Railroad Museum of New England - Thomaston, Connecticut

N G.

I was extremely disappointed by this. Before purchasing tickets for the Governor’s Lounge (Autumn Ride) I checked the information on the website which said the windows open. Upon arrival, I walked into the lounge to find none of the windows opened. I had to put on my mask (as someone who has still never gotten COVID-19) as people piled in. It was underwhelming, as the barrel chairs were haphazardly pushed against the walls of the train car, and people began loudly complaining that there were not enough seats. After a group of people finally realized they were in the wrong car, everyone began sitting and waiting for the departure. The train was packed even though the website still shows there were 15 openings, and we were told it was a full train (I have no idea how that works). The heat was blaring, and people began coughing and sneezing repetitive within the 20 minutes I was seated. With 10 minutes before departure, I could see the discomfort that was going to unfold and forfeited my ticket, exiting the train. I let the conductor know how uncomfortable I was, and said this was advertised incorrectly online. I wanted to attend this and see the foliage, but was not going to risk getting COVID-19 for it. My parents stayed on the train and told me it was not enjoyable, as no one was there to attend them the majority of the time, and they were offered their refreshments last and they ran out of water before that. For the most expensive ticket you can get for this train, you would think they would accommodate you slightly better? I drove and picked up my parents at Fascia’s Chocolate as they did not want to take the ride back. It was a very expensive and uncomfortable ride, and I would not recommend it, especially if you are thinking it is something you can do while avoiding COVID-19. This is not a ride suitable for a Governor, and the Amtrak has far better service.

andrea P.

Absolutely awesome I went on the northern lights limited train ride that picked up santa and Mrs. Claus. They made Ballon animals, gave out bells, toys, and the reindeer came to visit also. This really brings out the spirit of Christmas out for all to enjoy, especially all the lights!

Harihara T.

Unplanned trip but it was a great experience. We went on the pumpkin patch train. The total experience was around 90mins. They handed out free apple cider and water. Kids loved the pumpkin patch stop where they got to get down and pick a small pumpkin of their own!

Mike T.

The whole experience was really great, the ticket purchase was very simple and everyone connected with the railroad is very friendly and knowledgeable. The train ride itself was very relaxing and fun. The stop at Bad Dog Brewery was great, the food was good and we weren't rushed at all. It was a great way to spend an evening.

Rebecca M.

Awesome, AWEsome, AWESOME!!! We went on the ride that takes you to Fascia's Chocolates, and the scenery was beautiful! I loved hearing about the history of each cart, and about trains in general.

Note: we sprung for the "luxury" seating, and that cart was trash. It looked like an old reception office with grungy gray carpets and frowning people. So we walked back to a regular cart, and that was much more like it: actual exposed wood, original windows, and beautiful black leather chairs. Much prettier, and it would have been cheaper!

Jared O.

Have been going to the other Santa train in CT for many years. Decided to give this one a try. This was a first and last for us. And we had the "lounge" experience, i feel sorry for those in coach. The best way to explain the experience at the Santa train on Saturday afternoon was....we felt like we were inconveniencing the staff for showing up. The parking attendant yelling at me for backing in outside the lines and trying to fix it, the conductor being sarcastic when asking him to help us find the correct car..."well how am i supposed to know", or perhaps the actual conductor taking our tickets when he was loading 1 car at a time and i am literally next to board the train with a baby in the freezing cold and he decides to take people from the next car first. I asked if i could just get on quick and out of the cold and replied, basically yelling at me, that he was the only person doing the job for two. And then when getting on the train, the person seating us was yelling at us to sit down, stop taking photos, stay in our seats. Felt more like a prison transfer than a magical Santa ride. Santa was good when he came in and engaged with the kids. The entertainment was non-existent. There was a random Rudolph character walking around and sometimes did not even stop to entertain the kids, just walked through. The elf was awkward and came around just talking to the kids asking them pointed questions as if they were being interrogated. Overall it appeared that the staff was tired and annoyed by our presence. Also giving the kids random crap like a 2025 calendar from the railroad, wow so magical...We will go back to the other place in the future, it's clear why they are at a higher price point, you really do get what you pay for.

L D.

We took the ice cream train and my 4 year old loved it. We played a scavenger hunt on the train and collected some cool Thomas the train tattoos for completing it. The staff were great. There is a gift shop, washrooms and tourist info at the station.

Cas

This was a wonderful family day. My Grandson (2 1/2) loves trains so where else do we go but in our own backyard. The staff on train and off are so friendly and helpful. As we waited for train to pull in we listened to the music of great band playing on the platform. The ride was perfect for my grandson just about an hour. He enjoyed everything about it as we adults did too. Upon returning we all got something from the gift shop. Will be going again.