Press Releases

Summertime Monday Ticket Sales Will Benefit Local Animal Rescues

Posted on June 7, 2019

Mondays Are For The Dogs… And Cats! The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat kicks off its summer season with a brand new weekly event to help benefit local animal rescue organizations.

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: 2019 Lineup Announced

Posted on May 31, 2019

Lady Katharine Cruises and the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat announce the continuation of our immensely popular Murder Mystery Dinner Theater series with a 2019 lineup aboard our cruise ship, the Mystique.

Lady Katharine Cruises Hosts First Pride Celebration on the Water

Posted on May 31, 2019

Lady Katharine Cruises and the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat are proud to present the first Pride Celebration on the Water in partnership with Middletown Pride.

EST&R and Bishop’s Orchards Collaborative Corn Maze at Bishop’s Orchards

Posted on September 11, 2017

Family-friendly Maze Open Now on Weekends and Holidays Essex Steam Train & Riverboat and Bishop’s Orchards are happy to announce the opening of the 2017 Corn Maze at Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford, CT.

J. David Conrad Retires as Chief Mechanical Officer at Essex Steam Train / Valley Railroad Company

Posted on January 12, 2017

Kevin Dodd, President of Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, has announced the retirement of J. David Conrad as Chief Mechanical Officer.

Essex Steam Train Welcomes the Christmas Season

Posted on December 13, 2016

From the North Pole Express Train to the Santa Special, Essex Station offers one-of-a-kind Christmas experiences Essex Steam Train & Riverboat officially launched their Christmas Season on Saturday with a ribbon cutting and dress rehearsal of its ever-popular North Pole Express.

Oliver Jensen Gallery: Tom Nanos’ Hidden in Plain Sight

Posted on October 15, 2016

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat opens an exhibit of Tom Nanos’ New England Railroad Photography The exhibit will open from November 9 to December 29, 2016 in the Oliver O. Jensen Gallery on Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Campus.

Oliver Jensen Gallery: Ted Rose Photography and Paintings

Posted on June 6, 2016

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat opens an exhibit of Ted Rose Photography and Paintings in collaboration with The Center for Railroad Photography and Art. The exhibit is open from May 28 – October 23, 2016, in the Oliver O. Jensen Gallery.

Kids Ride Free as Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Celebrates Statewide Connecticut Open House Day on June 11

Posted on June 2, 2016

ESSEX, CT (June 2, 2016) – The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat in Essex, Connecticut, today announced plans to participate in the 12th Annual Connecticut Open House Day – a unified celebration of the state’s fascinating world of art, history and tourism – on June 11, 2016.

Passengers from the Past – Time Travel on our Train

Posted on April 28, 2016

The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat is excited to welcome back both new and returning “Passengers from the Past” this June.

Our special passengers, personified by some of the most renowned historic figure actors in the country, will be riding alongside train and boat passengers, bringing them back to the historical time period.