Halloween Train Rides Near New Mexico (2026)
New Mexico does have a Halloween train this October, but it is not for your kids: Sky Railway's Fright Train in Santa Fe is for adults 18 and over. The Cumbres & Toltec has fall foliage trips on its calendar and no Halloween train, which leaves New Mexico families without a kid-friendly ride inside the state for 2026. Our nationwide Halloween train finder shows where the closest ones are, and for most of New Mexico that means Colorado.
Albuquerque is 5 hours or more from the Colorado rides, so this is a weekend trip, not an afternoon. The good news is that southern Colorado has three very different options: Pueblo's Cemetery Express on Halloween itself, the Royal Gorge Route's Halloween laser light Twilight Train out of Cañon City, and a steam-pulled, not-so-spooky Harvest Haunt Express in Golden. The Colorado Halloween train page has every detail. Southern New Mexico families sometimes look toward El Paso, but no 2026 Halloween train turned up in West Texas, so the Texas page is mostly a Dallas and San Antonio list. Further down, we list family Halloween events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Moriarty and Las Cruces, no train needed.
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 long drive from New Mexico to a 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.
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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.
No Train, Still Plenty of Candy: Halloween Events for Kids in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces
Since New Mexico's only Halloween train is for adults, here are family Halloween events in the state that we confirmed on each organizer's own site. They are zoo, garden, museum and farm days, not train rides.
Moriarty: McCall's Pumpkin Patch
McCall's Pumpkin Patch · Pumpkin patch
A full farm day where one admission covers most of the fun: the farm lists hayrides, a corn maze, a cow train, pedal karts and a ropes course, with pumpkins sold separately and children 2 and under free. Weekends run 10 AM to 6 PM, plus Friday afternoons. Keep it to daylight with little kids, because the Haunted Farm on Friday and Saturday nights is its own reservation-only ticket.
Santa Fe: Family Halloween Fest
Santa Fe Botanical Garden · Garden
A short, gentle late morning in the garden's Ojos y Manos section, with Halloween crafts, face painting and costumes encouraged. The highlight is a visit from the Santa Fe Raptor Center, which brings live raptors to the Pavilion. Everyone, adults and children, has to register, the garden recommends doing it ahead, and sales are final.
Las Cruces: Mesilla Valley Maze
Mesilla Valley Maze · Pumpkin patch
Las Cruces families have two weekends left at this 30-acre farm on Picacho Avenue, with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides and giant slides. The season ends with the Pumpkin Festival on Oct 24 and 25, so that is the weekend to aim for. Tickets are dated, and the farm asks visitors to park on Picacho, not Bamert Road.
Albuquerque: Boo at the Zoo
ABQ BioPark · Zoo
Albuquerque's biggest kid Halloween day: costumed trick-or-treating among the animals at the BioPark Zoo, plus games, a craft station and an enrichment-making station where kids help make animal treats. Tickets are timed and online only. Skip the zoo lot and take the free park-and-ride bus from the Civic Center Underground Parking Garage; the last bus back leaves the zoo at 5:30 PM.
Santa Fe: Weird Science Halloween Bash
Santa Fe Children's Museum · Museum
A science-flavored trick-or-treat through the Children's Museum: liquid nitrogen with Mr. Science, dry ice Boo Bubbles, live creepy critters from the Santa Fe Bug and Reptile Museum and a Touch-a-Truck with the New Mexico Military Museum. There is a sensory-friendly break room for kids who need a pause. It is a fundraiser on a Tuesday after school, and prices go up at the door.
The closest Halloween trains to New Mexico
Pueblo, Colorado: Cemetery Express
Pumpkin and costume ride Pueblo Railway Museum
Short train rides behind Pueblo Union Depot from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, leaving every 20 minutes, and the museum does not describe it as scary. Tickets are walk-up only at the gift shop caboose, and keeping your used ticket gets half-price entry to the Pueblo Heritage Museum.
Cañon City, Colorado: Twilight Train (Halloween laser light show)
Haunted ride Royal Gorge Route Railroad
An evening ride at 6:30 PM, about 2 to 2.5 hours, with lasers and graphics projected onto the granite walls of the Royal Gorge and a Halloween soundtrack in the open-air car. It runs after dark but is festive rather than scary; strollers and car seats are not allowed on board.
Golden, Colorado: Harvest Haunt Express
Pumpkin and costume ride Colorado Railroad Museum
The best fit for young kids if you are making a real trip north: timed entries from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM on the museum's ticket page, a coal-burning steam locomotive, trick-or-treating, a hay bale maze and what the museum calls not-so-spooky Haunted Railcars. Saturday was already low on tickets on Oct 14, so Sunday is the safer bet.
Train rides in New Mexico this fall
Sky Railway's Fright Train in Santa Fe runs October 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 from $129, and it is for adults 18 and over, so it is not a family option. If you and your partner want a grown-up night out while the kids are with a sitter, that is the one in-state Halloween train this year.
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.
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.
Freezing Northern Nights and a Cold Open-Air Car in the Gorge
Northern New Mexico October nights drop into the 30s, and southern New Mexico is milder. Southern Colorado is similar: Pueblo and Cañon City in the Arkansas Valley tend to be milder than Denver, with sunny days often in the 60s, but nights fall into the 30s and early snow is possible.
The Royal Gorge Twilight Train is the one to dress for. It runs about 2 to 2.5 hours after dark, and the laser show happens in an open-air car, so kids need winter hats, gloves and a blanket. Pueblo's Cemetery Express runs from 4:00 to 8:00 PM on Halloween, so an early ride is warmer than a late one.
Which Colorado Ride Suits an Albuquerque Kid Who Startles Easily
Golden's Harvest Haunt Express is the gentlest: it runs in daylight, and the museum itself calls its Haunted Railcars not so spooky. Pueblo's Cemetery Express has a spooky name, but the museum does not describe it as scary, and the ride is short. The Royal Gorge Twilight Train is a night ride in a canyon with lasers, music and a dance party, which delights some kids and overwhelms others.
For a four-year-old who worries, pick Golden and talk about the steam engine, not the haunted cars. Let them choose whether to walk through a railcar or wave at it from outside.
In our book, Rally wakes up early, sees the suitcase and packs his favorite things: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball. A five-hour drive and a cold evening in an open-air car need the same kind of packing, so give each kid a small bag of their own comfort things.
My mom imagined Rally's whole adventure, and the story of how her idea became a book is close to my heart. For the long road north, print some Rally pages to color in the car.
Planning a New Mexico Weekend Around a Colorado Halloween Train
- Treat every ride on this page as an overnight trip: research puts Albuquerque at 5 hours or more from the Colorado rides.
- Pueblo's Cemetery Express sells tickets only at the event, at the gift shop caboose behind the depot, and accepts cash, checks and credit cards.
- The Royal Gorge Route asks riders to arrive about 60 minutes before departure to pick up tickets at the Santa Fe Depot in Cañon City, and it does not allow strollers or car seats, so plan to carry little ones.
- Golden's Harvest Haunt Express saves $5 per ticket when you buy online, Saturday showed low availability on Oct 14, and the museum asks you to arrive 30 minutes before your timed entry.
- Golden encourages costumes for trick-or-treating; Pueblo and the Royal Gorge Route have not posted costume rules, so check the operator site.
- Sky Railway's Fright Train is for adults 18 and over, so do not book it expecting a kids' ride.
A train book for the ride
For a long train ride with no costumes needed, our Southwest Chief guide for families covers the route through New Mexico.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before the drive
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 the drive
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
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find a train by city or station
- Halloween books for toddlers for the drive
New Mexico Families Ask About the Nearest Kid-Friendly Halloween Train
Is there a Halloween train in New Mexico this year?
Not one for kids. Sky Railway's Fright Train in Santa Fe runs this October, but it is for adults 18 and over, and the Cumbres & Toltec lists fall foliage trips with no Halloween train. The closest kid-friendly Halloween trains are in southern Colorado, including Pueblo's Cemetery Express and Golden's Harvest Haunt Express, 5 hours or more from Albuquerque.
Can kids ride the Sky Railway Fright Train in Santa Fe?
No. Sky Railway lists the Fright Train as adults only, 18 and over. It runs October 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, with tickets from $129. Families with children will need to look to Colorado for a Halloween train this year, where the Pueblo, Cañon City and Golden rides welcome kids.
What Halloween events for kids are there in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
The ABQ BioPark's Boo at the Zoo on Sat Oct 24, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, lets kids trick-or-treat among the animals; tickets are timed and online only, $15 adults and $10 for kids 3 to 12. McCall's Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty runs weekends through Oct 31 for $19.99. There is no kid-friendly Halloween train nearby; the closest are in southern Colorado, 5 hours or more away.
Is McCall's Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty, New Mexico good for little kids on Halloween weekend?
Yes, in the daytime. The patch is open Fri Oct 30 from noon to 6 PM and Sat Oct 31 from 10 AM to 6 PM, and $19.99 admission covers most activities, including hayrides, a corn maze, a cow train and pedal karts; children 2 and under are free. Pumpkins cost extra. The Haunted Farm runs at night on a separate reservation-only ticket, so skip it with preschoolers.
What Halloween events for kids are there in Las Cruces, NM?
Mesilla Valley Maze on Picacho Avenue is open Saturdays and Sundays through Oct 25, 11 AM to 7 PM, with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides and giant slides, and a Pumpkin Festival on Oct 24 and 25; check the ticket page for prices. There is no Halloween train near Las Cruces this year, and none was confirmed in West Texas, so the nearest rides are in southern Colorado.
Where should Santa Fe families go for a kids' Halloween train?
Santa Fe has two family Halloween events: the Botanical Garden's Family Halloween Fest on Sun Oct 18, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with live raptors and crafts ($15 adults, $7 youth), and the Children's Museum's Weird Science Halloween Bash on Tue Oct 27, 3:00 to 6:00 PM ($10 per child). The city's Fright Train is adults only, so the nearest kids' Halloween trains are in Colorado.
Are there Halloween train rides for kids near Rio Rancho, New Mexico?
Rio Rancho has no family Halloween train nearby, but the ABQ BioPark's Boo at the Zoo in Albuquerque on Sat Oct 24 is a short trip, with trick-or-treating among the animals and timed online tickets at $15 for adults and $10 for kids 3 to 12. The closest Halloween trains are in Colorado, 5 hours or more away, with Golden's Harvest Haunt Express the gentlest pick.
Is Pueblo's Cemetery Express worth the drive from Albuquerque?
It is worth it if you build a Halloween weekend around it. The rides are short, run every 20 minutes from 4:00 to 8:00 PM on October 31, and cost $10 in a caboose or $15 in the locomotive, with kids under 3 free. Tickets are walk-up only, so there is nothing to book ahead.
Is the Royal Gorge Twilight Train worth the drive from Albuquerque for a family?
For school-age kids who like music and lights, it can be. The 6:30 PM ride lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours, with lasers projected on the gorge walls and a Halloween soundtrack. It starts at $109 per person, strollers and car seats are not allowed, and the open-air car gets cold, so it is a tougher fit for toddlers.
Is the Colorado Railroad Museum Harvest Haunt Express worth the trip from New Mexico?
For young kids it is the best ride on this page, though Golden is the farthest of the three. It runs October 17 and 18 behind a steam locomotive, with timed entries from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and the museum calls its Haunted Railcars not so spooky. Saturday had low availability as of October 14. Online tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for kids.
Can New Mexico kids wear costumes on the Colorado Halloween trains?
At Golden's Harvest Haunt Express, yes: the Colorado Railroad Museum encourages costumes for trick-or-treating. Pueblo's Cemetery Express and the Royal Gorge Twilight Train have not posted costume rules, so check the operator site. Colorado nights in late October fall into the 30s, so plan costumes that fit over warm layers.
Which Colorado Halloween train is best for a toddler from New Mexico?
Golden's Harvest Haunt Express is the toddler pick: it runs in daylight, kids under 2 are free, and the museum calls the haunted cars not so spooky. Pueblo's short Cemetery Express also works, with under 3 free. Skip the Royal Gorge Twilight Train for toddlers, since it runs over two hours at night with no strollers or car seats.
Rally’s Spooky Train RideThe no-fuss Halloween costume
Skip the costume hassle. Wear Rally.
No itchy masks, no last-minute store run, no meltdown on the platform. Pull on the tunnel tee from the book and you are dressed for the pumpkin train, warm under a jacket, and matching in every photo.
Who is riding?
Shop the kids tee
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