This Delaware Train Ride Pairs Fall with Family Fun

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Watching little ones play in piles of colorful leaves brings me back to memories of my own childhood, and the feeling is priceless. So, anything that celebrates the feelings of fall and brings the family together is a win in my book, and Delaware has a train experience fitting the bill.

© Wilmington & Western Greenbank

The Wilmington & Western Railroad has been around for quite a while — operating since 1867 — but while it was once meant to transport people and goods, it has since become a family-friendly attraction celebrating the seasons aboard a coal-burning steam locomotive that pairs fun with the nostalgia of a vintage train car. There are summer wine sipping rides and wintertime Santa trains, but during the fall you get the chance to ride through Red Clay Valley, where fall colors are at their finest.

© Wilmington & Western Greenbank

The ride, known as the Autumn Leaf Ramble, takes passengers on a 90- to 100-minute ride over streams and through the woods before returning back to Greenbank Station, the route’s starting point. Along the way you’ll pass through rock cuts, charming communities and historic sites like a farm with an 1800s-era mill. You’ll get to stop and stretch your legs partway through the ride if you want to have a picnic lunch, and along the way you can wave at locals from your seats. But the experience of the train ride is the real thrill for little ones — and for adults who miss the excitement that comes from seeing the world through the eyes of a child.