Travel back in time aboard the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat for a truly memorable experience! Located in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, this excursion takes you on a narrated two and a half hour journey.
Passengers board the train at Essex Station and ride through quaint towns like Chester and Deep River to the scenic Deep River Landing. There, you’ll board the Becky Thatcher Riverboat and enjoy a scenic cruise along the beautiful Connecticut River!
What to Expect
One of the most popular ways to experience Essex is on a train ride with a connecting riverboat excursion. This is a unique opportunity to take in scenic views of the Connecticut River Valley on a vintage railroad ride and then hop on a decorative Mississippi-style riverboat to enjoy sights like Gillette Castle and Goodspeed Opera House on the water.
During the excursion season, the diesel-hauled Essex Clipper Dinner Train offers passengers a four-course meal on a 2.5-hour train ride through the quaint Connecticut Valley in 1920s Pullman cars. This is a truly unforgettable way to end your day in beautiful Essex.
The steam train departs from the station in downtown Essex and travels on a fully narrated 12-mile round trip to Chester and Deep River, skirting Selden Lake State Park and offering a variety of birding opportunities including cormorants, ducks, swans, Greenland geese, blue herons and egrets. The train also stops at Pratt Cove, a birding preserve, where you can get out and explore the wetlands.
Train Rides
There’s no denying that train travel is an experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. And there are plenty of scenic train rides in New England that offer a trip back in time – and some very fine dinner trains to boot!
The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat is an authentic narrated ride through the pristine Connecticut River Valley. Its trains are powered by steam locomotives and you can also take a cruise aboard the riverboat Becky Thatcher that runs daily during the summer, June through October.
At the train station, you’ll board vintage coaches that will transport you through classic New England towns and past parks, coves and tidal wetlands where Greenland geese, blue herons and ducks nest. This narrated 12-mile round trip is an hour long, or 2 1/2 hours if you include a riverboat cruise.
The train also offers a variety of special excursions, including a Thomas the Tank Engine event in May and June. Children will have the opportunity to see a real working locomotive while learning about life as an engineer. Then there’s the annual Circus Train in July, a family-friendly event that brings a historic circus train to life.
Water Excursions
For a truly unforgettable experience, combine a steam train ride with a cruise aboard the Mississippi-style riverboat. The only steam train-riverboat connection in the country, this is a trip that will take you back to the time of old-fashioned travel.
You can choose a 12-mile, narrated round-trip that takes you through quintessential New England towns and unspoiled areas of the Connecticut River Valley named one of the “last great places on Earth” by the Nature Conservancy. You will see parks, coves and tidal wetlands that are home to herons, ducks, swans and geese.
Your adventure starts with the 2-1/2-hour train ride to Deep River Landing where you board a Mississippi-style riverboat called Becky Thatcher. This floats up and down the Connecticut River, giving you views of Gillette Castle, Goodspeed Opera House and Haddam Swing Bridge before returning to Essex Station. This trip lasts about an hour or two and is available for $70.
Food
Travelers who remember the heyday of passenger rail travel will find their nostalgia revived by a host of scenic and historic train rides that offer onboard dining. These are some of the few trains left in America that still carry dining cars, offering guests a chance to dine and ride at the same time.
Many dinner trains offer a menu that is both gourmet and locally sourced. Some also have gluten free and vegetarian options.
An Essex steam train dinner is a great way to enjoy a relaxing, romantic day with your loved one. The train offers two-and-a-half hour narrated trips that connect Essex station with Deep River Landing where the Mississippi-style riverboat Becky Thatcher waits to transport you up and back along the Connecticut River.
The riverboat also takes passengers on excursions to Gillette Castle State Park, a former home of actor William Gillette. The excursion includes a train ride from Essex and then ferry service to the park for a short hike to the huge castle.
