A 40th Anniversary for Lebanon’s Own Railroad
The LM&M Railroad in historic downtown Lebanon, Ohio, turns 40 this year, and the railroad is marking the anniversary with a two-day festival rather than a single open house. Lebanon Train Fest runs Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, with vintage steam train rides, live music, magic shows, a miniature train ride, food trucks and vendor displays spread across the weekend. Admission is free.
For families in Cincinnati, Dayton and the surrounding Warren County area, it’s a chance to see a piece of local railroad history that’s easy to overlook on an ordinary weekend, when the LM&M typically runs a lighter schedule of themed rides.
What’s Happening Each Day
Both days follow the same schedule. Gates open at 10 a.m. and the event wraps up at 4 p.m. In between, musician Zak Morgan and magician Brett Sears alternate short sets roughly every half hour on the festival grounds, so there’s something running near-continuously even between train departures.
Beyond the main stage, the festival grounds add a miniature train ride sized for younger kids, face painting, balloon artists and a bounce castle, along with six food trucks and 10 vendor and railroad group displays. It’s a fuller lineup than the railroad’s typical weekend schedule, closer to a small-town street fair built around the trains.
Steam Train Rides
The main attraction runs three one-hour excursions each day: 11 a.m. to noon, 1 to 2 p.m., and 3 to 4 p.m. These require an advance ticket, purchased through the railroad’s online booking page rather than at the gate. Families who want a specific departure time should book ahead, since festival crowds and a fixed number of rides per day make walk-up availability less certain than on a typical weekend.
As of this writing, the railroad’s site notes that locomotive Jeddo Coal #85 will not be attending as originally planned, and trains will instead be pulled by LRR #1. That’s the kind of detail that can shift again before the event, so it’s worth checking the official schedule page close to the date.
Good to Know
Parking near the festival site is limited, and the railroad is directing visitors to several free public parking lots in downtown Lebanon, with a short walk to the grounds from there. Building in extra time to park and walk over is worth doing, especially around the busier train departure times. A parking map is posted on the event’s parking page.
Families with younger kids who skip the steam train can still get a full day out of the miniature train ride, bounce castle and face painting, without needing to plan around a specific departure time.
Plan Your Visit
- What: Lebanon Train Fest, celebrating 40 years of the LM&M Railroad
- When: Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days
- Where: Historic downtown Lebanon, Ohio
- Admission: Free
- Activities: Live music by Zak Morgan, magic shows by Brett Sears, a miniature train ride, face painting, balloon artists, a bounce castle, six food trucks and 10 vendor and railroad group displays
- Steam train rides: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. departures, advance tickets required through the online booking page
- Parking: Free public lots downtown; see the parking map before arriving
- Official site: lebanontrainfest.com
- Follow along: Facebook and Instagram
