The Mount Washington Cog Railway — Attraction in Thompson and Meserve's Purchase

We visited on a Wednesday after in late June 2025. We had tickets for 1PM train. We actually got there a little early and were hoping to switch to the earlier train but they were sold out and couldn't accommodate the 5 of us in our party.

We parked in the upper lot on asphalt. Inside the building there is an exhibit which was surprisingly empty of people. Probably because the current train was just about to leave and the next one wouldn't be for awhile. We looked around a bit. There is a large gift shop downstairs. There is also a market place for food. There is also bunch of outdoor exhibits on the lawn right next to the tracks. There was a lot to do but if at the same time you're waiting here for other folks to go up and come back down I'd think you'd be bored pretty quick.

It cost us $374 for 3 adults and 2 children to go up the mountain. We kind of splurged on this experience. We know you could also drive up and hike up the mountain but we wanted the cog rail experience.

They trip to to the top was nice and we had a great narrator. Went over the history of the train and how it worked and talked about points of interest along the way. It was perfectly curated. There wasn't too much talking but also enough to not get bored. There were things to look at that even kept some of our ADHD folks without complaining.

At the top itself it was amazing. I'll focus on more of that in the review for the Mt. Washington State Park review and their visitor center and the observatory. The weather up there was pretty crazy as when we arrived it was bright and sunny and relatively warm but as soon as we left to go back down the clouds came in and visibility dropped significantly. All that in the span of 45 mins. My suggestion is when the view is up there take advantage of it as you don't know when it's going to change suddenly.

The trip back down is on a different train with a different interpreter. The trains aren't the same either so you can't pick which specific train you get to be on. The one going up had much smaller windows which made for a different feel but the one going down had large windows and more unobstructed views.

We purchased our tickets months in advance and got the first and second row on the right side. I think ideally the left front would've been better but it was already purchased. The one cool thing we didn't realize is that you can just go up one way and hike back down which is what the folks who purchased the seats next to us did. So on the way back down we got to spread out. On the way up everyone else is behind you so you have a great unobstructed view. On the way back down you're in the back essentially but those people who are now in "the front" have to stare at the large engine car in front of them and us in the back can see over everyone's heads essentially. The front of the car going up is essentially the best seats hands down. Book your tickets early! It looks like if they sell out then sometimes they add more trains which they refer to as platforms. So if you're lucky and they open another platform maybe you can just on a front row seat over there.

Overall I would probably not pay the amount to do the Cog Railway again. It was great for that 1 time experience. I would definitely go up and visit Mount Washington again. 45 min stop at the top is just not enough time to really experience it. We were 100% rushed to look at all the exhibits inside and take pictures of all the signs and points of interest and also grab stuff from the shop. It was just non-stop. There are also multiple stores...

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is an engineering marvel to behold, it's a remarkable feat of its own being preserved for many generations to come to experience what it was like traveling up the mountains by a unique mode of transportation that is a rare sight to see nowadays. By rare, I mean that it is only one of 3 original surviving old cog railways left in the country, talk about a special hidden gem at its finest.

This was an attraction part of me and my father's 2021 East Coast US trip, it was an unscheduled stop that was well worth the visit. We first rode the auto road up to the top which was a very long stretch of snakey road, but it provided a breathtaking ride experience. After we reached the top, we explored the mountain and got lots of epic pictures at the summit despite the cold and foggy weather, warm food and drinks were provided inside the summit hut which was much needed, we then explored the mini museum they had inside which was very informative and quite an interesting sight to have on top of the mountain might I add.

After we finished exploring the mountain, my father took the auto road back down whilst I rode the cog railway down to the bottom. Tickets can be purchased either at the top of the mountain or at the base station down below. Regardless of what the weather or season is, it won't change a single thing about the experience as you'll get the chance to see rain, snow and hail on your journey up to the mountain combined with beautiful scenery from daring heights if you're brave enough to sit back and enjoy the show. Wildlife spottings can also be a fun little game to play with the wonderful staff on board as they narrate the history of the cog railway and Mount Washington itself alongside why it's been a popular attraction for over the past 100+ years.

Whilst the journey today is hauled by bio-diesel locomotives, they still run their historic steam locomotives side by side with them when they can, no matter which locomotive you end up getting, the experience is just as fun and memorable moving slowly but steadily up a long 3 mile stretch of track. At the base station, you can go inside to explore the huge museum they have with interactive exhibits showing how the cog railway works, it was a very nice museum which goes up to about 3 floors, so you can take as much time as you need to stroll on through. As you leave, you can get a wonderful photo ops with one of their retired old steam locomotives on display outside now being used as a billboard advertisement for the attraction to catch everyone's attention, it's a blink and you'll miss it moment, so be sure to keep a sharp eye out for it as you drive.

In the end, giving this place 5 stars is an understatement, it deserves all the love from locals, tourists and rail enthusiasts alike. I definitely plan on returning here at some point in time the next time I'm in New Hampshire. I'm proud to say that my words can't express enough how much I highly recommend visiting this place, it's great for families and...

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a really unique experience. The Railway I give five stars, but there is a catch to it and I'll explain. Mount Washington is the tallest peak in northeast America. That, in itself, is impressive. Building a railway that could climb a maximum 37.5% grade at the time of its inception over 150 years ago was considered impossible. But Sylvester Marsh accomplished it. Equally impressive. The railway is 3 miles (5km) long and stops just short of Mount Washington's summit of 6288 feet (1917m). The Brakeman (yes, they are responsible for braking the train if needed) take on the role of tour guide. On both my ascending and descending trips the brakeman were friendly, entertaining, and extremely knowledgeable. The train itself was comfortable and the views were stunning. I chose to ride on one of the biodiesel powered trains but there is a steam locomotive option for those that want the historic experience. There is a giftshop and small café at the bottom of the railway and what can best be described as a state park facility at the top. This train ride may be considered a bit pricey by some ($91.00 per adult, when I went). With that in mind I feel like there needs to be a clear understanding before embarking. If your desire is to learn some history, experience a cogwheel train and go to the highest peak in the northeastern United States with some incredible views, this is a win. However, if you are expecting something culturally enveloping or intellectually stimulating at the end of the journey, other than the tallest peak thing, well, best to hope it's not cloudy. On my trip, the weather was clear at the base of the mountain, however, by the time our train reached the summit, visibility was a few hundred feet at best. Not ideal. State Park facilities are often lacking in most areas of expectation for me. I have had enough experience with this to understand the rare exceptions people are willing to point to and, in my opinion, this isn't one of them. I have been on the Jungfrau Cog Railway, and then the summit of Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, it is a place of comfort with shops, restaurants, a post office and a year round high altitude astronomical observatory with tours. Mount Washington's summit could be that. In its defense, there is a cafeteria, a gift shop and a post office. I believe that in this instance the Journey is the adventure, the views are the adventure, and being at the summit is the adventure. I'm not saying it was disappointing, I got to the summit of Mount Washington and that was my intention. Understand your expectations before shelling out hundreds of dollars for a small family. Your...