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Downeast Scenic Railroad

Scenic Train Rides in Ellsworth, Maine

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Join us on the Downeast Scenic Railroad, the first tourist-passenger rail to grace the historic Calais Branch Line in decades, for the best day trip in Ellsworth!

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Downeast Scenic Railroad Tour

From $18

The Downeast Scenic Railroad was named Best Day Trip in this year’s poll of Down East Magazine readers’ favorites!

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  • See schedule for departure days & time
  • Saturdays & Sundays
  • 1.75 hours
  • All ages

Established 2010

The Downeast Scenic Railroad offers a scenic ten-mile round-trip train ride from Ellsworth, Maine, on the historic Calais Branch Line. This is the first passenger train to run on the line in decades! Come join us for a beautiful ride.

While traveling this stretch of the line, we have observed many forms of wildlife, including osprey, blue herons, bald eagles, moose, deer, snapping turtles, foxes, beavers, and even bears!

Any day on the rails is a good one, and we look forward to having you join us! Book your ride today.

Inside of a passenger train
woman smiling in the train
little boy looking in the distant
front view of train
man looking at the Downeast Scenic train
people in front of the Downeast Scenic Railroad sign
people on the downeast train

What People Are Saying About Us

A relaxing trip into yesterday

The 1-1/2 hour narrated train ride was truly a step back in time. The conductor was extremely knowledgable and passionate. The rail car we rode in had a great background that was explained on a plaque that was highly visible. The ride, turn-around - and "Y" procedure make one appreciate how hard rail travel really was in time past.

– John P. | TripAdvisor
Toot toot

Went on this with my dear friends! So glad we did. The crew was wonderful & informative. I’m so glad we didn’t miss this. It is a great ride for the children. Has some great history behind it, also a work in progress that I hope continues for years to come.

– Cathy B. | TripAdvisor
Great ride

Fun Scenic and a historic train ride! for an hour and a half, you can tour the local area from the comfort of the seating on the train-let the engineer do the driving for a bit, slow down, and remember history.

– Nicole S. | TripAdvisor
Fun for everyone

Nice train ride through along a preserved train track. The turn around is particularly interesting. Families would have a fun time on this ride, just long enough-even for smaller kids

– Vicki S. | TripAdvisor