Halloween Train Rides in Alabama (2026)

Trains and TravelHalloween Train Rides
Written By Kelsey Cecil

Updated October 14, 2026 · 21 min read

At Wales West in Silverhill, the pumpkin train shares the grounds with an RV resort, a mini golf course and bounce houses, which says a lot about Halloween on Alabama's rails: it is built around small kids. Three rides still have dates on or after October 14, two pumpkin and costume rides and one haunted night train, and both ends of the state get one. Planning a road trip across state lines? Start with our Halloween train guide for every state.

Timing is the big story this year. Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, the closest ride to Birmingham, is down to its final weekend, and as of Oct 14 its Saturday trains were gone online while Sunday, Oct 18 still had seats. Down in Baldwin County, Wales West is open Oct 16, 17 and 18 and then every night from Oct 23 through Oct 30, with gentle Pumpkin Patch Express trains before 7 PM and Scary Night Train departures after, all on one ticket. It is closed on Halloween itself. We could not confirm a 2026 Halloween ride at the North Alabama Railroad Museum, so Huntsville families should look at the neighbor states below.

The short version

  • Pumpkin and costume rides: Birmingham families should aim for Sunday: Pumpkin Junction in Calera is about 40 minutes away, its Saturday, Oct 17 trains were sold out online as of Oct 14, and the 1 PM and 3 PM trains on Sunday, Oct 18 still had seats. From Montgomery it is about an hour.
  • Mobile and Gulf Coast families have the Wales West Pumpkin Patch Express about 35 minutes away, with kiddie-friendly trains every half hour from 4:20 to 6:50 PM on Oct 16, 17 and 18 and every night Oct 23 through 30, for $25 plus tax.
  • Haunted rides: The Scary Night Train at Wales West is the only spooky Alabama ride we found. It leaves at 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM on every night the park is open, on the same $25 ticket as the pumpkin trains, and sits about 35 minutes from Mobile and about 2 hours 45 minutes from Montgomery.

None of the Alabama rides in our research runs on Halloween night: Pumpkin Junction ends Oct 18, and Wales West is closed Oct 31.

Watercolor of a red train car on a cliffside track heading into a dark tunnel
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Look inside the book

A dark tunnel, a brave corgi. Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi rides into a dark tunnel, gets a little scared, and comes out to a big bright light and happy cheers. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to an Alabama pumpkin train.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Compare every Alabama Halloween train side by side

Every ride on this page in one table: type, dates left, the lowest posted ticket price, ride length, who it suits and whether tickets are still on sale. Tap a ride for the full details.

RideTypeDates leftTicketsLengthBest forStatus
Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad MuseumCaleraPumpkin and costumeOct 17 to Oct 18 (2 dates)From $1725 minuteAll ages, toddlers welcomeSelling out
Pumpkin Patch Express at Wales West Light RailwaySilverhillPumpkin and costumeOct 16 to Oct 30 (11 dates)From $25Not postedAll ages, toddlers welcomeOn sale
Scary Night Train at Wales West Light RailwaySilverhillHauntedOct 16 to Oct 30 (11 dates)From $25Not postedOlder kids who like spookyOn sale

The rest of October at a glance

When each Alabama Halloween train still runs

Oct 14Oct 21Oct 31

Pumpkin and costume ride Haunted ride Halloween night

Alabama Halloween train calendar: what runs which day

Every remaining date for every ride on this page, from today through Halloween weekend. Green is a gentle pumpkin and costume ride, blue is a haunted ride. Tap a ride to jump to its details.

Calera: Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

Next: Sat Oct 17Best for: All ages, toddlers welcomeFrom $1725 minuteDates left: Oct 17 to Oct 18

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, the official railroad museum of Alabama, runs this daytime ride from the Calera Depot out to what it calls its Pumpkin Junction "backyard." The train ride takes about 25 minutes, and families get about an hour at the Junction. This is the last weekend of the season, so if Birmingham kids want a pumpkin train, Oct 17 or 18 is it.

Sunday is the realistic pick. As of Oct 14, the 10 AM and 1 PM Saturday trains were sold out online and the 3 PM train was missing from the booking calendar, while Sunday's 1 PM and 3 PM trains still had seats. The museum offers accessible boarding at both the depot and Pumpkin Junction. Earlier listings put fares at $17 to $30, but no prices showed when we rechecked, so confirm on the ticket page.

Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum at a glance

Type
Pumpkin and costume ride: Daytime pumpkin train, family fall ride
Dates left
Sat Oct 17 and Sun Oct 18 (final weekend)
Tickets
As of Oct 14: Sat Oct 17 10 AM and 1 PM trains sold out online (call the museum), and the 3 PM train is not on the booking calendar; Sun Oct 18 1 PM and 3 PM trains have seats. Walk-up tickets at the Calera Depot only if seats remain
Times
Saturday 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM; Sunday 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM (Central). Boarding starts 15 minutes before departure
Ride length
About a 25 minute train ride plus about 60 minutes at Pumpkin Junction
What's included
Train ride from the Calera Depot to the museum's Pumpkin Junction backyard
Price
$17 to $30 in earlier listings; prices were not shown on the ticket page when rechecked Oct 14, so confirm when booking. Adult fares cover ages 12 and up, child fares ages 2 to 11; caboose and locomotive cab seats are offered
Ages and scare level
No minimum age stated; billed as a family fall ride
Costumes
No costume rules posted; check the operator site No costume? The Rally tunnel tee counts.
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; accessible boarding at both the depot and Pumpkin Junction
Parking
Not posted; check the operator site
Where
Calera Depot, 1919 9th St, Calera, AL 35040

Tickets on the railroad’s site (opens in a new tab)

Silverhill: Pumpkin Patch Express at Wales West Light Railway

Next: Fri Oct 16Best for: All ages, toddlers welcomeFrom $25Dates left: Oct 16 to Oct 30

Wales West is a light railway on the grounds of an RV resort in Baldwin County, and its Pumpkin Patch Express is less a single train ride than a whole evening. One $25 ticket, plus tax, covers every train ride, a hayless hayride, the playgrounds and the bounce house, and children 2 and under ride free on a lap. Gates open at 4:00 PM and close at 8:45.

The kiddie-friendly trains leave every half hour from 4:20 to 6:50 PM, which is why this sits in the pumpkin group despite the evening hours. After 7 PM the departures become the Scary Night Train, so families with little ones can ride early and leave before then. The park runs Oct 16, 17 and 18, then every night Oct 23 through 30, and is closed on Halloween.

Pumpkin Patch Express at Wales West Light Railway at a glance

Type
Pumpkin and costume ride: Late afternoon and evening pumpkin train, kiddie-friendly
Dates left
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Sun Oct 18, then every night from Fri Oct 23 through Fri Oct 30
Tickets
On sale; no departures sold out as of Oct 14 (most showed 29 to 50 seats left). Limited walk-up tickets sold daily at the gift shop. Closed on Halloween
Times
Kiddie-friendly train departures 4:20, 4:50, 5:20, 5:50, 6:20 and 6:50 PM; gates open 4:00 to 8:45 PM
Ride length
Not posted; check the operator site
What's included
All train rides, a hayless hayride, the playgrounds and the bounce house; earlier listings also mention pumpkins and mini golf
Price
$25 plus sales tax; children 2 and under free on a lap
Ages and scare level
No minimum age stated; the railway calls it kiddie-friendly
Costumes
No costume rules posted; check the operator site
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; check the operator site
Parking
Not posted; check the operator site
Where
Wales West RV Resort and Light Railway, 13670 Smiley St, Silverhill, AL 36576

Tickets on the railroad’s site (opens in a new tab)

Silverhill: Scary Night Train at Wales West Light Railway

Next: Fri Oct 16Best for: Older kids who like spookyFrom $25Dates left: Oct 16 to Oct 30

The same Wales West light railway turns spooky after dark on every night it is open, not only in the final week. Scary Night Train departures leave at 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM on Oct 16, 17 and 18 and every night from Oct 23 through 30, and an optional haunted maze is on the grounds too. Like the rest of the park, it is closed on Halloween night.

There is no separate night ticket: the same $25 General Admission, plus tax, covers the kiddie-friendly trains before 7 PM and the scary ones after. Wales West has not posted age guidance or ride length for the night train, so a family with a young child can ride the early trains and decide on the spot whether to stay.

Scary Night Train at Wales West Light Railway at a glance

Type
Haunted ride: Spooky night train, no age guidance posted
Dates left
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Sun Oct 18, then every night from Fri Oct 23 through Fri Oct 30
Tickets
No departures sold out as of Oct 14; the Sat Oct 17 7:20 PM train was down to about 13 seats. Closed on Halloween
Times
Scary Night Train departures 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM
Ride length
Not posted; check the operator site
What's included
Spooky night train ride on the same ticket as the kiddie-friendly trains; optional haunted maze
Price
$25 plus sales tax, the same General Admission ticket as the Pumpkin Patch Express; children 2 and under free on a lap
Ages and scare level
No age guidance posted; billed as a spooky night ride, so check the operator site
Costumes
No costume rules posted; check the operator site
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; check the operator site
Parking
Not posted; check the operator site
Where
Wales West RV Resort and Light Railway, 13670 Smiley St, Silverhill, AL 36576

Tickets on the railroad’s site (opens in a new tab)

Rally’s Spooky Train Ride: Halloween shirts

The tunnel page from the book, Rally on his red seat in the dark, is printed on black shirts in sizes for the whole family, from baby to 5XL. Skip the costume hassle: no masks to fog up, no capes caught in the train door, just a shirt that already says Halloween and layers under a coat on a cold platform. A matching set makes for easy pumpkin train photos. See everything in the Rally shop.

If Your Toddler Is Worried About the Scary Night Train in Silverhill

Two of Alabama's three rides are easy calls for a toddler. Pumpkin Junction in Calera is a daytime museum ride with a backyard pumpkin stop, and the Wales West Pumpkin Patch Express is billed as kiddie-friendly, with a bounce house, playgrounds and a hayless hayride beside the train. Arriving close to the 4:00 PM start at Wales West puts the first ride in the late afternoon.

The Scary Night Train is the one to think through. Wales West has not posted age guidance or what the spooky part involves, and because it boards at 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM on the same ticket, you will still be on the grounds when it starts if you stay late. For a nervous four-year-old, the simple plan is to ride the 4:20 or 4:50 train, do the hayride and the bounce house, and head for the car before 7. If an older sibling wants the scary run, one parent can ride while the other stays with the little one at the playground.

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

In our book, the train slips into a tunnel and Rally cannot see a thing. He is scared, and then his big ears catch happy cheers and a bright light pours in, and the train rolls out along cliffs above the sea. A Wales West evening that turns dark can feel like that tunnel to a little one, so tell them the dark part ends and Mom and Dad stay right beside them. Our corgi train coloring pages make good practice at home.

Rally began as my mom's bedtime idea, and the story behind the book is hers.

Drive Times From Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery to Each Alabama Ride

These are rough drive times without traffic; the two railroads sit at opposite ends of the state, so most families will have one easy drive and one long one.

Drive times, no traffic

Calera
about 40 min from Birmingham; about 3 hr 30 min from Mobile; about 1 hr from Montgomery
Silverhill
about 4 hr from Birmingham; about 35 min from Mobile; about 2 hr 45 min from Montgomery
Silverhill
about 4 hr from Birmingham; about 35 min from Mobile; about 2 hr 45 min from Montgomery

Alabama Railroad Details to Sort Out Before the Weekend

  • Pumpkin Junction's last trains are Oct 17 and 18. As of Oct 14 the Saturday 10 AM and 1 PM trains were sold out online and the 3 PM was not on the calendar, so Sunday at 1 PM or 3 PM is the realistic booking; call the museum about Saturday.
  • The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum offers accessible boarding at both the Calera depot and Pumpkin Junction, which is not common on Halloween trains.
  • Wales West is closed on Oct 31, so a Halloween night plan there will not work. It is open every night from Oct 23 through its last night, Friday, Oct 30.
  • Wales West sells timed tickets through Ticket Tailor and a limited number of walk-up tickets at the gift shop each day. It runs rain or shine and refunds cancellations for severe weather.
  • The Scary Night Train is not a separate purchase: one $25 ticket covers the kiddie trains and the 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM scary departures, and children 2 and under ride free on a lap.
  • Neither Alabama railroad posts a stroller policy or costume rules in our research, so check the operator site if you are bringing a wagon or a costume with props.

Alabama in Late October: T-Shirt Afternoons, Sweater Evenings

Late October afternoons in Alabama usually land in the 70s, and evenings cool into the 50s and 60s. Pumpkin Junction runs in the daytime, so short sleeves with a light layer in the car covers it. Calera, near Birmingham, also runs a bit cooler than coastal Baldwin County.

Wales West is the one where the clock matters. The Pumpkin Patch Express goes from 4:00 to 8:45 PM, so a family that stays for the hayride and the bounce houses will be outside as the evening cools. The Gulf coast stays warmer than the rest of the state, but a sweatshirt that fits under or over the costume is still worth packing, especially for the Scary Night Train later in the evening.

Closest Halloween Trains Over the Georgia, Tennessee and Florida Lines

North Alabama's best bet is in Tennessee: the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Rails, Wizards & Spells, a pumpkin and costume ride, is about 1 hour 45 minutes from Huntsville and runs Oct 17, 18, 24 and 25, so check the operator site for seats, and see our Tennessee Halloween train rundown. Because nothing in Alabama runs on Oct 31, Montgomery families who want a train on Halloween itself can head east to Cordele, about 3 hours away, where the SAM Shortline's gentle Halloween Express rolls to a trunk-or-treat in Plains; our Georgia Halloween night train roundup has the fares.

On the Gulf side, TrainTastic in Gulfport, Mississippi, about 1 hour 30 minutes west of Wales West, lists a family Tricks, Treats & Trains evening on Oct 23 and 24; our Mississippi Halloween page has the details, and the operator site has tickets. Pensacola families are only about 50 minutes from Silverhill, while Florida's own Halloween trains sit far down the peninsula, the nearest being a farm train built to scare near Williston, roughly 6 hours from Mobile, as our Florida spooky and pumpkin train page lays out.

A train book for the ride

For a full-size train day with no costumes required, our guide to riding the Crescent through Birmingham with kids covers a very different kind of trip.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. They fit in a folder with a few crayons for the line at the depot or the drive home.

Get the free coloring pages for Calera
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents, including one dark tunnel he is brave enough to ride through. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Sources

Checked against each railroad’s own pages and ticket calendars on October 14, 2026. Dates, prices and policies change, so confirm with the railroad before you go.

What Alabama Parents Ask About Pumpkin Trains and the Scary Night Train

What Halloween events are there for kids in Silverhill, Alabama?

Silverhill's Halloween trains run at Wales West Light Railway, and one $25 ticket plus tax covers both. Kiddie-friendly Pumpkin Patch Express trains leave every half hour from 4:20 to 6:50 PM, alongside a hayless hayride, playgrounds and a bounce house, and Scary Night Train departures follow at 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM. It runs Oct 16, 17 and 18 and every night from Oct 23 through 30, and is closed on Halloween.

Is there anything to do for Halloween in Calera, Alabama with little kids?

Yes, for one more weekend. Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is a gentle daytime pumpkin ride from the Calera Depot, about 25 minutes on the train plus an hour at the museum's backyard Junction. Its final dates are Oct 17 and 18. As of October 14, Saturday's 10 AM and 1 PM trains were sold out online, while Sunday's 1 PM and 3 PM trains still had seats.

Is there a pumpkin patch train in Silverhill, Alabama?

Yes. Wales West Light Railway runs the Pumpkin Patch Express, and earlier listings include pumpkins along with the train rides, a hayless hayride, playgrounds and a bounce house, all for $25 plus tax. Kiddie-friendly trains leave from 4:20 to 6:50 PM on Oct 16, 17 and 18 and every night Oct 23 through 30. The railway has not posted whether every child takes a pumpkin home, so check the operator site.

What are Halloween events for kids near Birmingham, Alabama?

The closest Halloween train to Birmingham is Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, about 40 minutes south. It is a gentle daytime pumpkin ride, and this weekend, Oct 17 and 18, is its last; as of October 14, Sunday still had seats while Saturday was sold out online. After that, the nearest Alabama option is Wales West in Silverhill, about 4 hours away, with evening pumpkin trains through Oct 30.

Halloween things to do with kids near Mobile, Alabama?

One Halloween option near Mobile is Wales West Light Railway in Silverhill, about 35 minutes away. Its Pumpkin Patch Express trains leave every half hour from 4:20 to 6:50 PM, and the Scary Night Train follows at 7:20, 7:50 and 8:20 PM, all on one $25 ticket plus tax. It runs Oct 16, 17 and 18 and every night Oct 23 through 30, and no departures were sold out as of October 14.

Is there a Halloween train near Montgomery, Alabama?

The nearest one is Pumpkin Junction in Calera, about an hour from Montgomery, a gentle daytime pumpkin ride at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum on its final weekend, Oct 17 and 18. As of October 14, its Sunday trains at 1 PM and 3 PM still had seats. After that weekend, the Wales West pumpkin and night trains in Silverhill are about 2 hours 45 minutes away and run through Oct 30.

Can kids wear costumes on the Wales West Pumpkin Patch Express?

Wales West Light Railway has not posted costume rules for the Pumpkin Patch Express, so check the operator site before you plan around one. Because the evening includes a bounce house, playgrounds and a hayless hayride, a costume your child can climb and run in works better than one with long capes or masks. Bring a layer for after dark, when Alabama evenings cool into the 50s and 60s.

Is the Wales West Scary Night Train too scary for a toddler?

It might be, and the railway has not given parents much to go on. Wales West describes the Scary Night Train as a spooky ride after dark but has not posted age guidance or what happens on board. It shares a ticket with the kiddie-friendly trains, which leave from 4:20 to 6:50 PM, so a toddler can ride early and you can head home before the 7:20 PM scary departure.

Are there tickets left for an Alabama pumpkin train this weekend?

Yes, but Saturday in Calera is tight. As of October 14, Pumpkin Junction's 10 AM and 1 PM trains on Saturday, Oct 17 were sold out online and the 3 PM did not appear on the calendar, while Sunday, Oct 18 had seats at 1 PM and 3 PM. Wales West in Silverhill had no sold-out departures for Oct 16, 17 or 18, though Saturday's 7:20 PM scary train was down to about 13 seats.

Is Wales West open on Halloween night?

No. Wales West Light Railway in Silverhill is closed on Oct 31. Its last night is Friday, Oct 30, and it is open every night from Oct 23 through then, with kiddie-friendly trains before 7 PM and the Scary Night Train after. That means a weeknight in Halloween week works for a near-Halloween outing on the same $25 ticket.

Is Pumpkin Junction at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum wheelchair accessible?

The museum says it offers accessible boarding at both the Calera Depot and Pumpkin Junction, so a child or grandparent in a wheelchair can ride and get off at the pumpkin stop. It has not posted a separate stroller policy, so check the operator site if you plan to bring one. The final dates are Oct 17 and 18, and Sunday was the day with seats left as of October 14.

Is there a Halloween train near Huntsville, Alabama?

We could not confirm a 2026 Halloween ride at the North Alabama Railroad Museum, so check the operator site. The closest confirmed option in our research is the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Rails, Wizards & Spells in Chattanooga, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Huntsville, a pumpkin and costume ride on Oct 17, 18, 24 and 25.

What should kids wear to the evening pumpkin train at Wales West in Silverhill?

Dress for a warm afternoon that turns cooler. Alabama afternoons in late October usually reach the 70s, and evenings drop into the 50s and 60s, though the Gulf coast stays warmer than inland. Since the gates are open from 4:00 to 8:45 PM, pack a sweatshirt that works with the costume, plus shoes for the hayless hayride and the bounce house.

Kelsey Cecil
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