• Open captions are available on all park films including "Steel and Steam" showing on the third floor of the History Museum. This video presentation is accessible by elevator or stairs.
• Ubi-Duo technology for communcating with visitors who are deaf. Each of these machines allow two-way, typed conversation for immediate viewing by both parties. One is available at the Tickets & Information Kiosk.
• American Sign Language interpretation is available by request. Please phone [phone] at least 14 days prior to your visit to make arrangements.

For Visitors with Visual Impairments

• There is a web and mobile app version of our park brochure with audio description.
• We have many tactile exhibits that can be experienced as well as audio with our videos, although not fully audio described yet. Our park brochure is available in Braille for pick up at the Tickets & Information Kiosk. With advance notice, a ranger tour can be given with audio description. Please phone [phone] at least 14 days prior to your visit to make arrangements.