The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum will be offering fall train rides the first two weekends in October, with multiple excursions set for both Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Stacey Carmany, Tusco TV)

Dennison, Ohio - The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum is bringing back its popular Fall Foliage train rides and offering some new excursions for families, couples and veterans. 

This year’s train rides will be offered the two first weekends in October, with multiple excursions scheduled for both Saturdays and Sundays.

In addition to its traditional Fall Foliage rides, which give passengers the opportunity to hop aboard and relax while enjoying Ohio’s breathtaking fall colors, the museum will also be offering several new themed fall train rides this year.

For children and families, the museum will be offering a series of four Saturday excursions aboard the Storybook Express. During these rides, passengers will be joined their favorite fairy tale characters for activities, songs and stories. 

“It’s all based on fairy tales, so we’re going to have characters on board that you’re going to meet like the Mad Hatter, Little Red Riding Hood, characters like that,” said Jacob Masters, the museum’s brand relations and consumer engagement manager. “It’s not like Polar where it’s going to be constant activities, but there will be some kids’ activities on board, and everyone gets a treat.”

A second themed family ride titled Bing’s Magical Halloween Adventure featuring Private Bulldog Bing, the museum’s beloved WWI mascot, is also being offered for the first time this year.

“It’s a magical Halloween adventure, so kids dress up in their Halloween costumes, and they get to meet-and-greet with Bing, who’s very popular. He’s a historical figure here in Dennison and a hero,” Masters shared. “The ride is all based on him. It’ll be like Halloween kinds of things. It’s magical, so there will be magicians on board doing magic tricks.”

Masters noted that the ride is designed to be family-friendly and is not scary in any way.

Immediately following the Halloween ride on both Saturdays will be Chocolate & Cheese Sweetheart train rides perfect a romantic date night excursion.

“Families can come if they’d like but it’s more geared toward adult couples. It’s very romantic. We’ll be serving chocolate and cheese from local businesses around the area, and you’ll have like four courses,” Masters said. “It’s just very relaxing, very romantic. We’ll play romantic music in the cars. We’ll have a barbershop quartet. They’ll be singing. It’ll be fun.”

Fall Foliage rides are being offered on both Sundays with trains departing at 1:30, 3, and 4:30 p.m.

“You sit on the train, and we’ll have some background music and share a little bit of history, and you just sit back and relax and just enjoy the scenery,” Masters said.

The museum will also be showing its appreciation for military veterans with special WWII-themed Troop Train Ride at noon on both Sundays.

“The theme is very patriotic and Americana. It’s kind of like how the canteen was here during WWII,” Masters said. 

Free Coach seating is being offered to veterans, and their families will be able to purchase tickets for a discounted price, however, advanced reservations are required. 

Masters noted that all the fall excursions will travel from the museum to the east towards Bowerstown along a route that does not normally host passenger trains. This is known to railroad enthusiasts as rare mileage. "People usually do not travel passenger-wise east on these tracks," he explained. "It's an opportunity to do something a little bit different." 

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Dennison Depot Railroad Museum at 740-922-6776 or visit DennisonDepot.Eventbrite.com. 

Stacey Carmany, Tusco TV