Halloween Train Rides in Colorado (2026)
Colorado's Halloween trains run at wildly different altitudes, from a coal-fired steam train at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden to a costume train crossing the Georgetown Loop high bridge at around 8,500 feet. That elevation gap decides more about your day than the costume does. For other states, see Halloween train rides across the country.
Four family rides still have dates ahead this season, and all four are pumpkin and costume rides. No family haunted train turned up in Colorado for 2026. The Royal Gorge Twilight Train runs after dark, but the railroad describes music and lasers rather than scares, so it sits with the costume rides here, and we explain why in its listing.
Timing is tight. Golden's Harvest Haunt Express is this weekend only, Georgetown and Pueblo wait until Halloween weekend, and the Royal Gorge runs Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31.
The short version
- Pumpkin and costume rides in daylight: Denver with a toddler: the Harvest Haunt Express in Golden is about 25 minutes from Denver and 1 hr 10 min from Fort Collins, but it runs only Oct 17 and 18.
- Mountain day on Halloween weekend: the Georgetown Loop Trick or Treat Train is about 50 minutes from Denver (longer with I-70 traffic), and all ten departures were still bookable on Oct 13.
- Pumpkin and costume rides after dark: Colorado Springs on Halloween night: Pueblo's Cemetery Express is about 45 minutes away, walk-up only, with rides from 4 to 8 PM.
- Older kids who can stay up: the Royal Gorge Twilight Train in Cañon City is about an hour from Colorado Springs and 2 hr 15 min from Denver, with a 6:30 PM departure and no strollers or car seats allowed.
If your kids want a ride that is actually spooky, Colorado has none for families this year; the neighbors section below points to the closest one.
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 a Colorado pumpkin train.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Compare every Colorado 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.
| Ride | Type | Dates left | Tickets | Length | Best for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad MuseumGolden | Pumpkin and costume | Oct 17 to Oct 18 (2 dates) | From $7 | Not posted | All ages, toddlers welcome | On sale |
| Trick or Treat Train on the Georgetown Loop RailroadGeorgetown | Pumpkin and costume | Oct 30 to Oct 31 (2 dates) | See railroad | About 55 minutes | All ages, toddlers welcome | On sale |
| Twilight Train Halloween Laser Light Show on the Royal Gorge Route RailroadCañon City | Pumpkin and costume | Oct 16 to Oct 31 (6 dates) | From $109 | About 2 to 2.5 hours | All ages, toddlers welcome | On sale |
| Cemetery Express at the Pueblo Railway MuseumPueblo | Pumpkin and costume | Sat Oct 31 | From $10 | Not posted | All ages, toddlers welcome | On sale |
Colorado 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.
- Fri, Oct 16
- Sat, Oct 17
- Sun, Oct 18
- Fri, Oct 23
- Sat, Oct 24
- Fri, Oct 30
- Sat, Oct 31 (Halloween)
Elevation Decides What Your Kids Wear
On the Front Range, October days in Golden, Pueblo and Cañon City are often sunny and in the 60s, but nights drop into the 30s and early snow is possible. Cañon City and Pueblo in the Arkansas Valley tend to run a little milder than Denver.
Georgetown is the cold one. It sits around 8,500 feet off I-70, where late October days are colder and snow or icy roads can show up any week, so bring hats and gloves even for the daytime Trick or Treat Train, and size costumes to fit over a coat.
Night rides need the most planning. The Royal Gorge Twilight Train spends 2 to 2.5 hours out after dark, and the laser show happens in the open-air car, so a fleece under the costume and a blanket for the ride back make sense. Pueblo's Cemetery Express runs until 8 PM on Halloween. These are general climate norms, not forecasts.
Golden: Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad Museum
For one weekend, the Colorado Railroad Museum puts an authentic coal-burning Colorado steam locomotive on the front of the train instead of its usual diesel, with departures every half hour from 10 AM to 3 PM. Around the ride there is trick-or-treating, the Olde Railroaders Silly Graveyard, a hay bale maze and "not-so-spooky" Haunted Railcars, the museum's own phrase and about the right pitch for a preschooler. A Pumpkin Patch cart is set up as a costume photo spot.
Buy online: tickets are $5 cheaper per person than at the gate, and the museum says capacity is limited. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your departure for parking and check-in. The museum's train coaches are wheelchair accessible.
Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad Museum at a glance
- Type
- Pumpkin and costume ride: Daytime steam train with not-so-spooky haunted railcars
- Dates left
- Sat Oct 17 and Sun Oct 18
- Tickets
- No sold-out notice as of Oct 13; the museum says capacity is limited and recommends buying in advance
- Times
- Grounds open 9 AM to 5 PM; activities and train rides 10 AM to 3 PM, departing every half hour
- Ride length
- Not posted; check the operator site
- What's included
- Steam train ride, trick-or-treating, Olde Railroaders Silly Graveyard, "not-so-spooky" Haunted Railcars, hay bale maze, Pumpkin Patch cart photo spot. Food and treats sold separately.
- Price
- Online: adults $17, kids 2 to 17 $7, seniors 60+ $15. On site: adults $22, kids $12, seniors $20. Under 2 and museum members free.
- Ages and scare level
- No minimum age stated; the museum calls its Haunted Railcars "not-so-spooky"
- Costumes
- Encouraged for trick-or-treating
- Strollers
- The museum has not posted a stroller policy; check the operator site
- Parking
- On-site lot; arrive 30 minutes before departure for parking and check-in. Parking fee not posted, so check the operator site.
- Where
- Colorado Railroad Museum, 17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO 80403
Tickets on the railroad’s site
Georgetown: Trick or Treat Train on the Georgetown Loop Railroad
The Georgetown Loop's Trick or Treat Train runs on Oct 30 and on Halloween itself, so it doubles as a costume test run or the main event. The railroad bills it for all ages. Every ticketed child gets candy at the end of the ride, there is face painting at Devil's Gate Depot, and each reservation takes home a 2026 Halloween Faro Chip keepsake. The route crosses the famous Georgetown Loop high bridge between Georgetown and Silver Plume.
Practical catches from the railroad's FAQ: tickets are not mailed or emailed, so pick them up at the depot 30 minutes before departure or you cannot board, and there are no restrooms on the train. Boarding is expected at Devil's Gate because the Silver Plume Depot closes in mid-October, but confirm on your ticket. Prices sit inside the booking widget.
Trick or Treat Train on the Georgetown Loop Railroad at a glance
- Type
- Pumpkin and costume ride: Daytime all-ages trick or treat train, not scary
- Dates left
- Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31
- Tickets
- All 10 departures showed as bookable in the booking calendar on Oct 13
- Times
- 10:00 AM, 11:25 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:25 PM and 3:50 PM
- Ride length
- About 55 minutes per the railroad's FAQ for mid-October through early January (booking slots are listed as 75 minutes)
- What's included
- Candy for each ticketed child at the end of the ride, face painting at Devil's Gate Depot, one 2026 Halloween Faro Chip keepsake per reservation
- Price
- Not captured: coach (adults 11+, kids 1 to 10, infants under 12 months) and parlor prices are inside the booking widget, so check the operator site
- Ages and scare level
- All ages, per the booking page
- Costumes
- Encouraged
- Strollers
- The railroad has not posted a stroller policy; check the operator site
- Parking
- Not posted; check the operator site
- Where
- Devil's Gate Depot, 646 Loop Drive, Georgetown, CO 80444 (expected late-October boarding point; confirm on your ticket)
Tickets on the railroad’s site
Cañon City: Twilight Train Halloween Laser Light Show on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad
In October the Royal Gorge Route's Twilight Train becomes a Halloween laser light show. After dark, synchronized lasers and graphics are projected onto the 1,000-foot granite walls of the Royal Gorge, while the open-air car turns into a dance party to Monster Mash, Thriller and Ghostbusters. It runs at night, but we list it with the costume rides rather than the haunted ones because nothing the railroad describes is meant to scare: no scare actors, just music and light.
It is still an older-kid outing. The 6:30 PM departure runs about 2 to 2.5 hours, fares start around $109 per person depending on class, and the railroad allows no strollers, car seats or booster seats on board, so plan to carry little ones. Lap children under 2 ride free.
Twilight Train Halloween Laser Light Show on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad at a glance
- Type
- Pumpkin and costume ride: Evening Halloween laser light show train, not billed as scary
- Dates left
- Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24, Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31
- Tickets
- Not posted; check the operator site
- Times
- 6:30 PM departure; arrive about 60 minutes early to pick up tickets at the Santa Fe Depot
- Ride length
- About 2 to 2.5 hours
- What's included
- Ride through the Royal Gorge with the laser light show, Open-Air Car access for the show and dance party, Halloween soundtrack. Dinner and drinks extra; a $35 pre-purchased dinner special includes a first drink and a commemorative pint glass.
- Price
- From $109 per person for Vista Dome, Deluxe and Coach, varying by class (the page also shows $124+). Child price not posted. Lap children under 2 free.
- Ages and scare level
- No minimum age stated; not described as scary
- Costumes
- Not on the operator page; check the operator site
- Strollers
- Not allowed: no strollers, car seats or booster seats on board
- Parking
- Free parking next to the Santa Fe Depot
- Where
- Santa Fe Depot, 401 Water St., Cañon City, CO 81212
Tickets on the railroad’s site
Pueblo: Cemetery Express at the Pueblo Railway Museum
Despite the name, the Pueblo Railway Museum does not describe the Cemetery Express as scary. It is a Halloween-day run of short train rides from behind Pueblo Union Depot, leaving every 20 minutes from 4 to 8 PM, and kids get to choose their seat: $15 to ride in the locomotive or $10 for one of three cabooses, with children under 3 free.
There is no admission fee for the event, and train tickets are sold only that day at the gift shop caboose behind the depot (cash, check and cards accepted). Hang on to the used ticket, because it gets half-price entry to the Pueblo Heritage Museum across the street. The all-volunteer museum has not posted a ride length, so check the operator site for details.
Cemetery Express at the Pueblo Railway Museum at a glance
- Type
- Pumpkin and costume ride: Halloween evening short train rides, not described as scary
- Dates left
- Sat Oct 31
- Tickets
- Walk-up sales only on the day of the event, so there is no advance sellout
- Times
- 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, departures every 20 minutes
- Ride length
- Not posted; check the operator site
- What's included
- Ride in the locomotive or one of three cabooses; mini-train on display with the Pueblo Downtown Association; used ticket gets half-price admission at the Pueblo Heritage Museum; no event admission fee
- Price
- Locomotive ride $15, caboose ride $10, children under 3 free
- Ages and scare level
- No minimum age stated; the museum does not describe it as scary
- Costumes
- Not posted; check the operator site
- Strollers
- Not posted; check the operator site
- Parking
- Not posted; check the operator site
- Where
- Behind Pueblo Union Depot (boarding near the gift shop caboose), 132 W. B St., Pueblo, CO 81003
Tickets on the railroad’s site
Drive Times From Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins
Approximate times without traffic; I-70 toward Georgetown on a fall weekend can run much longer.
Drive times, no traffic
- Golden
- about 25 min from Denver; about 1 hr 30 min from Colorado Springs; about 1 hr 10 min from Fort Collins
- Georgetown
- about 50 min, longer with I-70 traffic from Denver; about 1 hr 55 min from Colorado Springs; about 1 hr 45 min from Fort Collins
- Cañon City
- about 2 hr 15 min from Denver; about 1 hr from Colorado Springs; about 3 hr 15 min from Fort Collins
- Pueblo
- about 1 hr 50 min from Denver; about 45 min from Colorado Springs; about 2 hr 50 min from Fort Collins
Colorado Depot Details Worth Knowing
- Georgetown Loop tickets are not mailed or emailed. Pick them up at the depot 30 minutes before departure or you cannot board, and use the station restrooms first, since there are none on the train.
- The railroad itself warns that the I-70 mountain corridor is very busy this time of year, so pad your drive to Georgetown.
- In Golden, buying online saves $5 per ticket over the gate price, and the museum asks you to arrive 30 minutes before your departure.
- The Royal Gorge Route allows no strollers, car seats or booster seats on board. Arrive about an hour early to pick up tickets at the Santa Fe Depot. Trains run in rain and snow, and weather cancellations can be rescheduled free within a year.
- Pueblo sells Cemetery Express tickets only on Halloween at the gift shop caboose, with cash, check and credit cards accepted. Keep the used ticket for half-price entry to the Pueblo Heritage Museum.
- Georgetown's Autumnfest trains in mid-October are a fall beer-sampling ride with 21+ samples, not a Halloween train, so don't confuse them with the Trick or Treat Train when booking.
- Searching for Durango's Great Pumpkin Patch Express? The Durango & Silverton events page lists no pumpkin or Halloween train for 2026, so the Front Range rides on this page are the options this year.
If Your Preschooler Is Unsure About Haunted Railcars and a Cemetery Express
Good news for nervous kids: nothing on Colorado's 2026 list is billed as scary. The museum in Golden calls its Haunted Railcars "not-so-spooky" and its graveyard "silly," and those two words are worth using with your child ahead of time. The Georgetown train is daylight, face paint and candy.
Pueblo's Cemetery Express sounds spookier than the museum describes it; tell kids it is just the name, and that they get to pick between the engine and a caboose. Later departures do run toward 8 PM, so the earliest trains are your best bet for a child who is uneasy in the dark.
The Royal Gorge ride is less about scares than stamina and noise. The canyon is dark, the lasers are bright, and the open-air car is a dance party to Monster Mash and Thriller. Sound-sensitive kids may want ear protection, and a toddler who naps late may not last two hours after dark.
In the book, Rally wakes up early, spots the suitcase and gets right to work packing what matters for the trip with Mom and Dad: his turtle toy, his green bone, his yellow ball. My mom thought up that scene, and I wrote it down after she passed (here is how the book came to be). For a Colorado ride I would borrow his system. Let each child pack one favorite thing, then you add the hats, gloves and a blanket, because Georgetown sits around 8,500 feet and the Royal Gorge open-air car gets cold after dark. Tuck in a Rally coloring sheet or two for the wait at the depot.
Closest Halloween Trains Beyond the Colorado Line
Colorado's immediate neighbors were not researched for this guide. The one cross-border line we did check, the Cumbres & Toltec from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico, had no Halloween or pumpkin train for 2026, so check the operator site for anything in New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska or Kansas.
If your kids want a ride that is truly haunted, the closest one in our guide is in Texas, where Grapevine runs a haunted Witches' Brew Train, roughly 780 miles from Denver. Families heading west for fall break can find a gentle spooky-not-scary night ride in Fremont on our California Halloween train page, about 1,250 miles away, and Illinois has a pumpkin train in Union and ghost trains near Chicago, about 1,000 miles east.
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. A matching set makes for easy pumpkin train photos and an easy costume under a jacket. See everything in the Rally shop.
Adult tee
Sizes XS to 5XL, black, printed with the tunnel page from the book.
Kids tee
Sizes S to XL, black, printed with the tunnel page from the book.
Toddler tee
Sizes 2T to 5T, black, printed with the tunnel page from the book.
Baby bodysuit
Sizes 3 to 18 months, black, printed with the tunnel page from the book.
A train book for the ride
For a train day with no costumes at all, the California Zephyr out of Denver heads straight into the Rockies, and the Southwest Chief crosses southern Colorado.
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 Golden
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 AmazonMore for train families
- Halloween train rides in every state: pumpkin trains and haunted rides by state
- California Zephyr with kids: a different kind of train day
- Southwest Chief with kids: a different kind of train day
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find a train by city or station
- Halloween books for toddlers for the drive home
Sources
- Colorado Railroad Museum: Harvest Haunt Express
- Georgetown Loop Railroad (Historic Rail Adventures with History Colorado): Trick or Treat Train
- Royal Gorge Route Railroad: Twilight Train (Halloween-themed laser light show in October)
- Pueblo Railway Museum: Cemetery Express
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.
Colorado Parents' Halloween Train Questions, Answered
What Halloween events are there for kids in Golden, Colorado?
One family Halloween event in Golden is the Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad Museum, a gentle daytime steam train ride with trick-or-treating, a hay bale maze and not-so-spooky Haunted Railcars. It runs only Oct 17 and 18, with trains every half hour from 10 AM to 3 PM. Online tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for kids 2 to 17, and kids under 2 are free. A coal-burning steam locomotive pulls the train.
Are there Halloween events for families in Georgetown, Colorado this October?
Georgetown's Halloween train is the Georgetown Loop Railroad's Trick or Treat Train, a gentle daytime ride for all ages on Oct 30 and 31, with departures from 10:00 AM to 3:50 PM. Every ticketed child gets candy at the end, there is face painting at Devil's Gate Depot, and each reservation takes home a Halloween Faro Chip keepsake. Prices sit inside the railroad's booking page and were not posted elsewhere, so check the operator site.
What is there to do for Halloween in Cañon City, Colorado with kids?
Cañon City's Halloween train is the Royal Gorge Route's Twilight Train, an evening ride where lasers and graphics light up the 1,000-foot granite walls of the Royal Gorge while the open-air car dances to Monster Mash and Thriller. It is festive rather than scary. Remaining dates are Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 at 6:30 PM, running about 2 to 2.5 hours, with fares from about $109. Lap children under 2 ride free.
Halloween events in Pueblo, Colorado for families
One family Halloween event in Pueblo is the Pueblo Railway Museum's Cemetery Express on Oct 31, short train rides from behind Pueblo Union Depot every 20 minutes from 4 to 8 PM. Despite the name, the museum does not describe it as scary. Kids can ride in the locomotive for $15 or a caboose for $10, children under 3 ride free, and tickets are sold only that day at the gift shop caboose.
Is there a pumpkin patch train near Denver, Colorado?
Not a pick-your-own pumpkin train that could be confirmed this year. The closest fit is the Harvest Haunt Express in Golden, about 25 minutes from Denver on Oct 17 and 18, which has a Pumpkin Patch cart photo spot rather than pumpkin picking. Georgetown Loop Pumpkin Fest dates could not be confirmed, and the Durango & Silverton events page lists no Great Pumpkin Patch Express for 2026.
What are Halloween events for kids near Denver, Colorado?
Two daytime Halloween trains sit close to Denver. The Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden is about 25 minutes away, with a steam train, trick-or-treating and not-so-spooky Haunted Railcars on Oct 17 and 18. The Georgetown Loop Trick or Treat Train is about 50 minutes away on Oct 30 and 31, with candy and face painting, though I-70 mountain traffic can stretch that drive.
Halloween things to do with kids near Colorado Springs
From Colorado Springs, the closest Halloween train is Pueblo's Cemetery Express, about 45 minutes away, with short locomotive and caboose rides every 20 minutes from 4 to 8 PM on Oct 31. The Royal Gorge Route Twilight Train in Cañon City is about 1 hour away, a festive evening laser light show ride on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct 31. Golden's daytime Harvest Haunt Express on Oct 17 and 18 is about 1 hour 30 minutes north.
Are there Halloween train rides for kids near Fort Collins, Colorado?
The nearest one to Fort Collins is the Harvest Haunt Express at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes away, a gentle daytime steam train event with trick-or-treating on Oct 17 and 18. The Georgetown Loop Trick or Treat Train is about 1 hour 45 minutes away on Oct 30 and 31. The Fort Collins Municipal Railway trolley runs only May through September, so it has no Halloween ride.
Can kids wear costumes on the Georgetown Loop Trick or Treat Train?
Yes, the Georgetown Loop Railroad encourages costumes. The train runs Oct 30 and 31, every ticketed child gets candy at the end of the ride, and there is face painting at Devil's Gate Depot. Georgetown sits around 8,500 feet, where late October can be cold or snowy, so choose a costume that fits over a warm coat.
Is the Harvest Haunt Express in Golden scary for a 2 year old?
No, it is built to be gentle. The Colorado Railroad Museum describes its Haunted Railcars as not-so-spooky and its graveyard as silly, and the whole event runs in daylight with trick-or-treating, a hay bale maze and a steam train ride. Kids under 2 ride free, and a two-year-old pays $7 online. It runs only Oct 17 and 18.
Can we still get Colorado Halloween train tickets for this weekend?
As of October 14, likely yes. The Harvest Haunt Express in Golden on Oct 17 and 18 showed no sold-out notice, though the museum says capacity is limited. The Royal Gorge Twilight Train runs Oct 16 and 17, but the railroad has not posted availability. Georgetown and Pueblo do not run until Halloween weekend. Tickets come straight from the railroad, linked under each ride.
How cold is Georgetown at the end of October for a toddler on the train?
Plan for real cold. Georgetown sits around 8,500 feet off I-70, and late October days there are colder than in Denver, with snow or icy roads possible any week. Dress a toddler in a hat, gloves and a coat under or over the costume, even for a daytime Trick or Treat Train departure. There are no restrooms on the train, so use the station before boarding.
Can I bring a stroller or car seat on the Royal Gorge Halloween train?
No. The Royal Gorge Route says that for safety reasons it cannot accommodate strollers, car seats or booster seats on board. Plan to carry little ones, and remember the Twilight Train runs about 2 to 2.5 hours after a 6:30 PM departure. Children under 2 can ride free on a parent's lap. Parking next to the Santa Fe Depot is free.
Does the Georgetown Loop Railroad email Trick or Treat Train tickets?
No. The Georgetown Loop Railroad does not mail or email tickets, so you pick up printed tickets at the depot 30 minutes before departure, and without them you cannot board. The railroad also warns that the I-70 mountain corridor is very busy this time of year, so leave extra time for the drive and the stop, especially with kids in costume.