Inspiration
All Things Trains
All aboard for some train lovers' hot spots! If you're a fan of locomotives, Connecticut is filled with great finds from train museums to train restaurants to model trains. Here are some of the state's train-tastic picks to put a train lover on the right tracks.
Train Museums
If you're looking to learn a little something about trains and their history, Connecticut has more than one terrific train museum where you can both learn and ride the trains!
Railroad Museum of New England/Naugatuck Railroad Company
Views of the Naugatuck River Valley are part of the package when you ride out from the Railroad Museum of New England/Naugatuck Railroad Company in Thomaston. The ride begins at the 1881 Thomaston depot, rolls past industrial sites, goes through the forest and then runs across the face of Thomaston Dam, the only train in America that crosses a dam in such a fashion. Many locomotives, railroad cars, and work equipment are on display as well. While you’re there, be on the lookout for the famous Turbo the Cat: the feline proprietor of the museum. Turbo has become so well-known that he even has a Facebook following!
Danbury Railway Museum
The Danbury Railway Museum operates out of a fully restored 1903 station. You’ll be able to inspect the rolling stock on display, including locomotives, passenger equipment, freight equipment, self-propelled cars and even maintenance equipment. The train rides through the rail yard include a spin on a real operating turntable!
SoNo Switch Tower Museum
Explore the historic 1890s New Haven Railroad switch tower at the SoNo Switch Tower Museum in Norwalk. Learn about switch towers and how they were used by railroads to prevent train crashes and control the direction of train tracks. The museum also features the only “Armstrong” switch lever machine in Connecticut!
All Aboard Real Connecticut Trains
Train museums aren't the only spot you can catch a fun train ride in Connecticut. Discover trains all over the state, including as part of other popular attractions!
The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat
The thrill of travel under steam power is part of the excitement at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat in Essex. Here, the excursions run through the Connecticut River Valley, where the broad rover and surrounding hills are gorgeous in any season. The Steam Train offers many special events, but perhaps most special of all is the opportunity to take a ride on a riverboat as part of your journey! You’ll board the train at the 1892 Essex Station, meander through the countryside to Deep River Landing, board the Becky Thatcher, take an hour-long cruise on the river, then return to the train for the ride home. Nothing like it.
Lavender Pond Farm Train
Ride a purple train through a lavender farm at Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth! The LPF Express will take you through the lavender fields and include an entertaining presentation about the plants and most interesting features of the farm.
Lake Compounce’s C.P. Huntington Train
At America’s oldest amusement park, Lake Compounce in Bristol, hop about the C.P. Huntington Train and take a ride around the park. Take in views of the lake, the thrilling attractions, and transport from one end of the park to another – all while enjoying a leisurely train experience!
Eat Dinner on a Train
In Connecticut, trains aren't just for scenic rides through the country – they can be a dining spot too!
Essex Clipper Dinner Train
All aboard for the dazzling four course meal served on the Essex Clipper Dinner Train. Sit back and relax on a two-and-a-half hour journey through scenic Connecticut towns, forests, and serene meadows while being pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive – and eating delicious dishes of course.
Trackside Brick Oven Pizzeria
If you’ve never dined in a former subway car, you can in Connecticut! Trackside Brick Oven Pizzeria in Wallingford is set in an authentic Philadelphia subway car from the 1920s. Hence its name, this spot is literally track side, tucked right beside railroad tracks. Currently operating trains thunder past the restaurant for a truly train-tastic experience as guests indulge in New Haven-style pizza and fine Italian cuisine.
The Station Restaurant
Eat dinner is a restored train station at The Station Restaurant in Naugatuck! Constructed in 1910 in grand Spanish Colonial Revival-style, this iconic building closed in the 1960s. Today, it’s been transformed into an ornate restaurant that accentuates the features of the original building – and serves up tantalizing seafood, chicken, steak, pasta and gluten-free favorites.
Paci Restaurant
Indulge in decadent Italian cuisine at Paci in Southport, which is set in the historic train depot in Southport. Paci was once a train station and today still sits next to active train tracks. Enjoy both your meal and the locomotive-related setting!
Pizza Works
Pizza Works in Old Saybrook is set in a building designed to look like a train station. Watch as a model train whizzes around the room’s perimeter and after you’ve finished your pizza, get a closer look at the model train display on the second floor of the restaurant. Behind glass you’ll see an entire model town including houses, shops, rail yards, office buildings, and a mountain!
Model Trains
If you love trains of all sizes, Connecticut has quite a few stops to find model trains!
Amato’s Toy and Hobby in Middletown has a “Trainland” filled with operating model trains and antique toys. “Trainland” showcases an exhibit of the antique toy and train collection of founder Vincent Amato, a giant Playmobil Toyland Display that features large G gauge trains traveling through the villages, and an interactive Lionel toy train layout with trackside accessories that can be operated by visitors.
For both collector’s items and brand new trains, check out All Aboard Train Depot in Brookfield where the family-owned business has been operating O scale and HO trains for more than 60 years!
More model trains can be found all over Connecticut! Discover these beloved collectibles at:
- Tom’s Trains of Connecticut in Wethersfield
- Branford Hobbies in Branford
- Time Machine Hobby in Manchester
- R R Model & Hobby Supply in Winsted
- Branchline Trains Inc in Vernon
- Heritage Hobbies in Wilton
Easy Train Getaways
Stay by the Sea in Old Saybrook
Enjoy fine dining, spa treatments, and incredible waterfront views when you rest your head at the stunning Saybrook Point Resort & Marina in Old Saybrook. A stone’s throw from the Northeastern Corridor’s most popular rail route, Saybrook Point Resort is a quick ride from New York City and Boston—and easily accessible anywhere up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Once you reach the station after your Amtrak or Metro-North/Shore Line East service, just hop on our complimentary shuttle service the final leg of your trip.
Enjoy the Art of New Canaan and Greenwich
The Metro-North stop at New Canaan drops you off just a short walk from the Visitor's Center for the remarkable Glass House and Sculpture Gardens (you will take a shuttle ride to the property for a tour). In Greenwich, an easy walking distance from the Cos Cob station, learn about the vibrant history of the town at the Greenwich Historical Society. Want to linger a little longer? Make it an overnight at Greenwich’s Stanton House Inn, the perfect spot for a weekend getaway from the city.
Take a Trolley Ride in Stamford
Stamford’s charming new Harbor Point Trolley goes throughout the city, stopping in shopping and dining neighborhoods, the Stamford Town Center Mall, the theater district and more. Take the train to Stamford and take a short walk to Trolley Stop 12 to get on board.
Discover Art, Shopping and Dining in New Haven
The Union Station Shuttle travels from Union Station to the New Haven Green continuously every twenty minutes, from 6:05 a.m. until 10:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. Experience the best of New Haven, with museums, theater, art galleries, boutiques and top dining destinations. From the green, you may even want to take a short stroll up Church Street to Whitney Avenue and discover the challenging fun of Escape New Haven.
Go Treasure Hunting in Seymour
Take the Metro-North Waterbury Line to Seymour, where a district of antique shops and galleries are just a short stroll away from the Seymour train station.
Open a Cold One on Our Beer Trail
Local Kitchen, located in South Norwalk, is just a short stroll from the South Norwalk Metro-North station, not to mention a district filled with other great drinking and dining destinations. Two Roads Brewery in Stratford provides a "12 Pack" beer bus on Fridays through Sundays from the Stratford Metro-North Station or the Port Jefferson Ferry in Bridgeport, or take the Greater Bridgeport Transit bus right to their front door. Easily change at New Haven for Shore Line East to Branford’s Stony Creek Brewery. Insider tip: For more trains back to New Haven, take Shore Line East eastbound to Guilford, then pick up a westbound train to New Haven.
Make a Splash in Mystic
The charming seaport village of Mystic is just three hours from New York by train. Amtrak from New York or Boston stops at the station in Mystic. Walk or take a taxi to Mystic Seaport Museum or Mystic Aquarium.
Additional Rail Routes
Amtrak (leaving from Penn Station, NY and Boston’s three main stations) offers a discount to several Connecticut destinations. Shore Line East Trains connect New Haven with towns on the shoreline, all the way to New London.
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