Train rides & boat rides for kids near Wilmington
There's something about a real train or a boat that lands with kids in a way nothing else does. These are the train and boat rides near Wilmington — from a heritage railroad and a tall-ship sail close to home to the scenic trains worth a longer drive. Confirm seasons and schedules on each one before you go; most run weather- and season-dependent.
1. Wilmington & Western Railroad
Wilmington
A real heritage railroad out of Greenbank Station — steam and diesel trains on themed family rides. The Easter Bunny, Great Pumpkin, and Santa Claus expresses sell out, so book ahead.
2. Kalmar Nyckel Foundation
Wilmington
Delaware's tall ship runs 1.5-hour public sails from the Christina riverfront — kids get scavenger hunts and pirate storytelling. The boat ride locals forget they have.
3. Lums Pond State Park
Bear
Rent a paddleboat or kayak on Delaware's biggest freshwater pond — the easy, on-the-water afternoon in Bear.
4. Strasburg Rail Road
Ronks
Lancaster County's classic coal-fired steam railroad through Amish farm country, about 75 minutes up — a full day for the train-obsessed.
Good to know
- • Wilmington River Taxi: a 29-passenger boat cruising the Christina and Brandywine Rivers, with six docks along the Riverfront — a cheap, breezy way to see it all from the water. Runs weekends in the shoulder season and daily through peak summer (roughly noon–8pm), with Tuesday & Thursday Family Nights. source
- • Worth a longer haul: the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Jim Thorpe, PA (about 2 hours north, in the Poconos) runs a 70-minute round trip through Lehigh Gorge State Park — a full day, but a beautiful one for a train-loving kid. source
Questions parents ask
Where can kids ride a real train near Wilmington?
The Wilmington & Western Railroad out of Greenbank Station is the local one — steam and diesel trains on themed family rides. For a bigger day, Strasburg Rail Road in Lancaster County (~75 min) runs classic steam trains.
Can you go on a boat ride in Wilmington?
Yes — the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel runs public sails from the Christina riverfront, you can rent paddleboats and kayaks at Lums Pond, and a seasonal river taxi runs along the Riverfront downtown.
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Checked against each place’s current info.
Admission and hours come straight from each place’s guide. Last reviewed June 15, 2026. Confirm anything dated on the source before you go.