Train & Guided Tour Combo
Quick Details
- Dates: February 14 - October 30
- Departures: See Calendar for Available Times
- Duration: Train Ride: 1 Hour | Guided Tour: 1 Hour | Total Time: 2 Hours
- Cancellations: No refunds. Full value of tickets may be transferred to credit. Trains and tours operate rain, snow or shine. Motive power and rolling stock are subject to change without notice.
- Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible Train Car & Golf Cart
- Motive Power: Diesel Wednesdays and Thursdays, Steam Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
Experience America's Industrial History with a Train Ride and Guided Tour!
Visiting the East Broad Top Railroad Heritage Park is far more than just a train ride. It’s an immersive journey through the heart of America’s industrial past. Tucked away in the picturesque hills of Central Pennsylvania, the EBT stands as the most authentic, original, and impeccably preserved American industrial heritage site in the nation.
Your Train & Tour Combo Ticket includes both a scenic train ride over America’s oldest operating narrow gauge railroad and a guided tour of the largest and most intact early 20th century belt-driven machine shop complex still in existence.
What's Included
One-Hour Scenic Train Ride To Colgate Grove
Ride the rails through rolling hills, forests, and pastoral farmland on a nine-mile, one-hour roundtrip. Wednesday and Thursday trips are pulled by one of our vintage diesel locomotives, with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday departures pulled by our 1916 steam locomotive.
One-Hour Guided Tour of Historic Shop Complex
Explore the inner workings of a late 19th/early 20th century railroad which are frozen in time with a one-hour tour. Led by a knowledgeable guide, you’ll visit the Roundhouse (home of the railroad’s steam locomotive fleet) and the largest and most intact machine shop in the United States. Along the way, you’ll discover the rich history of the East Broad Top Railroad and the remarkable story that has allowed it to survive into preservation.
While we always recommend advance reservations online, if space is available on the date of departure, we do accept walk-up reservations. If you wish to purchase at the ticket window, we recommend arriving no later than 1/2 hour prior to the train’s departure.
Classes of Service
Enclosed Coach
Fully enclosed coaches with padded walkover seats and large windows that open.
Open Air
Bench-style seats that face outward, walls that are open from the waist up, and a sunshade overhead.
Cinder Car
Featuring outward-facing bench seats and open sides from the waist up. Positioned directly behind the locomotive, it offers an exhilarating, roofless experience, immersing you in the sights and sounds of an engine in action.
Passengers in this car may experience exposure to soot, or particles during the ride. We recommend wearing safety glasses while riding in this car.
Caboose
Ride the rails like a member of the train crew aboard one of our historic cabooses.
Itinerary
When reserving your tickets, you’ll be required to choose a train time, tour time, and a class of service (coach, open air, cinder car or caboose).
Train Departures:
- 10:30am
- 12:00pm
- 1:30pm
- 3:00pm (Select Dates)
Guided Tour Times:
- 10:15am
- 11:45am
- 1:15pm
- 2:45pm
Adults (13+) | Coach - $30.00
Child (2-12) | Coach - $20.00
Adult (13+) | Open Air - $30.00
Child (2-12) | Open Air - $20.00
Adult (13+) | Cinder Car - $30.00
Child (2-12) | Cinder Car - $20.00
Adult (13+) | Caboose - $35.00
Child (2-12) | Caboose - $25.00
Children 1 & Under Ride Free on Lap
Fares may vary for posted special events
Groups of 20 or More: Please contact our station at (814) 447-3285 or info@eastbroadtop.com to book your reservation!
Additional Activities
Plan Your Visit
Find information about lodging, local dining and other regional attractions to help make your visit to Huntingdon County as memorable as possible.
Dining
Lodging
Things to Do
Additional Information
Tickets are not emailed to visitors in advance of their trip. All visitors must check in at the Orbisonia Station to get an orientation to the property and pick up their physical tickets with their assigned car and seat number. It is recommended that visitors arrive no later than 1/2 hour before their train departure time or guided tour. This ensures ample time to park, use the restroom and check in at the ticket window.
Our train cars and historic shop complex are not climate-controlled during our summer season. It is recommended that you dress in layers that can be added or removed based on temperatures and weather conditions. Sturdy, closed-toed shoes are highly recommended for those taking a guided tour.
Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are highly recommended as well.
Guided tours are not recommended for children under the age of eight. All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Train Rides
Boarding our historic railroad equipment requires navigating four steep and narrow stairs. We are proud to offer at least one wheelchair-accessible car on each train that provides access via a hydraulic lift capable of accommodating up to 600 lbs. This lift can be utilized by passengers who must remain in their wheelchair for the duration of the ride, or by those using a mobility device who have difficulty navigating stairs. Please see the accessibility section of our website for more information.
Guided Tours
While we have made every reasonable effort to accommodate all visitors on our guided tours, the historic nature of our shop complex does present challenges for those requiring mobility devices or have difficulty standing for long periods of time.
A wheelchair accessible golf-cart is available by request to shuttle visitors between tour stops.
- There are no paved walkways in the historic shop complex
- The buildings on our guided tours are not climate-controlled
- While benches are available at each stop, tours do require visitors to stand or stay in one place for long periods
- Entering buildings requires navigating wooden floors, door thresholds, train tracks, gravel, and other uneven surfaces
While we work hard to maintain published schedules, consists, and itineraries, the EBTF can change equipment or motive power at any time, for any reason, without notice. The EBTF reserves the right to cancel any experience, tour, or excursion for any reason, including but not limited to, inclement weather or mechanical problems. The EBTF will not be held liable for any delays regardless of the cause. Safety is our number one priority. If motive power changes, visitors can reschedule their experience to another date or request a credit following the policies outlined above. Refunds for changes in motive power will only be issued if there is a difference in fare paid.
FAQs
Trains travel 4.5 miles north from Orbisonia to the Colgate Grove Picnic Grove and return.
Our Friday, Saturday, and Sunday departures are powered by an authentic, century-old steam locomotive. Our Wednesday and Thursday departures are powered by one of our historic diesel locomotives. There are periods of scheduled or unexpected maintenance where a vintage diesel locomotive will substitute for steam. Any train powered by diesel instead of steam will be labeled on our website.
For safety reasons, we do not permit animals on our trains or in the historic shop complex. Trained service animals are permitted.
We are a living museum! While we don't (yet) have a building with walk-through exhibits or displays, our guided tours offer the best way for visitors to learn about our railroad's unique history.
Our guided tours are another part of the whole East Broad Top experience! While not required, we strongly recommend purchasing a combo ticket to experience both the shop tour and your train ride.
For safety reasons, access to our historic shop complex is by guided tour only.
Visitors are not required to disembark the train at Colgate Grove.
Yes, to ensure we maintain the proper capacity of the train, we do require visitors to select their desired departure time at the time of booking.
Yes, if you are doing a combo ticket with your train excursion you will have the option to schedule your tour and train times.
Yes! You can arrive early to enjoy a guided tour before your train ride, or stay and take a tour after. We have scheduled our tours to correspond with the arrival of each train.
Our train rides and guided tours are each one hour in duration. Plan on spending at least 2.5 hours on the property if you plan to enjoy both experiences.