My Old Kentucky Dinner Train

The My Old Kentucky Dinner Train is a slow, sit-down meal on rails: three restored 1940s dining cars pulled by two 1950s F-unit diesels on a 35-mile round trip out of Bardstown, with lunch or a four-course dinner cooked on board as the countryside rolls past. Lunch runs about two hours from $63.50, dinner about two and a half hours from $76.50 (adults pay $116 on the standard dinner), and the bestselling Bourbon Excursion for adults 21 and over starts at $149.50. Book online, arrive an hour early at the depot on North Third Street, and grab holiday dates the moment they go on sale.

What the ride is like

You board at The Depot, 602 N. Third St., where the waiting room was built in 1992, the same year as the first Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and settle at a table for four in one of the vintage dining cars. The kitchen car is part of the train, and the executive chef cooks your meal on board rather than trucking it in. Visit Bardstown lists the train among the town’s top attractions, next to My Old Kentucky Home.

The dinner excursion page describes the route as passing sites such as the Jim Beam distillery, a Jesse James “safe house” (as with most Jesse James stories in Kentucky, take that one as local legend) and the Jackson Hollow Trestle. Expect wooded knobs, farm fields and the slow clack of an old railroad at an easy pace; the point is the meal, the company and the view, not speed.

The standard dinner is four courses with non-alcoholic drinks and after-dinner coffee or tea included, with choices that typically cover meat, seafood and vegetarian mains. There’s a bar in the depot and on board.

How much does the dinner train cost?

These are the fares shown on the train’s online calendar in September 2026. “From” prices vary by date and seating.

Which excursion should you book?

For a first ride, the dinner excursion is the classic: late light over the fields, four courses, a glass of something from the bar. Couples celebrating should look at the private table for two, the Valentine’s dinner (which includes a bottle of wine and two souvenir glasses per couple) or New Year’s Eve, which departs at 6 p.m.

The Bourbon Excursion is the train’s bestseller: a four-course meal plus a tasting led by a bourbon expert. It suits a group that wants one more pour without driving anywhere afterward. Everyone must be 21, with ID.

Families have the most fun on the North Pole Express (a meal, hot cocoa and a Santa sing-along, pajamas welcome) and the Princess Tea Party with six costumed princesses. The Murder Mystery and Triwizard Trivia rides work well for friend groups; see the girls’ trip and bachelorette guide for how they fit a group weekend. The trains can also be chartered for business meetings and weddings. If you’re bringing a group of 10 or more, ask the office about private cars before you book individual seats, since a whole car at tables for four keeps everyone together and makes the evening feel like your own party.

Booking tips and rules

Book through the live calendar or email [email protected]; the office keeps hours Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. Phone numbers vary across listings, so email or the website is the reliable route.

On September 24, 2026, the calendar banner still read “Availabilities open through September 2026,” which means fall and winter dates may not all be bookable yet. Check back often, and use the Visit Bardstown attractions page to line up the rest of your weekend around the ride. North Pole Express tickets go on sale October 1, and the Thanksgiving, North Pole and New Year’s trains are the ones that sell out first.

Children under 5 ride only on the Princess Tea Party, Superhero Smash and North Pole Express. Check in at the depot one hour before departure to collect boarding passes; trains leave on time and won’t wait. The train’s own pages don’t set a dress code, but dressy casual is the usual advice, and a light layer helps in an air-conditioned car.

The holiday season on the train

The holidays are when the train books fastest. The Thanksgiving Train Dinner Excursion runs $76.50 to $232 depending on age and seating, for 2.5 hours, and suits families who’d rather someone else cook. The North Pole Express (from $89, about 1.75 hours, all ages) brings a meal, hot cocoa and a Santa sing-along, and kids are encouraged to come in pajamas. The New Year’s Eve Celebration Excursion is three hours, 21 and over, $149.50 to $299, departing at 6 p.m., which leaves time for a nightcap downtown before midnight. February 13 and 14 bring the Valentine’s Dinner.

Exact holiday dates appear on the calendar as they open for sale, so check it in early October.

Is the dinner train worth it?

For the right trip, yes. It’s a long, relaxed meal with a moving view, and the vintage cars and on-board kitchen make it feel like an event rather than a restaurant. It works best for anniversaries, a grandparent outing, a group celebration, or a first night in town when nobody wants to drive. It’s less of a fit if you want a quick, inexpensive dinner, or if you have kids under 5 outside the family rides. Budget roughly $230 for two adults on a standard dinner before bar drinks, and more for the Bourbon Excursion.

Getting to the depot

The depot is at 602 N. Third St., about half a mile north of Court Square: a 10- to 15-minute walk up Third Street from downtown, or a two-minute drive. If you’re staying downtown, walking over is the smart move, especially after the Bourbon Excursion. If you’re on the bypass, arrange a ride back rather than driving after drinks; drinking responsibly covers local options.

Pair it with

Make it the centerpiece of a slow day. Spend the afternoon at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven if you’re a rail fan, or keep it downtown with a walk around Court Square and a drink at a tasting room before boarding. For couples, the train anchors a romantic Bardstown getaway; if you’d rather have dinner on solid ground another night, see date-night dinner. In December, pair the North Pole Express with the lights and parades of Christmas in Bardstown.