Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Essex, CT

Photo: Jllm06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

ToursFamily FavoriteDate Night

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat

1 Railroad Ave · Essex, CT

Why you should go…

The Valley Railroad Company has run vintage steam trains from the 1892 Essex Station since 1971. The narrated 12-mile round trip takes about an hour through the lower Connecticut River Valley. Choose the train and riverboat combination and the outing stretches to about two and a half hours, with a cruise on the Connecticut River that passes Gillette Castle. Themed dinner, brunch and holiday trains run at other times of the year.

  • #steam train
  • #riverboat cruise
  • #scenic railroad
  • #connecticut river
  • #heritage railway

Good to know

General tours guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Confirm the meeting point

    It is often a corner, a lobby, or a dock rather than the address you searched for. Check it the night before.

  • Small groups fill first

    In high season the intimate departures sell out well before the big-bus options do.

  • Ask how much is on foot

    Knowing how much of the route is walking, standing, or outdoors tells you what to wear and carry.

  • Read the weather policy

    Cancellation windows and rain rules vary by operator, and they are easier to find before you pay than after.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Connecticut River Museum

    Under $25

    A maritime history museum on the Essex, CT waterfront with a working replica of the first combat submarine.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Florence Griswold Museum

    Under $25

    Historic art museum on the Connecticut River celebrating American Impressionism and the Lyme Art Colony.

    4.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Gillette Castle State Park

    Free

    Tour actor William Gillette's fieldstone castle above the Connecticut River and hike the path of his miniature railroad.

    5.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Thames River Heritage Park

    Under $25

    Hop-on hop-off water taxi tour linking historic sites along the Thames River in New London and Groton.

    16 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Argia

    $25–$50

    A traditional wooden schooner offering sailing cruises out of downtown Mystic.

    23 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Date Night

    Sightsailing of Newport

    $25–$50

    Newport Harbor sailing charters and sunset cruises from Bowen's Wharf.

    57 mi awayMore like this