The Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, about 20 to 25 minutes south of Bardstown, is where you ride an actual heritage train through Nelson County farm country, not just look at one. Regular excursions run from April to mid-December, usually departing Saturdays at 2 p.m. on a 1.5-hour, 22-mile round trip to Boston, Kentucky, from $17. Fall and December are the busy seasons, with Halloween trains, wine trains and the Santa Claus Express, so book those early; the depot museum and its big model railroad are included with any ticket.
What makes this railroad special
The track is the last 18 miles of the Louisville & Nashville’s old Lebanon Branch, between Boston and New Haven, where the first rails went down in 1855. The museum calls it the oldest and most historic portion of the entire L&N, and the ride crosses roads 14 times as it winds through the valley. The nonprofit museum itself dates to 1954 in Louisville and moved here on July 4, 1990, onto the site of an 1850s L&N station.
The collection holds four steam locomotives, twelve diesels and more than 100 pieces of rolling stock, four of them on the National Register. The star is L&N No. 152, a 1905 steam locomotive named the Official State Locomotive of Kentucky in 2000. Restoration began in 2014, and more than $700,000 has gone in so far; the Kentucky Standard reported in May 2026 that about $400,000 more is needed to finish the boiler and running gear and pass federal inspection. A Full Steam Ahead fundraiser in May 2026 brought a visiting steam engine to New Haven to help.
Train rides and prices
The train-rides page lists these for the rest of 2026:
| Ride | Price | Length | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train Ride to Boston | from $17 | 1.5 hr | Regular Saturday 2 p.m. departures (schedule varies), through mid-December |
| Gethsemane Excursion (past Log Still Distillery) | from $14 | about 1 hr | Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 |
| Outlaw Express (mock train robbery) | from $22 | 1.5 hr | Sept. 26, Nov. 21 |
| Fall Break Express | from $17 | 1.5 hr | Oct. 1, 6, 8 |
| Trivia on the Rails | $38 | 1.5 hr | Oct. 3, Nov. 7 |
| Lunch on the Rails | $43 | 1.5 hr | Oct. 10 |
| Caboose Train Rides | from $25 | 1.5 hr | Oct. 18, 2 p.m. |
| Trick and Track Express (family Halloween) | from $17 | 1.5 hr | Oct. 24, 31, 2 p.m. |
| Whistles, Witches and Wine (21+) | $53 | 2.5 hr | Oct. 23, 24 |
| Uncorked Express wine and cheese (21+) | $65 | 2.5 hr | Nov. 14, from 12:30 p.m. |
| Santa Claus Express | $28 ($33 premium) | 1.5 hr | Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 |
The Outlaw Express benefits the WHAS Crusade for Children, with The Cowboy Posse staging the holdup. The Trick and Track Express is billed as family friendly and not scary. On October 17 the depot also hosts its 14th annual car, truck, bike and tractor show.
For the real rail fan, there are hands-on options: a Locomotive Cab Ride ($75, ages 13 and up), Throttle Time, where you run a vintage diesel yourself ($250, Sundays by reservation), and the three-hour Great Freight Experience ($500).
The depot museum
Even without a ride, the museum is a good hour. The exhibit hall holds railroad artifacts and a large HO-scale model train layout, and historic cars sit outside on display. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for ages 2 to 12, and it’s included with a train ticket. The museum page lists hours of Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m., closed Monday. Other listings show slightly different weekday opening times, so call 1-800-272-0152 if you’re arriving early in the day.
Which ride should you pick?
For a first visit, the regular Saturday Train Ride to Boston is the one: 1.5 hours, the full 22 miles out and back, and the most of the old Lebanon Branch for the fare. Families with small children who get restless should try the shorter Gethsemane Excursion, about an hour, which runs toward the abbey’s valley and past Log Still. School-age kids tend to love the Outlaw Express, where a posse “robs” the train for a good cause, and the Trick and Track Express on Halloween weekends. Adults have the Whistles, Witches and Wine ride in late October and the Uncorked Express wine and cheese train on November 14, both 21 and over. December belongs to Santa.
The line has older stories too. In late December 1862, John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry headed back to Tennessee by way of Bardstown and New Haven on its Christmas Raid. The Civil War Museum Row in Bardstown fills in that chapter.
Tips before you ride
There are no restrooms on the train, so use the depot’s first. The coaches are climate controlled, which matters in July and December alike. Wheelchairs up to 26.5 inches wide fit on board; call ahead about access. Only service animals are allowed. Cancel at least seven days out for a refund, and ask about senior and military discounts when you book through the online calendar.
Fall Break and Santa trains sell out, so book as soon as your dates are set. In December, the North Pole Express ($28, $33 premium) adds a photo with Santa in the depot, and Brunch with Santa at The Legacy at Log Still Distillery (from $58) makes a longer outing of it. Families planning further ahead should circle Day Out With Thomas, which returns the first two weekends of June each year.
Getting there from Bardstown
Take US 31E south from Bardstown toward New Haven, a quiet run through farm fields and the knobs; the depot is at 136 S. Main St., about 14 miles and 20 to 25 minutes from Court Square. For the 2 p.m. Saturday train, leave town by 1:15 p.m. to park, pick up tickets and find a restroom. The museum’s FAQ page answers most other questions, from accessibility to refunds. New Haven is small, so eat in Bardstown before you go or pack a snack for the car; or book the Lunch on the Rails ride on October 10, which serves lunch on board.
Pair it with
New Haven sits in the middle of some of the best country around Bardstown. Make a south-county loop: the Gethsemane Excursion rolls past Log Still Distillery at Dant Crossing, which you can tour by car afterward (with a designated driver), and the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton lived, is a short drive away with fudge in its Welcome Center. In fall, pumpkin patches around New Haven make it a full family day; see farms and u-pick and Bardstown with kids. If you like your trains with a white tablecloth, compare the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which leaves from downtown Bardstown. In December, combine the Santa Claus Express with Christmas in Bardstown.
