Halloween Train Rides in Iowa (2026)

Trains and TravelHalloween Train Rides
Written By Kelsey Cecil

Updated October 14, 2026 · 17 min read

On the Old Threshers grounds in Mount Pleasant, the Ghost Train of No Return runs behind a real steam engine after dark, and a $20 wristband, sold only at the gate, buys unlimited trips, which is about as Iowa as a Halloween night gets. As of October 14, Iowa has two Halloween train events with dates left: one gentle pumpkin and costume ride and one haunted night event. If you are weighing a drive across a state line, our nationwide list of Halloween train rides for kids covers the neighbors too.

The other half of the pair is the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's Pumpkin Express, a midmorning ride out to the railroad's own pumpkin patch where every child picks one to take home. It has just one date left, Saturday, Oct 17. Mount Pleasant runs Friday and Saturday nights through Halloween, so it is the one you can still fit in late in the month.

The short version

  • Pumpkin and costume rides: For toddlers and anyone within an hour of Des Moines, the Boone Pumpkin Express is the pick: about 50 minutes away, in daylight, with a pumpkin for each child. It is down to Saturday, Oct 17, so decide this week.
  • Haunted rides: Eastern Iowa families with kids who like a little spooky should look at Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant, about an hour from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and 1 hr 15 min from the Quad Cities, running six Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31.

From Des Moines, Mount Pleasant is about 2 hr 30 min each way, which makes for a very late night with small children.

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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Express on the Boone & Scenic Valley RailroadBoonePumpkin and costumeSat Oct 17From $24About 1 hrAll ages, toddlers welcomeOn sale
Midwest Haunted Rails on the Old Threshers GroundsMount PleasantHauntedOct 16 to Oct 31 (6 dates)From $20Not postedOlder kids who like spookyOn sale

The rest of October at a glance

When each Iowa Halloween train still runs

Oct 14Oct 21Oct 31

Pumpkin and costume ride Haunted ride Halloween night

Iowa 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.

Boone: Pumpkin Express on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

Next: Sat Oct 17Best for: All ages, toddlers welcomeFrom $24About 1 hrDates left: Oct 17

The Pumpkin Express leaves Boone at 10:00 AM, rolls out to the railroad's own pumpkin patch, and lets each child choose a pumpkin before the train is back around 11:30 AM, so it fits neatly before a toddler's nap. The railroad encourages costumes but does not require them.

Only one date remains, Saturday, Oct 17, and the 10:00 AM train was still open for booking on October 14. Fares start at $24 in the railroad's booking system, and the railroad asks riders to check in an hour early. Strollers and parking are not posted, so check the operator site before you drive.

Pumpkin Express on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad at a glance

Type
Pumpkin and costume ride: Daytime pumpkin patch train, family ride
Dates left
Sat Oct 17
Tickets
Sat Oct 17 at 10:00 AM open for booking as of Oct 14; not sold out
Times
Departs 10:00 AM, back about 11:30 AM; check in one hour early
Ride length
About 1 hr 15 min per the booking page
What's included
A train ride to the railroad's pumpkin patch, where each child picks a pumpkin
Price
From $24 in the railroad's booking system; check the ticket page for each fare
Ages and scare level
No minimum age stated; the railroad presents it as a family ride
Costumes
Costumes encouraged, not required No costume? The Rally tunnel tee counts.
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; check the operator site
Parking
Not posted; check the operator site
Where
Boone depot, 225 10th St, Boone, IA 50036

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

Mount Pleasant: Midwest Haunted Rails on the Old Threshers Grounds

Next: Fri Oct 16Best for: Older kids who like spookyFrom $20Dates left: Oct 16 to Oct 31

Midwest Haunted Rails is less a single train ride than a Halloween night out. A $20 wristband covers unlimited trips on the steam-powered Ghost Train of No Return, plus the Ghostly Trolley, a Haunted Carousel and activities on the grounds, from 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM on Fridays and 10:30 PM on Saturdays. Kids 4 and under get in free, and wristbands are sold only at the gate.

The organizers bill it as family friendly, but the site also posts a scare warning page, and the whole thing happens after dark. That is why it sits in the haunted column here. Read the warning page before you bring a preschooler, and plan to stay near the carousel end of the evening if your child is on the fence.

Midwest Haunted Rails on the Old Threshers Grounds at a glance

Type
Haunted ride: Haunted night event with steam ghost train; billed as family friendly with a posted scare warning
Dates left
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24, Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31
Tickets
Open all six remaining nights as of Oct 14; wristbands are sold only at the gate, and the event says it does not run out
Times
Fridays 6:00 to 10:00 PM; Saturdays 6:00 to 10:30 PM; last wristband sold 30 minutes before closing
Ride length
Not posted; the wristband covers unlimited rides during the evening
What's included
Unlimited rides on the steam Ghost Train of No Return, the Ghostly Trolley, the Haunted Carousel and activities on the grounds; Thrashers House of Terror is separate
Price
$20 per person regardless of age; kids 4 and under free; gate sales only, no advance tickets; card fees apply
Ages and scare level
No minimum age stated; billed as family friendly, but the site posts a scare warning page
Costumes
No costume rules posted; check the operator site
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; check the operator site
Parking
Free parking in the infield, entry from S Walnut St
Where
McMillan Park, Old Threshers grounds, 405 E Thresher Rd, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641

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.

Is a Night at Midwest Haunted Rails Too Much for a Four-Year-Old?

It depends on the four-year-old, and the organizers themselves seem to know that: they call the event family friendly and also post a scare warning. Everything happens in the dark, the main ride is called the Ghost Train of No Return, and a ghostly trolley and haunted carousel round out the night. A child who already loves spooky stories may be thrilled. A child who worries about the dark is better served by the Boone Pumpkin Express on Oct 17, which is daylight, pumpkins and nothing else.

If you do go to Mount Pleasant with a little one, tell them ahead of time that the scary parts are pretend and run by grown-ups, ride the carousel first, and agree on a word that means 'we are done now.' The unlimited wristband means you can leave after one ride without feeling you wasted a ticket.

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 dark tunnel and Rally cannot see a thing. He is scared, until a big bright light appears and his big ears pick up happy cheers. A steam ghost train in Mount Pleasant is a long, dark stretch of its own, and I would tell a nervous child exactly what Rally learned: the dark part ends, and the light is coming. You can print a free Rally tunnel page to color before the trip, and read why I wrote the book for my mom.

Iowa's October Nights Drop Into the 30s, So Dress for the Outdoor Event

The Boone Pumpkin Express runs in the morning, when a jacket over the costume is usually enough. Midwest Haunted Rails is a different animal: it is outdoors, after dark, from 6:00 PM until 10:00 or 10:30 PM, and late October nights in Iowa fall into the 40s and often the 30s. Kids will be standing in lines and walking the grounds between rides, so think hats, gloves and a coat that fits over the costume.

Southeast Iowa around Mount Pleasant tends to run a touch milder than central Iowa, but that does not make an open night ride warm. A thermos of cocoa in the car and a blanket for the drive home will be appreciated, especially on the Oct 30 and 31 nights.

Drive Times From Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the Quad Cities

These are approximate drive times without traffic, so pad them a little on Friday evenings heading to Mount Pleasant.

Drive times, no traffic

Boone
about 50 min from Des Moines; about 2 hr from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City
Mount Pleasant
about 2 hr 30 min from Des Moines; about 1 hr from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City; about 1 hr 15 min from Quad Cities

Notes for Iowa Parents on Tickets, Timing and Cold Nights

  • Boone's Pumpkin Express is down to its final date, Sat Oct 17 at 10:00 AM, and was still bookable on October 14. Book now rather than Friday night, and plan to check in an hour before departure.
  • The Pumpkin Express is back about 11:30 AM, which leaves the afternoon open for a nap or a second stop.
  • Midwest Haunted Rails charges $20 for everyone regardless of age, with kids 4 and under free. There are no advance sales, so you buy wristbands at the gate, and card fees apply.
  • Mount Pleasant opens at 6:00 PM and runs until 10:00 PM on Fridays and 10:30 PM on Saturdays. With younger kids, arrive right at opening, do the rides first, and be back in the car before the late crowd.
  • Parking at Old Threshers is free in the infield, entering from S Walnut St. The event runs rain or shine, but the trolleys and carnival rides pause when lightning is within 10 miles.
  • Read the scare warning page on the Midwest Haunted Rails site with your child's temperament in mind, and note that Thrashers House of Terror is a separate attraction from the wristband rides.
  • Neither railroad has posted stroller rules, so check the operator site, and bring a carrier for babies on the Old Threshers grounds after dark.

Illinois Pumpkin Trains for Eastern Iowa, and Why Nebraska and Missouri Families Drive Here

Quad Cities families are about 2 hours from Illinois pumpkin rides, including the Illinois Railway Museum's daytime Pumpkin Train in Union on Oct 17, 18, 24 and 25, which gives you more weekend dates than Boone. Haunted and pumpkin options are side by side on our Illinois Halloween train page.

Iowa's rides also pull in neighbors. Omaha families drive about 2 hr 30 min to the Boone Pumpkin Express because Nebraska's only rail option this October is a short zoo train lap at Lincoln's Boo at the Zoo. St. Louis now has a spooky evening train of its own on Oct 17 at the National Museum of Transportation, so Missouri families no longer need the 3 hr 15 min drive to Mount Pleasant for a Halloween ride; see our Missouri pumpkin train rundown.

A train book for the ride

For a calmer train day with kids, our notes on taking the California Zephyr across southern Iowa cover a very different kind of ride.

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 Boone
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 Iowa Parents Ask About Boone's Pumpkin Train and Mount Pleasant's Ghost Train

What Halloween events are there for kids in Boone, Iowa?

One family Halloween event in Boone is the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's Pumpkin Express, a gentle daytime ride out to the railroad's own pumpkin patch, where each child picks a pumpkin. Only one date remains, Saturday, Oct 17, departing at 10:00 AM and back about 11:30 AM. Fares start at $24 in the railroad's booking system, and costumes are encouraged but not required.

Are there Halloween things to do with kids in Mount Pleasant, Iowa this October?

Yes. Midwest Haunted Rails runs on the Old Threshers grounds on Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Fridays and 10:30 PM on Saturdays. It is a haunted night event: a $20 wristband covers unlimited rides on the steam Ghost Train of No Return, the Ghostly Trolley and a Haunted Carousel. Kids 4 and under get in free.

Is there a pumpkin patch train in Boone, IA?

Yes. The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's Pumpkin Express takes riders to the railroad's own pumpkin patch, and every child gets to pick a pumpkin. The trip runs about 90 minutes in the morning. For 2026 the only remaining date is Saturday, Oct 17. The railroad has not posted a stroller policy, so plan on carrying little ones on and off the train.

What are Halloween events for kids near Des Moines, Iowa?

The closest Halloween train to Des Moines is the Boone Pumpkin Express, about 50 minutes north, a gentle morning pumpkin patch ride on Saturday, Oct 17 only, with fares from $24. For older kids who want a spooky night, Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant is about 2 hr 30 min away and runs Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31, starting at 6:00 PM.

Halloween things to do with kids near Cedar Rapids and Iowa City

Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant is about an hour from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. It runs Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31, with unlimited rides on a steam ghost train, a ghostly trolley and a haunted carousel for a $20 wristband bought at the gate, and kids 4 and under free. For a gentler daytime ride, the Boone Pumpkin Express is about 2 hours away on Saturday, Oct 17.

Is there a Halloween train near the Quad Cities for families?

The nearest Iowa option from the Quad Cities is Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant, about 1 hr 15 min away. It is a nighttime haunted event running six Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31, with a steam-powered Ghost Train of No Return. Quad Cities families wanting a daytime pumpkin ride can look at Illinois rides instead, roughly 2 hours away.

Can kids wear costumes on the Boone & Scenic Valley Pumpkin Express?

Yes. The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad encourages costumes on the Pumpkin Express but does not require them. Because the ride ends at a pumpkin patch where kids walk and pick a pumpkin, a costume with sturdy shoes and room for a jacket underneath works better than a long gown or a mask. Midwest Haunted Rails has not posted costume rules.

Is Midwest Haunted Rails too scary for a toddler?

Probably, for most toddlers. Midwest Haunted Rails calls itself family friendly but also posts a scare warning page, and it runs entirely after dark, from 6:00 PM until 10:00 or 10:30 PM. The main attraction is the Ghost Train of No Return behind a steam engine. Parents of sensitive two- and three-year-olds may prefer the daytime Boone Pumpkin Express, which has nothing scary on it.

Are tickets still available for Iowa Halloween trains this weekend?

As of October 14, yes. The Boone Pumpkin Express train at 10:00 AM on Saturday, Oct 17, its final date, was open for booking and not sold out. Midwest Haunted Rails runs Friday, Oct 16 and Saturday, Oct 17 and sells wristbands only at the gate, and the event says it does not run out. Check the Boone booking page before you drive, since seats can go fast.

How much is Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant?

Admission to Midwest Haunted Rails is $20 per person regardless of age, and kids 4 and under get in free. The wristband includes unlimited rides on the steam Ghost Train of No Return, the Ghostly Trolley and the Haunted Carousel, plus activities on the grounds. There are no advance sales; wristbands are sold at the gate, card fees apply, and Thrashers House of Terror is separate.

What should kids wear to the Old Threshers ghost train at night?

Dress for the cold. Midwest Haunted Rails is an outdoor event that runs from 6:00 PM until 10:00 or 10:30 PM, rain or shine, and Iowa nights in late October drop into the 40s and often the 30s. Put a warm layer under the costume, add a hat and gloves, and bring a blanket for the car. Southeast Iowa is a little milder than central Iowa, but still chilly after dark.

Is there a Halloween train in Iowa for little kids?

Yes, one. The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's Pumpkin Express is a daytime family ride to a pumpkin patch, and each child picks a pumpkin. It runs Saturday, Oct 17, leaving at 10:00 AM and returning about 11:30 AM. Iowa's other Halloween rail event, Midwest Haunted Rails in Mount Pleasant, is a nighttime event with a scare warning, better for older kids.

Kelsey Cecil
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