Honesdale

Honesdale combines railroad history with outdoor activities and a playful scavenger hunt exploring local history. The Main Museum of the Wayne County Historical Society houses a faithful full-size replica of The Stourbridge Lion; the permanent exhibit covers the D&H Canal and the Gravity Railroad. The Stourbridge Line offers scenic train rides through the Lackawaxen River Valley in historic railroad cars. Gibbons Memorial Park has a network of trails across 55 acres, with views of downtown. You can weigh these different themes according to your travel group’s interests.

Honesdale’s Railroad and History

The Main Museum is housed in a building constructed in 1860 as the headquarters of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. Here, you can experience both the museum exhibits and the building’s former function. The permanent exhibit covers the D&H Canal and the Gravity Railroad; the replica of The Stourbridge Lion adds another railroad-related subject. Those interested in the history of technology and transportation will find several specific points of interest here, rather than just one central exhibit.

Another historic industrial building stands on Main Street: The Cooperage Project is based in a historic barrel factory in Honesdale. This site adds another connection to local industrial history alongside the railroad and canal themes. For planning your trip, you can explore different aspects of history: exhibits at the Main Museum, a company building’s former use, and the history of a barrel factory.

A Train Ride Through the Lackawaxen River Valley

The Stourbridge Line offers scenic rides through the Lackawaxen River Valley in historic railroad cars. It runs between Honesdale and Hawley. So, in addition to exploring railroad history at the museum, you can choose to make the ride itself part of your experience. If you’re especially interested in railroads, you can consider these two different perspectives: the full-size replica and exhibit at the museum, and the ride through the valley. The line connects the aforementioned towns of Honesdale and Hawley.

Trails, Downtown Views, and Playful Discoveries

Gibbons Memorial Park has a network of trails across 55 acres and offers views of downtown Honesdale. If you’d also like to spend time outdoors during your trip, you can consider these trails as a focus of their own alongside the museum and train ride. The park’s grounds and views of downtown give your stay a different emphasis than the historical exhibits: here, the trails and scenery take center stage.

Honesdale’s Central Park is used for concerts and gives children a place to play. This gives families another reason to weigh their interests when choosing a vacation rental in Honesdale: would you mainly like to explore history and railroads, discover trails, or also include a place for children to play? These offerings suit different travel interests; no specific concert program or event dates are implied.

The “Hunt for Hidden History” tour adds a scavenger hunt about Honesdale’s history. Unlike an exhibit, it presents history as a search. If you’re considering a playful way to explore local history on your trip, you can include this tour as a separate activity alongside the museum and park.

Discover more destinations: Lake Como, Wayne, Hawley, Lake Ariel, Newfoundland, Starlight, Beach Lake and Gouldsboro.

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