This ride and stop at Old Forge was a blast... My friend [the railroad buff] told a few of us about this trip and the opportunity to ride an older RR to the beautiful old town of "Old Forge." For me it was going to be one big photo opportunity. It was fun from the moment we boarded until we arrived. We were guided through some of the stops with short history lessons. The dome car was amazing and really gave us a great view of the area we were traveling. At one point we went down to the old baggage car where we could stand by the open doors and look out. Not bad for taking pictures either. When we got to Thendara we boarded a bus for a five minute ride to Old Forge. While everyone in my group elected to go to lunch, I walked down to the lake then back to the train station taking pictures all the way. (I've posted all of them). It was about a mile and a half journey. There is some cool stuff by the station including an old speakeasy in the store across from the station house. I also walked over to the area (a temporary tent) where they are repainting an old locomotive. Throughout the whole trip up they gave us muffins, coffee, tea and other soft drinks in the morning and snacks and coffee, tea, water, etc.. On the way back they gave us a shrimp cocktail and a cheese plate. This was just so nice and the folks taking care of us were terrific. All in all, this was a really fun trip and I definately reccomed this as an overnighter. There are some really nice restaurnts in Utica. KUDOs to the team at Adirondack Scenic Railroad read more

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Riding on the Easter Bunny express today. A young boy came in and promptly threw up in front of the ticket window. The poor woman with this group of children took him right outdoors. No one from the station helped them OR cleaned up the vomit!! The woman with the kids did her best to clean it up after coming in with the children. The vomit covered in paper towels was left to sit in front of the ticket window/door to board the train for everyone to avoid. Beyond unacceptable! read more

We did the polar express train ride which the kids loved! The train station is beautiful, and the train itself was nicely decorated for Christmas! Our kids truly felt that we traveled to the North Pole and liked the hot chocolate and cookie served on board. read more

Polar Express Experience? If I could have gotten a refund I would have! This was a completely deceptive trip! The beginning.. a young woman and young man lip synching, then a lackluster conductor and little boy performing. We chose to not do the VIP tickets and were in the first car with all the smudges and dirty windows and the overhead speaker that you barely can hear music or announcements because it sounded like a speaker from the 1950's or 1960's ! Who knew we would be getting on a train to no where? Everyone thought it was a trip to a pseudo North Pole and getting out to meet Santa. Instead drove in the dark for the 7pm ride not seeing hardly anything out the windows had a half cup of warm chocolate and a cookie and drove back to station.. for $47 per person? Even our grandson was disappointed! We were told no water served or a second cookie or hot chocolate! For the money they make for each trip in this season they should buy a plot of land at the last stop where that fake looking Santa stood outside and waved and make a little Northpole that the families can get off the train and have a magical experience? Sorry never ever wasting money or time on this bogus trip. We will just enjoy the magical movie. read more

The train ride is a lot of fun and a great way to spend a summer evening. We did the Beer and Wine train with first class tickets which included a commemorative glass and hors d'oeuvres (either meat and cheese plate OR shrimp cocktail). The beer and wine train had a drink menu that included Surfside Vodka drinks. Except they didn't have them. It also included full bottles of wine. Except they ran out of glasses and my companions had to use their commemorative glasses. Also, in order to enjoy the band you have to leave first class and go to the open area cars. This is where we spent the entire train ride once our snacks and drinks came. There were free snacks back there as well and open areas to enjoy the fresh air and take some great pictures. The staff on the train were happy and friendly and band was great There's also a neat little stand set up in the Remsen Station. However unless you absolutely want to sit in your seat and miss the music, first class is not worth the price. read more

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Mad hatter tea party. The tea party setup was cute, but there was very little interaction with the Alice in wonderland characters they walked by once and that was it. The train also just stopped on the tracks for 20 minutes or so and then went back so the actual train travel was only about 40 minutes or less. Would not be very entertaining for most young children. read more

Really fun for the little kids! We came for the Polar Express train ride, the last time slot of the Saturday evening. The website suggested arriving an hour early, but we were coming from out of town and arrived about 30 minutes early. Parking was ridiculous. Limited parking at the train station and most of the parking was full along the surrounding streets. When we finally parked and started walking in was when the folks from the time slot before started to leave. Easy to pick up our cocoa tickets that we purchased online at the ticket window. We waited near the center of the station where there was a small stage. The station itself was pretty with marble columns and decorated with garlands and wreaths. It was cute when they started the performances from the movie. Singing "Believe" got us all in the Christmas spirit and ready for the Polar Express, of course! The train ride was smooth and once you hit the halfway mark, the train reverses and goes back to the station. While there's not much to see out the windows at night, it was a great experience for our first time riders! There was music, dancing, games, coloring, hot chocolate and a cookie (and singing), and storytelling from the movie. The train hostesses were very nice and made it lively for our car. It was all really cute and our kids loved it, especially when they personally met Santa and received their bell. Felt like everyone was operating at a fast pace to get through all the kids in the cabin, but you got to experience bits of the movie. Overall, great first time experience for our family to kick start the holiday season. read more

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We took our 3 year on the polar express adventure and it was truly magical. Our daughter was so excited the entire trip, they really do a wonderful job of keeping it entertaining for everyone. She still talks about her train ride to the north pole almost a month later!! We are considering making it an annual trip :) read more

The good: Beautiful train station. Beautiful new interiors to the cars. Friendly staff. The bad: Having to wait in line for over 20 minutes to pick up tickets that have already been purchased. Even though we requested seats together with the others in our party of 8, they had separated us into three different tables! After asking for two tables together, they finally moved us into a more upscale dining car and we had two tables across from each other. That made our evening much more pleasant. The music car had windows wide open and it was in the 40s while the train was traveling. Absolutely too cold for anyone to enjoy themselves, let alone the musicians. Disorganization. First they told everyone to exit the train in Remsen toward the back of the train. Then they told everyone to exit toward the front of train. Our layover in Remsen was an hour instead of 30 minutes. We got back to the station at 10:15 instead of 9:00pm which made for a really late night since we drove in from Syracuse. read more

The trip could be summarized as FUN! What was good: - boarding was efficient and we left in time - staff on the train were excellent and kept the coffee flowing - staff communicated with us regarding our arrival time and exits - breakfast "burrito" was more a bacon breadstick but the shrimp cocktail and salad on the return trip exceeded our expectations (we were in First Class) - while the leaves were just starting to turn color, the actual trip itself was relaxing and we liked the brochure with things to keep an eye out for Not as good: - until the train was ready to board, nobody was sure where we should stand (feels like somebody shoulda been giving us direction) - not the fault of the railroad but personally I did not like the stop in Old Forge; businesses that were open were of no interest to me; I don't get the huge attraction to the hardware store. read more

My wife and I did a family outing with younger cousins on their rail bikes. We had fun and it was a pleasant afternoon, but they are lacking in organization. We purchased tickets in advance and the check in was simple enough. The trip itself was great fun and took some effort. I think this is largely what you make if it. Having said that - their wasn't much communication from the staff as they were getting the prior trip unloaded, the cars turned around, sanitizing, etc. It was pricey for what it is. It's nearly $160 with tax for 4 people. I believe they price per car, so if you're only a couple it could very well double the price. The cars were clean and ran well. There's ports John's at the turn around, which were clean. I felt for that price perhaps cold water and some snacks might have been included, but were not. They don't advertise that it's included but for that much money what's a few bucks per person or a nice cold water after working to get to the turn around? After all of that I likely would still take another trip at some point. It felt relatively new, but they told me they've been operating for at least a couple of years. Based on the lack of crisp organization I was slightly surprised by that. Our trip left fully 30 minutes late, which wasn't the end of the world, but slightly inconvenient. Had we started on time we likely wouldn't have gotten rained in as much, but once again- it's what you make of it. read more

Adirondack Scenic Railroad - Scenic view during the ride - Festivals Near Me - Utica, New York

Special family occassion [4] adult folks. Bought 4 - $98.00 tickets for the (Diamond Class Upper Level / Bubble Car]....scenic clear glass dome over the top. Started off perfectly. As the train started, we received our first free drink and and one hour later a snack, which was included in the trip. One waitress for two cars. She was running her tail off and tried, but simply could no keep up. Its well advertised that there is a food car, so we decided to walk down to it. That's when we realized there was one tiny area and one cook and a line, which reached down two cars. The cook was so backed up it was ridiculious. We were then told there would be no further food coming out of the kitchen...wasted ONE FULL HOUR. As we walked back to out car / seats, all four of us had to use the rest room. CLOSED/OUT OF ORDER....ALL BATHROOMS / ALL CARS.... FOR A 5 HOUR TRIP. Back to our seats we asked the waitress if she could get us another drink, water etc and some food. She flat out said, "no food, they were not expecting this many people, which is B.S. because everyone on the train paid weeks in advance. We asked about the bathrooms and were told....so sorry...too many people...all out of service. When we got to Thendara/ Old Forge, we thought there must be a bathroom...oh yes, one tiny stall bathroom for men & women and a line out & around the building. THERE WAS NO FOOD AT THIS LOCATION EITHER. With only a 30 minujte lay-over, no way to walk to the Village [1/2 mile away]. As three of us were adult males, we walked back into a wooded area and used the rest room...ugh. My wife stood in line and waited for her turn, which NEVER came....back on the train. I made an inquiry of the supervisor who informed me, no food, sorry for the bathrooms, now return to your seats. Suddenly, our waitress appeared with our delicious "sweet treat" for the return trip. Guess what, it was a four inch wide sugar cookies in a wrapper like you got in school lunch rooms. This is what you got with your $98.00 EACH SEAT. Before you venture out on this trip....STOP......put your hard earned money into the savings bank. read more

A covid spreader experience! Paid for the diamond class which was in the dome of the train. No social distancing and most people were not wearing masks. They were not following state guidelines. If you are an anti vaxer or don't believe in wearing masks, it will be a perfect excursion for you. read more

Wonderful trip. Lovely scenic and relaxing. We sat in outside car. Conductors dressed in old fashioned conductor outfits were friendly and gave historic and contemporary information. 3 hr Beaver river trip was just right. Lunch provided was nice boxed lunch. Inside cars need a refresh of carpet or other due to slightly odd smell but people inside seemed not to be bothered. Really worth the trip and price for newcomers to the area. read more

Adirondack Scenic Railroad - Scenic view from train ride. - Festivals Near Me - Utica, New York

Was a gift an a poor choice. Will say cars were clean n workers very nice. Did read faq before an followed all so went without drinks n food normally take long day trip. Due to some medical advice n allergies. Signage at station could be better. Did leave on time. Seems continental breakfast part of ticket does not include beverage which had to be gotten n paid for in another car. Which was limited. So called dining car needs more options even if simple sandwich or some fruit n milk or juice. When reached destination some better info where other food have been nice. Having decided to find a place get take out an they were great. But hav8ng to stand outside for length time since they were allowing tours using a one way system was not smart. Having a menu posted for train or what available at destination be great But will not go again or recommend to anybody read more

The annual search for Fall colors continued with a ride from Utica to Thendara near Old Forge. We missed peak color again, certainly not the fault of the railroad. I wish their signage was better. The station also functioned as a bus terminal and Amtrac stop, but the building was unmarked. The train equipment seemed well cared for and elderly volunteer conductors, were charming. Timing was an issue and the return trip was an hour and a half late. The highlight of the day for me was frequent glimpses of the rapids in the Moose River. There is a variety of options from which to choose featuring different layover lengths and sightseeing plans. Check their website for details. I'd be happy to hand out another star if they were a bit more organized. read more

Adirondack Scenic Railroad - A View of the Moose River - Festivals Near Me - Utica, New York

Took my two daughters on the polar express back in 2008 , what a great time , the kids and the wife were happy. Thank you , if you have young children try this trip . Also we stayed at hotel Utica also a neat old place. Architecture is old style and room were modern and clean . read more

Adirondack Scenic Railroad - Polar express trip Utica, NY - Festivals Near Me - Utica, New York

Wow, have never experienced such a disorganized mess as this . Buy tickets online then stand in line at the station for an hour to pickup tickets. Of course making us leave late. The employees seem half dead some may actually be corpses. A few pieces of advice for the operators: update your ticketing and boarding to the twentieth century (I understand the twenty first is not an option) fix the air conditioning, wash the windows, fix the PA system and make announcements instead of having volunteers give each car different info and instructions. read more

We took the Beer and Wine train on Friday night. Gridley Paige was the band on board and did a fantastic job. The train ride was about a 3hr ride with a stop in Remsen to get out and move around. You basically board the train and the party starts! Local beer and wine with light snacks available throughout the night. There is a first class option as well. The train was sold out,so plan ahead! read more

Well if you enjoy the smell of dirty porta pottys and hamster cages then this place is for you! Are you someone who likes to plan a head and purchase tickets weeks in advance? Sweet- you can stand in line for a complete hour just to pick up tickets you ALREADY paid for! My husband and I were SO happy to waste a Saturday together, and spend a total of 4 hours in a smelly sauna. Good thing we got to visit old forge during their off season just to walk from restaurant to restaurant trying to find somewhere to eat (everywhere was understaffed and not able to accommodate all of us). Disorganization and long lines were also a plus!! PS- SAVE YOUR MONEY! read more

This had so much potential, but at the end of it all, I was a bit disappointed. I loved the whole idea of five hours on a trip in the Adirondack Mountains in Fall. The Utica Station is a walk back in time to opulent art deco train stations. The Utica station has been re-purposed to include a DMV office and several other government offices. The station really thrilled me. However, the lack of signage for parking or for the Adirondack Scenic RailRoad was disappointing. Sadly, the trip up to Old Forge was ruined by a loud lady passenger who thought we were all interested in her. We weren't. Another disappointment was the lack of any really colorful foliage. The return trip to Utica was a bit delayed by a car change. However, with a good portion of the passengers leaving for a bus tour, we were lucky enough to have some of the coach personnel sit with us for the return trip. It was great fun to just sit and chat in that old rail car clattering along. Like anything, the trip is what you make of it. I enjoyed myself well enough, but it was lacking a bit here and there. I love trains and this one was a real reminder of days past. I spent three months on trains like this, criss-crossing North America from the Arctic Circle to the Panama Canal. This trip was worth the aggravations just as welcome reminder of the good times a five year old had riding the rails in all those bright shiny trains. read more

T-Rex Express was very fun for my 3 year old and his friends ages 3 and 5. However we arrived and the Holland Patent train station was locked. The woman was very apologetic but there was no place to sit in wait or bathrooms except a port-a-potty by a near by ball field. read more

Adirondack Scenic Railroad - Wet ground as it had just rained. - Festivals Near Me - Utica, New York

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This Is honestly gone down hill. What a disappointment for the amount of money for these tickets. I will NOT come back to this sorry attraction again. There wasn't any dancing on our train car except for the 2 people (one a baker and the other a helper on the train). It's so bad that the girl that plays Julia in the story was helping to pass out half cup hot coco. The cookies are 3 of the smallest cookies and literally looked as if someone bit it. I've been coming to this for a few years with my 6 yr old granddaughter. What a disaster it has become. read more

Upon arrival at the starting point (the Utica train station) the line to pick up your train tickets was several hundred people long and it took over 45 minutes to get to the ticket window. They just had one woman to handle all the riders. Incredibly poorly run. The train itself was basic. Not luxurious by any means but adequate. The scenery was beautiful but not spectacular. Ride from Utica to Old Forge took about 2 hours. Then a 4 hour layover in Old Forge (plenty of restaurants and shops to visit) and then the ride back to Utica. The fact that it was poorly organized detracted from the whole experience IMHO. read more

Took the trip from Utica to Remsen with a stop for lunch at the Soda Fountain restaurant. The rail volunteers are great. So friendly, and helpful. It was a great relaxing ride to the restaurant and back with some nice scenery, though I'll bet during foliage season it's probably spectacular. We went in early September. Would recommend for couples or families to enjoy. read more

The Polar Express was a dream for the kids. They had a blast! The volunteers were just great, hot chocolate was served, the atmosphere was great, the actors were fun, and once again, the kids had a time they will never forget. The kids met Santa and received their first Xmas present of the year. What a great experience! read more

We went on the scenic train ride up to Thendara today and had an amazing time! Everyone was friendly, courteous and helpful and took the extra time to provide, history, points of interest and most of all lots of laughs! We are already looking into our next trip! Thank you to all of the volunteers who make it possible for us to enjoy such a wonderful experience. Thanks again!! Shannon read more

Breakdown! Breakdown! Breakdown! It's a shame that such a good idea can't be done right. I firmly believe that they should be shut down!

Don't waste your money. Horrible at best. I'll probably catch a cold, freezing on train, no heat. Bathrooms with no water, and no paper products, yuk. I want my money back, please!!!!! read more

My sister and I recently brought my 4 year old niece and 2 year old nephew on the polar express. Overall, we enjoyed our time together. It's a festive holiday experience with a visit to Santa. Once we got into the station, there were tables with coloring pages and wish lists to make for Santa. The station was full of children and adults in their pajamas so we certainly did not feel out of place! My niece was so excited by it all - the elves were completely dressed up in green and red, with bell tassels on their felt shoes, hats and all! There was a sing-along led by the elves with all the families waiting to board the train. There is music from the movie, "Polar Express", playing in the background. We took a 4-seater and had room at our feet and under the seats for some of our bags. I was able to store one of our bags and jackets in the overhead. The conductor and elves helped some families to find available seats, although it did not seem to be much of a problem for anyone. The reclining seats are comfortable and clean. There was more singing and visits from the elves once we were on the train. One girl-elf was particularly friendly; she told us that her name was 'Glitter' and she was the 'head elf'. Glitter joked about her big elf boot with the curled toe and even stuck her foot up for us to look closer! She was funny, loud and cheerful, making our experience a lot of fun. The conductor shouted, "All aboard!" several times just like in the movie. He also punched our tickets; my little niece got a kick out of having her own ticket and giving it to the conductor. After we rode about 35 minutes, the conductor made an announcement that we would be treated to a show from outside, car by car. Our car was to be the last one (but the first car that Santa later boarded). The train lurched forward slowly for 15 minutes as each car enjoyed the show from one side of the train. All passengers got up to watch out one side; those of us seated on the opposite side stood in the aisle or found an empty seating area to view the "North Pole". It was lit up simply with decorated fronts of buildings; not as magical or elaborate as expected. A few elves were on hand, waving and shouting 'Merry Christmas!' to us. Eventually, they sang a carol - Santa joined them, pretending to sneak up. After about 10 minutes, Santa entered the cars. We were surprised because we had understood that this would have been the time to go outside and enjoy the cocoa and cookies. It was probably less chaotic to stay on the train, but a bit slow-paced for me. I definitely recommend bringing your own water or snacks on the train; there's nothing available on the train ride, and we did get thirsty. The cocoa and cookies are very simple and served at the very end. All passengers gather in the main lobby again; there's plenty of seating on wood benches. Also, there are restrooms in the station and each car of the train has two small bathrooms. We waited a while before Santa could visit with us; he sat and talked with each and every child. When he got to my niece, he listened to all that she wanted to tell him about gifts she hoped for. He took time to allow us to take as many photos as we liked and each of the kids were given a sleigh bell with a red ribbon. Santa was very friendly, warm and kind. There's not much of a scenic view, but the train is decorated inside with garland and lights. It's pretty with a candlelit quality. On the ride back, the elves led us in singing some carols. They also played a game of pass the elf hat - it was good fun for a big crowd. read more

Over all my husband and I were VERY disappointed with the Fall Foliage train trip. We are new to the Northeast and were very excited to experience our first fall changing of the colors. I understand this was the last run of the "Fall Foliage" train trips but the website did not make any indication that it is WAY past the time and the trees are actually mainly bare now. We feel ripped off to be honest. Their website site should have an updated active link to let people know the current state of the foliage. The conductor stated several times "the advantage of no leaves being on the trees is you can see more of the surroundings". Really??? we paid $75 to enjoy the fall foliage not to see into peoples backyards. The dining car was poorly understaffed by a sweet women who was clearly overwhelmed. The line to obtain anything was over 20 people deep at all times on the trip. We finally gave up on trying purchase anything. The trip ran 45 minutes over its printed return time adding to our frustration making a disappointing day even worse. I'm afraid I could never recommend this trip read more

I totally get that they are trying to save the railroad and that is a great thing. That being said, this was catastrophically poorly managed. I took a fall foliage tour and between a 45 min late start, hour late return, microwave hot dogs with a 20+ min wait and unwashed windows the experience was a bust. We came too early for fall foliage, totally not their fault. However, what we did see was a lot of back yard garbage, at least I think that was what it was because the windows were so dirty. Seriously they could have gotten someone to use a squeegee with a long handle and paid them 40$ to take care of that. I would not have recommended any of the people working on the train do it as the average age was about the same as the age of the trains we were on. No announcements (that anyone could hear) like hey we are leaving the station. By the trip back walking the train just for something to do, at least 1/2 the people were asleep. Very disappointing. read more

Do not waste your money!! I went on the fall foliage ride yesterday. There were NO colorful trees. The view was of dead leaves and garbage in peoples backyards! Put that aside, The train left 30 minutes late. We were supposed to be able to at least get off in Thendara for a few minutes but upon arriving the conductor comes in and tells us we will only be there for a few minutes so to remain seated then we will be headed back. 50 minutes later we start to head back!! So instead of getting back at 4:30 as stated on the website we get back at 5:45! And let's not forget to mention the "café." Well, the hot dogs were awful along with the coffee. The choice of anything to eat was just terrible. So being stuck on this train from 11am,which is when we boarded but did not leave then, and arriving back at 5:45, with no options to get anything decent to eat during the entire ride was just ridiculous!! And of course they offer no refunds because they know everyone would ask for one!! DO NOT GO ON THIS TRAIN RIDE!!! read more