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Spring Train Rides Your Kids Will Love
With the kids cooped up inside all winter, it’s almost time to get out of the house and explore. Kick off the start of warmer weather and summer’s promise with a fun train ride!
Climb aboard for a morning or afternoon of family fun as you wind through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Our Family Fun Loop and other special events are packed with fun activities to keep your kiddos occupied.
Train rides are out of Peninsula Depot to keep the length of the train ride shorter (only half of the loop). Tickets range in price from $15-35 per person depending on the event. Children under the age of three ride free!
After an hour-and-a-half ride, you’ll deboard and step onto the platform with lasting memories, and even something to take home from some of our events!
CVSR recommends passengers explore around the Village of Peninsula or walk along the towpath trail on a warm spring day.
Spring Events
Learn about Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the animals that call it their home aboard our Family Fun Loop: CVNP Rail Roving on March 2 and 16. A CVNP or CVSR volunteer will describe the wildlife in the Park, their different habitats and even show animal pelts. This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person.
Get your game on aboard our Family Fun Loop: Board Games train ride on March 9 or 23. We’ll have plenty of board games for everyone, and guests are welcome to bring their own! This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person.
You might find a pot of gold at the end of this train ride! We’re hosting a special St. Patrick’s Day Family Fun Loop on March 3 and 17. Kids will get step-by-step instructions on making a rainbow mobile (with a pot of gold of course)! This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 9:40 – 11:05 a.m. Tickets are $20 per person.
Did you know that dolphins, frogs and pigs are considered to be lucky animals? Aboard our Family Fun Loop: Charming Creatures on March 24, kids get a chance to make their very own lucky best friend! We’ll supply the stuffed animal kits, supplies, and step-by-step instructions while kids play doctor and ‘fix’ a stuffed animal. This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and $15 for a helper ticket (does not include stuffed animal).
Are your little ones master chefs in the making? Then they’ll love Family Fun Loop: Tasty Treats on March 31. Kids get to decorate two cupcakes with frosting and fun sprinkles. CVSR will provide gloves, aprons and baker hats! This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. and tickets are $25 per person and $15 for a helper ticket (helper does not receive cupcakes).
Catch the Family Fun Loop: Easter Bunny Express in Peninsula on April 7! On this train ride kids will be provided with coloring and craft activities. The Easter Bunny will even make a special appearance! This event is 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. and tickets are $25 per person.
Get crafty aboard Family Fun Loop: Spring Crafts on April 20! Kids will make clothespin butterfly’s and popsicle stick flowers, perfect for a bright and blooming spring. This event departs out of Peninsula Depot and runs from 12:40 – 2:05 p.m. and tickets are $20 per person.
Maple Sugar Express
In addition to our year-round Family Fun Loop Rides, CVSR also hosts special trips to Hale Farm and Village in March for their Maple Sugar Festival! The Maple Sugar Express departs from Akron and Rockside Stations on March 9, 10, 16 and 17, and drops passengers off at the Indigo Lake Station where a tram will take you to Hale Farm & Village.
Enjoy warm, fluffy pancakes topped with yummy maple syrup, sausage and fruit. Then, head out into the Sugaring Camp to learn about tree tapping, the maple sugar process, and experience oxen demonstrations.
The fun doesn’t stop there! Guests will have extra time at Hale Farm & Village to explore the area and view period arts and crafts such as glassblowing, blacksmithing, pottery and spinning and weaving!
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for children, which includes the breakfast, admission to the festival and train ride. Departures are out of Rockside Station at 9 a.m. and Akron Northside Station at 10:30 a.m. on March 9, 10, 16 and 17. Timing of excursion will vary based on departure location (timing located on ticket description). Click here to view a timeline of the train ride and event. Children under 3 ride free on the train, but will not receive a pancake breakfast.
Read Aboard
We’re bringing our popular Read Aboard program back on the train for 2019! Read Aboard combines both education and fun, keeping kids occupied during the day. During the first half of the ride kids listen to a local library volunteer read a book. Then, they’ll get to do a fun, hands-on craft!
Read Aboard will start in April and depart from Akron Northside Station on Wednesdays, and Rockside Station on Thursdays. The train will depart both stations at 10:30 a.m. for an hour-and-a-half ride. Tickets will go on-sale in mid-March. Follow our Facebook page and subscribe to our e-newsletter below to be the first to know!
Looking for even more to do with kids?
Take a ride on the National Park Scenic excursion! At a two-and-a-half-hour length through April, it’s perfect to show kids what a true gem we have in our own backyard.
Aboard our regularly running National Park Scenic trip you’ll pass things like the Brecksville dam and bridge, an eagle’s nest, and the Beaver marsh, which was once surrounded by old cars and worn-out parts until efforts by humans and beavers transformed the site back into a beautiful wetland.
Trainmen will point out historic parts along the route as you weave through the Cuyahoga Valley following closely with the Cuyahoga River. Passengers have a variety of seating options to choose from including coach, table top, first class, lounge, upper dome, executive class, or private suites.
A coach ticket is an all-day pass! Spend the day on and off the train as you explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park and towns like Akron or Peninsula.
