According to the Arcade and Attica Railroad website, this is the best local attraction in Western New York. I doubt that anyone can dispute that claim, especially tonight with beautiful blue skies and magnificent clouds, flying high across the forests and farmlands in the surrounding area. Whenever the steam engine pulls into position beside the depot, there's always great excitement as passengers crowd the street, pack the depot, and pour into the train cars. This is truly a great opportunity to step back into time for about an hour. The air is fresh and clean, the scenery is ethereal. You'll forget about the stress of living in a modern world when you're focusing on the meadows and fields, whooshing by your window. This is a great excursion for all ages. And this is the best time of year to go! read more

See all

What a fun little day adventure! Fall foliage train ride on a crisp but sunny October day! Ticket purchase was on line and for $25, what a deal! Showed up at the station early and was able to get some cute pictures. We were seated in the last car then noticed there was an outdoor car as well! We ended up sitting outside for the entire trip. There's no assigned seating in the back so it worked out great! Round trip is about 2h20m. And they run different things seasonally between Arcade and Attica. Would come back! read more

See all

The Fall Foliage tour on Oct 13, 2024 was a little disappointing, but no one can plan far enough ahead on weather. Although a cold and often rainy day for us, we had a fun and nostalgic ride with old engine #18, the only operational steam engine in New York State. Windows steamed up, which further muted any fall colors. The open air car would not have had that problem, but I was not that adventuress. Arcade, NY is less than an hour from downtown Buffalo. A pleasant drive, and lots of fall foliage to see en route. I estimate the number of passengers that day for our tour time slot was about 200. There is one ladies rest room in the depot, nothing in train cars. The rest room, a 2-seater, is down a narrow hall. Anyone with a walker or any mobility device cannot get in the line or else no one can get out. And, following a tour, the line is L O N G. Definitely a need for more facilities. No idea about the men's rooms. The train ride is a little over 2 hours in length. About half way, we had a stop for possible rest room or food (chilidogs). The lines were so long for this 20 minute or so stop that I never even saw the building. But I did get a penny flattened by #18 as it repositioned on a side track to take the train back the way we had come. An interesting and informative experience-- though often difficult to hear the conductor's travelogue above the clamor of hundreds of people and their several noisy children. I thought if I have the chance I will suggest that the conductor ask for people's attention before his narrative. (This is my chance.) Speaking of children. we had four wonderfully polite and considerate children in our car. They were mostly bored. You want nice weather for children to go on a slow moving train ride for two hours. At least in sunshine and clear windows, there'd be more to look at outside. But, as I say, these kids entertained themselves with being helpful wherever they could and in delightful conversation with other passengers. Kudos to the parents. Train goes rain or shine. That's a caveat that's worth keeping in mind. If weather ends up forbidding your plans, at least the ticket cost goes to a good cause: The Arcade & Attica Railroad affords a short trip into the 19th and 20th centuries of passenger rail travel. Especially if old #18 is working, as it was for us. If it is being repaired, your train is pulled by a diesel engine, but the cars still provide a taste of the past. read more

See all

We had such a great time riding the rails today to see the eclipse. The staff and crew did a great job of giving all an experience even though Mother Nature brought us clouds. I loved my experience today and my family and I will be back! read more

Wonderful experience on the train ride today 8/14/2022. My sister purchased tickets for the train ride for 8. We all went! We had 4 adults and 4 kids (ages ranging from 3-14). It was a perfect day! The weather was wonderful. We checked in and boarded the train. We got the open cart. We are so grateful we had it because the weather couldn't have been more perfect and the breeze felt lovely. There are no bathrooms on board the train, so use the restroom before boarding. The ride out is 40 minutes. You then stop for about 30 minutes (potty break can be done then and snacks can be bought at this stop as well). It's awesome that on this break you have a play structure that's wooden that's a train for the kiddos to play on! My 3 year old LOVED it! Also, they allow kids to go up on the other engine that they put on the train to go back to the original station. This was a neat experience! Overall, I'd rate this as a MUST DO for families! I'm interested in coming back with my family (adults only) and doing a murder mystery tour, robbery tour, etc as i heard they have those, too! read more

See all

We recently booked a trip for their 2023 Fall Foliage train ride. Be aware that anywhere on the train cars it may be bumpy BUT the open-air viewing car is even more so, BUT not impossible for capturing the countryside and many sights along the way. On our trip of the second week of October 2023, it was rainy most if not all of the train ride BUT that did not dim the fall colors at all! Before departing Arcade, two huge buses had pulled up to disembark their many passengers for the ride! As stated before, though the cars are swaying bumping and rolling constantly, it should not hamper any attempt of photography, be it a phone, small bridge camera or a DSLR. I suggest a medium to wide telephoto, and the best results can be had standing than sitting on one side or the other. Standing affords the best view out both sides of the viewing car. Just watch your stance to counter the continuous motion of the train. I suggest legs wide apart and using the bench ends to assist in staying still/steady. I also suggest timing your shots between the jerks or bumps. I had very FEW blurry shots from the trip, and my wife said she had few blurry snaps as well! My many years on various sized naval ships and including minesweepers really paid off ;) Refreshments available at the short stop at Attica, then returning to Arcade. Ample parking is available across the street from the quaint train station, where a conductor will actually stop traffic as you cross in the marked crosswalk in front of the station! On our trip, the engine pushed the car to Attica, then pulled the cars back to Arcade. We dined in Arcade before heading back to our nearby hotel. The Arcade & Attica Railroad offers many other excursions, some tailored to the seasons. Just check out their webpage for more information and/or tickets! They do offer a military/senior discount (thank you very much) which we took advantage of. All in all, though it rained during the whole ride, it was a very pleasant time and ride, of which we got some fabulous memories!! Hoping y'all will enjoy your ride also, and I did meet a very friendly gentleman who rode with whom I thought was his Father, and he explained that he's been riding the train for over 30 years! WoW! read more

See all

It's such a nice family outing. My kids loved it. Loved that you can sit inside or outside!

We (my husband, our three year old, and I) went on the fall foliage excursion yesterday and it was so much fun! The ride itself was beautiful and we enjoyed listening to the history of the railroad. The Chaffee stop was great. The concessions are all extremely well priced ($2 for popcorn, $2.50 for a drink). We enjoyed walking around and looking at the train. When we book again, I will be mindful of getting a car closer to the open air car and concession car as I did not enjoy the walk between cars but no one else minded. read more

I took my daughter for Father's Day to the arcade in Antica railroad and had a phenomenal time! All staff was extremely wonderful, especially Patrick the conductor. We were beyond impressed and it was definitely something that will come back to each and every year! It is a happy new tradition that we will always have. read more

See all

Maple Weekend Review My wife and I were given a Maple Weekend ride as a gift. The weekend did not go as expected. If you're expecting a fantastic train ride up to a unique maple syrup place with excellent food, it's not. The train advertises as a "scenic" ride, but if you've ever walked through empty woods with dead trees, you have already seen the "scenic" views it promises. The ride to the Kibler Maple Sugar Shanty feels like forever. You are in an uncomfortable train seat for 1.5 hours, and the train moves at 5mph. No, I am not joking. Patrick (the conductor) was awesome. He always made sure everyone was okay and gave a great speech on the history of the ride and railroad. When you get to the Kibler Maple Sugar Shanty, you get off the train, walk into a giant garage-type building, and stand there. You have the option to purchase maple goods such as syrup, candy, etc, which seems to be the only purpose of the stop at the syrup shanty. There is NO tour guide or direction on what to do or see. You stand around waiting for the time to re-board the train. They were not making syrup or anything, so all there was to look at were empty/non-functional machines. Upon re-boarding, you get to push your seat to face the opposite way as the train goes back the way it came. You stop 30 minutes at a building that literally says "Food Shelter" on it. Where everyone floods into a small building in a single file line. You are given a plate with 2 ice cream scoops worth of eggs, 2 sausage patties, and 3 pancakes. They have little bottles of water, sunny-d, and milk cartons. I felt like I was in school again with the food quality. Actually, I think my school had better quality food. The building is correctly labeled as a food shelter, as it seems they took every step possible NOT to deliver decent food. The syrup is from the Kibler Maple Sugar Shanty and is very good. It just seems like a waste to put it on such terrible pancakes. There was very little seating, so my wife and I ate on the train. We then anxiously waited for everyone to board so we could get back to our car and get home... read more

This is the most customer-oriented business. The staff are always so helpful and accommodating and our family always love the Christmas train ride and seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus and the reindeer! There is much to do and it's just amazing!​ read more

Really nice time on the Halloween themed train. I have taken my kids on other types of theme trains before at different railroads, but I think this was the nicest as far as a restored antique train goes. Our kids wore their costumes, had popcorn, explored the station, but did not enter the haunted house. We weren't sure how scary it would be. We are planning to come back again for Christmas because it was a really nice family afternoon. read more

See all

Merry Christmas everybody! So as a gift to my mother my father bought tickets for our whole family to go on the Arcade and Attica Santa's Wonderland Express! I wasn't really sure what to expect and there was definitely some highs and some lows. You go into an old train station in Arcade and there's a little gift shop that you walk through. There are some bathrooms that you can use before you get on the train which does not have any. Then there is the on-call station where you pick up your tickets followed by a little cafe with some affordable snacks. Just be warned they are cash only! Eventually they'll call everyone to board the train. There were three train cars each held maybe 50 people. The seats are a little on the small side but can fit two medium sized adults or one larger adult and a child. There was room in the back of the train car for strollers but it's a pretty big challenge to get them from ground level up onto the train then down the narrow walkway. The 45 minute train ride was nice if not exactly picturesque. You travel through some pretty landscapes but there's also a lot of abandoned buildings and abandoned manufacturing plants. When you arrive at Santa's wonderland it's a bit of a mixed bag. There are residential houses within view so it's not really much of a rural location. There's a wooden train kids can play on, a small toy shop where children receive a free toy from Santa, a building that houses Santa's reindeer and Mr and Mrs Claus and then a snack shop. Also cash only. We got some store-bought cookies two hot chocolates a bag of chips and a chili for 10 bucks. It wasn't inspired but it was okay. The line to see Santa was pretty long so we started off by going into the snack shop since our daughter's only 8 months old and we didn't want to stand outside in the cold. Once the line died down we did go through the building and got to meet some reindeer as well as Mr and Mrs Claus who were very welcoming. The inside of this building was really decorated nicely and had a rustic feel to it. The snack shop is basically just a big metal building. After visiting Santa we boarded the train again and headed back to Arcade. Personally I think the price of the ticket is way too high but the kids definitely had fun and it was a nice family outing. Unfortunately we lucked out and our seats were the very last seats in the very last train car so it was a little bit of walking on a very windy cold day but that's not really something in the control of the railroad. One other thing to mention is that it is about a 9-ft vertical climb into the train and out of the train so just keep that in mind for anyone with limited mobility. read more

An hour ride from Biffalo will take you aboard the train to yesterday.Today the Arcade and Attica railroad is the oldest continuously operating railroad under the same corporate identity in New York State.The history behind this distinctive line dates back to 1917.Spend two hours enjoying the countryside where you will see wild turkeys, cows, Corn fields and apple orchards.They host numerous event throughout the year such as the Haunted Halloween Express, Fall Foliage Excursions,TheGreat Train Robbery just to name a few.This ride will not disappoint. read more

Arcade & Attica Railroad - Arcade & Attica Railroad - Kids Activities Near Me - Arcade, New York

Climb aboard the only railroad in New York State offering steam locomotive passenger excursions.The passenger excursions feature such special events as The Easter Bunny Express,Civil War Days,Children's Trains,Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Ides, Wine Tasting Events, Fall Foliage Tours,Halloween Rides and North Pole Express.This is a well worth two hour trip where you can relax a board the circa 1920 coaches taking you through beautiful countryside farmlands. A must adventure to try at least once or twice. read more

Arcade & Attica Railroad - Arcade & Attica Rsilroad - Kids Activities Near Me - Arcade, New York

This was my family's second ride on the A&A railroad , it will not be our last. it's a delightful low tech experience the kids love.

Really nice experience. Great anytime of the year. Good popcorn. The train stops in a really small town. You can climb up on an engine train at the stop. Neat old train station....It would be cool if they would get more historical items in it. The food building is a bit unorganized as the line is so long. Their are temporary bathrooms in a trailer and WOW....these were the absolute nicest portable bathrooms I have ever been in! They could update the bathrooms at the main station and just make the overall experience a tad better. However, it's a great and a nice piece of history. read more

This year we took our 1 year old (in part of a larger family group) on the "North Pole Express" for the first time and he loved it! They do offer concessions you can purchase at the train station before you depart, or once you get to the "North Pole." The train ride was pleasant, but I think the North Pole set up is where they really shine. From feeding Santa's reindeer, to walking through his workshop while waiting to meet Santa himself, it was wonderful. There was such thoughtful attention to detail! The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because our train seats were directly under the heater, which got to be a bit warm. They happily turned it down for us though. This will likely become a regular holiday tradition for our family! read more

See all

My review is specific to the Christmas train ride experience. I seriously loved every aspect. It was easy to purchase our tickets (well in advance as I knew the tours sell out quickly) and the check in process was effortless. There is a large area to sit or stand in while waiting to board the train. They had bathrooms, seating and concessions available. Can't ask for much more than that! Once we boarded the train, they explained a little about our agenda and we got moving. The elves delivered Christmas wish lists for the kids to fill out and Christmas music was playing in the train. The usual ride to the North Pole is supposed to be about 30 minutes but we had a few delays because of ice and issues with an engine of a previous train. The staff kept us well apprised of the situation, though. At the North Pole there are several attractions. You can visit Santa's reindeer, get your face painted, make reindeer food and of course, visit with Santa. The staff was well organized and ensured that families weren't standing outside in the cold to see Santa. Santa's workshop had a sleigh and bear for photo opportunities, a mailbox for the wish lists she then Santa himself. It was extremely well decorated and planned out. There was also a large indoor area with seating to either relax or enjoy concessions. They ensure every single group has seen Santa before they take the train back. One of the things I like is that they don't over charge on concessions and souvenirs. Most food items were only $1 and most souvenirs at the "North Pole" were under $10. Overall, a wonderful experience for families and something I'll definitely do again in the future. read more

I have been riding this train since I was a little boy in the 1980s. While the trip hasn't changed much since then, here are some great reasons to ride the A&A: 1.) It features one of the only operating steam locomotives in NY. If you want to ride a steam train, here it is. 2.) The trip is about 90 minutes, which isn't too long or too short. 3.) Unlike some train rides, this one is pretty inexpensive. 4.) You travel over bridges, through farm areas, along streams, and through other interesting scenery. And upstate NY in the fall with the leaves changing is really beautiful. 5.) The train crew are very friendly, food and drinks are available on the train and in the station, and bathroom facilities are available at both areas. Plus, they have special theme rides like Santa, Easter Bunny, murder mystery, Civil War reenactment, wine tasting, barbeque, etc. Fun for the whole family. Woot Woot! read more

Very knowledgeable staff on the train to answer all the questions my boys come up with. Cute train ride..stops half way at a station where you can get something quick to eat. read more

We went here today for the WW2 re-enactment and pun up girl contest. We enjoyed our little trip to the railroad. The train station was decked out with old school memorabilia and photos from the years past. They had air popped popcorn, hotdogs, and candies set up to look like an old penny candy store. We took the the train from Arcade to Attica and watched several actors fire their replica rifles and put on a display for the passengers of the train ride. It was a nice trip, a man was walking up and down the rail cars playing an accordion and was singing old war tunes. Several people were either dressed in German uniforms or American uniforms several women came dressed up as pin up girls and it was great to see all of the WW2 veterans there looking and enjoying the event. Great for the family and it was nice to be out on such a great day. read more

See all

We rode for the Children's Trains event in July 2017. It was an out and back ride, approx. 40 min each way. We stopped at the Currier's Station where they had two bounce houses, face painting and hot dogs/drinks/ice cream for sale. $20 per adult/$18 for our 3 yr old. $7.80 service fee (ridiculous). Way too many kids for two bounce houses. For the price, it would have been nice if the hot dogs or snacks were included. Overall it was a pretty cute ride and good memories for my son and his grandma. I attached the 2017 schedule of events. read more

See all

This was really too much fun. We did the Easter Bunny ride in April with 8 adults and 2 kids. The seats flip so that you can sit in a foursome or regular. The staff was really funny and kind. A gentleman came through singing songs with an accordion... it was great family fun. The Easter egg hunt was casual and calm. Nothing was ever rushed or worrisome, just really relaxing and pleasant. We'll be back! read more

Arcade & Attica Railroad - inside the train - Kids Activities Near Me - Arcade, New York

This is my 500th review!!! My whole family (party of 10) booked a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express this year. It was amazing!!! My 5 year olds were thrilled to ride a train and visit Mr. And Mrs. Claus. Santa was awesome and so were the reindeer in their stables. The elves made reindeer food with the kids and gave each child a little momento. We went on a stormy, snowy night... which added to the realistic feeling of the North Pole. Tickets were about $30/ person. The entire event was about 2.5 hours. The North Pole is just one of many events put on by the railroad. There is a wine event that sounds fun! read more

A good activity for a fall day. They had reduced availability because of COVID but we still got the time reserved that we wanted. A stop halfway for cider and donuts was a great touch. read more

My oldest daughter has been begging for a train ride, and love the Polar Express movie so I looked at all of the various Christmas Themed train rides around the region and chose this one despite the distance from our house, because it seemed like the best value and experience for the price. We are very pleased with our experience, first because there were no up charged "first class" options, you pay for an experience and you get the whole experience. The only "extras" were food at the snack bars in the train station and in the "North Pole" at the other end of the line. This setup was very cute, from the small town train station in Arcade to the "North Pole" setup at the end of the line. There is a snack bar with decently priced snacks like hot dogs and chili, $1 drinks and cookies. Santa's cabin with real reindeer to visit and pet while you wait in line, hugs, gift bags and magic bells from Mrs. Claus and a visit with Santa himself. Another cabin has a small gift shop where you can buy a souvenir or get your face painted and grab some reindeer food for free before boarding the train back to Arcade. As for the train ride itself, it's a cute little ride with friendly elves passing out goodies, helping the kids write out wishlists for Santa and passing out popcorn and plush toys. It was a great experience, done really well and worth the nearly four hour round trip drive. The kids LOVED it. read more

This is always a great place to go. Parking can be a little tricky so get here a bit early. I have found the public lot behind the Police station to be the best. read more

Arcade & Attica Railroad - Passenger car for Arcade and Attica Railroad. - Kids Activities Near Me - Arcade, New York

This is a great gem. Take a ride on old time Train cars. We took the Christmas train with our almost three year old daughter. It was a 40 minute ride each way to the "North Pole" Santa and Mrs Claus were waiting. The kids for trinkets and treats from very happy and friendly elves. The staff were extremely enthusiastic and friendly. It is a fun experience to have and the staff help make it all come together. There are soda and pop corn and hot dogs etc for sale at the station and at the North Pole for a reasonable price. read more

It was a fun expericence! Riding a steam train with performers playing guitar and accordion with some kid and old train theme songs. We went to the Halloween special, a lot of kids dressed up and they were all happy and excited for the train and a the ride. It's a fun trip with ur kids. Pop corn is only a dollar, tasted good, u can also get hot dog and hot cider half way stop. Def. A fun trip with the kids and ur first time ride. read more

See all

The train ride was awesome. We got our tickets online which was very easy to do. Once we got there it is easy find the signs for the ticket counter to pick up the tickets. There was plenty of memorabilia to look at. Set date steam engine was out of order so we had the diesel engine for train rides. It was good lyrics ride and cars are not heated but I was comfortable regardless. Scenery was beautiful and once we got to the other station we were able to stretch our legs or go to the open air car or get some snacks or use the rest room. read more

As I was looking up Fall Foliage train rides near me, back in October, I came across the NorthPole Train ride on the Arcade/Attica Train website. I called the extended family up to see who'd be interested and 2 days later went back to website to pick our seats out and purchase Tickets. The days we wanted were almost sold out, so we found a Sunday 2:30 train ride to accommodate 8 of us sitting together or near one another. We were fortunate to get a Beautiful Sunny 30 degree day. Trains were warm, had hot popcorn, candy and drinks for sale. At the North Pole there was a heated concession area with table, seats, Hot dogs, chili, mozerealla sticks, drinks for sale. The North Pole isn't too big, which makes walking around easy. You have 1 hour in the North Pole area and bring "Cash". There was a little house that offered free Face Painting, oatmeal (reindeer food), and souvenirs for sale, of course the elves run that place. Once you get in line for Santa and Mrs.Claus's house, they allow you or your group to go in separate from other people, which the kids loved (having Santa all to yourself). Mrs.Claus can help take your pictures on your device. No charge for Santa pictures, just snap away. This was a Great adventure from start to finish. I would recommend to anyone interested in train rides and North Pole. read more

See all

Good fun. We took the Halloween train ride. Steam engine, which was a big hit for our son, and the trip was about 2 and a half hours. Leaves were beautiful, the little station we stopped at on the far end of the trip was quaint and they had set up a little haunted house for the kids. It's a slow ride, but it was fun. read more

This place is a great summer trip and they have Christmas trips to my babies love it...it a great family outting

We went on the Christmas train ride to the North Pole and we all loved it! Santa was very genuine, real reindeer were there, and the train ride itself was magical. We will have to try the Thomas train ride in the summer. We will definitely be back. read more

Pretty neat experience, Will be returning in a few months. Just disappointed that the steam engine was not up and working, But they said it will be towards the end of the year. Take note to dring cash for food and drinks. read more

I was very disappointed by the Easter train event this weekend. It was defiantly no where near as nice as the Christmas one, but that was not my main problem with this train ride this year. The worst part was that one of the people dressed as the bunny kept taking his HEAD OFF!!!! He was even talking and interacting with young children with his head off!!! How can we as parents keep the illusion and magic of the Easter bunny alive in our children when we go to an event, not a cheap one I might add and we have to explain why the Easter bunny is a man in a costume!!! read more

Arcade & Attica Railroad - Picture showing the man in an easter bunny costume with his head off, with many young children running around :( - Kids Activities Near Me - Arcade, New York

I have come with my daughter and grandsons for three years now. The first year was nice. The second year really went downhill. This year was the breaking point. Paid a lot of money with no perks. No vendors. They only offer hotdogs and chili chips, soda, coffee and juice boxes. They no longer give out any small stuffed animals. No elves on the trains with music and entertainment for the kids. The temp was set at 65degrees. They have really cheapened this trip. Never again! Screaming kids and not even music wasn't pleasant. read more

First off, when you start off, there is more scenery then the rest of the trip. All you see is scrub woods, cornfields and maybe a far away farmhouse on a hill, plus the backs of a couple of manufacturers. No plastic taken on the train or the one stop, which sells hot dogs and pop, plus has only 4 porta johns. The evening "dinner train had a very corny play, that was not even very funny. They served chicken that was either over cooked or bloody. For 40 nucks each, go to a restaurant with a play. This was not even a Murder Mystery dinner train, as I was led to believe. Not worth an hour drive to spend that kind of money for that. read more

Wonderful staff. Great way to relax on a Saturday with friends and family. We have been going to the murder mystery ride for years now and it is one of the most unique experiences you can have. Highly recommended. read more