Historic Autumn Adventure in Honesdale, PA

Saturday, October 3, 2026
$185 per person

Join the Downingtown Area Recreation Consortium for a special autumn adventure to Honesdale, PA—the birthplace of the American railroad! Enjoy a full day filled with Pennsylvania history, railroad heritage, a delicious dinner aboard the Stourbridge Line, and a fascinating visit to Cranker's Collection of Mechanical Marvels.

Trip Highlights

7:00 AM – Depart Downingtown
Depart from the rear parking lot of Ashbridge Manor in Downingtown

10:00 AM – Arrive at Wayne County Visitors Center
Enjoy a restroom stop before continuing to the Wayne County Historical Society Museum.

Wayne County Historical Society Museum
Explore the museum, which is housed in the historic 1860 headquarters of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. The museum is home to a full-size replica of the Stourbridge Lion, the first locomotive to run on commercial track in the Western Hemisphere. Learn about the Delaware & Hudson Canal and the D&H Gravity Railroad, which transported anthracite coal from the Lackawanna County mines to Honesdale.

11:30 AM – Arrive at The Stourbridge Line
Board the train at 11:45 AM for a 12:00 PM departure.

Dinner on The Stourbridge Line

Step back in time while enjoying a delicious full-course dinner aboard a dining car as you travel along the scenic Lackawaxen River.
Choose from:

• Mesquite Pork Chop with Jack Daniels Glaze – Gluten Free
• Stuffed Chicken Breast with Apple Cinnamon Stuffing
• Crab Stuffed Flounder – Gluten Free

All entrées are served with a garden salad with house dressing, vegetable, starch, and dessert.
Beverages include: Water, iced tea or lemonade, coffee, or tea.

2:30 PM – Cranker's Collection of Mechanical Marvels

Continue your journey back in time with a visit to Cranker's Collection of Mechanical Marvels, a hidden gem in the Northern Poconos.
The collection features an incredible assortment of antique automobiles, carousel horses, music boxes, player pianos, and Mortier organs produced in Antwerp, Belgium, beginning at the turn of the twentieth century.
Cranker's is open to the general public just one day a year, making this private tour a truly unique opportunity to see and hear these amazing treasures from over 100 years ago.

4:30 PM – Explore Honesdale

Enjoy a short stop in town to explore Honesdale before we depart for home.
6:00 PM – Depart Honesdale for Downingtown

Trip Cost: $185 per person

This special autumn adventure offers a unique combination of railroad history, a scenic dinner train experience, fascinating mechanical treasures, and time to explore historic Honesdale.

Come along and step back in time for a memorable fall day in Honesdale!