Halloween Train Rides in Tennessee (2026)

Trains and TravelHalloween Train Rides
Written By Kelsey Cecil

Updated October 14, 2026 · 16 min read

A wizard named Professor Americus Hillmore walks the aisles of vintage coaches at Chattanooga's Grand Junction Station this October, stopping in each car, and his Rails, Wizards and Spells train is the best bet for Tennessee families with young kids this year. Two rides still have dates on or after October 14, both run by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: one family pumpkin and costume style ride and one haunted night. If you are planning a road trip, our Halloween train finder for all 50 states covers the rest of the region.

Everything this year is in Chattanooga. Nashville's and Knoxville's tourist railroads had no 2026 Halloween train listed when we checked, so families from those cities are looking at a drive of about two hours. The second ride, Haints and Haunts, is one night (two departures) of ghost stories and Appalachian folklore that the museum recommends for ages 13 and older, so for most families with little ones the wizard train is the plan.

The short version

  • Pumpkin and costume rides: For toddlers through early elementary, the Rails, Wizards and Spells train runs Oct 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 (the two Fridays are evening only), about 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, 1 hour 50 minutes from Knoxville and 2 hours from Nashville. Tickets are $35 for ages 2 and up.
  • Haunted rides: For teenagers, Haints and Haunts runs Friday, Oct 30 only, with departures at 7:00 and 8:30 PM, ghost stories on the train, a haunted hayride and a bonfire. The museum recommends it for ages 13 and older, and tickets are $35.

Both rides board at Grand Junction Station on Cromwell Road, so put that exact address in the GPS.

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 a Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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
Rails, Wizards and Spells at the Tennessee Valley Railroad MuseumChattanoogaPumpkin and costumeOct 16 to Oct 25 (6 dates)From $35About 2.5 hoursAll ages, toddlers welcomeOn sale
Haints and Haunts at the Tennessee Valley Railroad MuseumChattanoogaHauntedFri Oct 30From $35About 1.5 to 2 hoursAges 13 and upOn sale

The rest of October at a glance

When each Tennessee Halloween train still runs

Oct 14Oct 21Oct 31

Pumpkin and costume ride Haunted ride Halloween night

Tennessee 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.

Chattanooga: Rails, Wizards and Spells at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

Next: Fri Oct 16Best for: All ages, toddlers welcomeFrom $35About 2.5 hoursDates left: Oct 16 to Oct 25

This is a wizard ride, not a haunted one, and the museum frames it as a family outing. The draw is the guest wizard, Professor Americus Hillmore, who visits each car of the vintage train, so every child gets a moment with him rather than watching from the back. Costumes and wands are encouraged but not required, so a kid with a stick and a cape fits right in.

Plan about two and a half hours for the visit, with roughly 50 minutes of that on the train. Tickets are $35 for everyone 2 and up, all sales are final unless you add the museum's trip protection, and children under 12 have to stay with a parent. The paths are packed gravel, which matters if you are pushing a stroller.

Rails, Wizards and Spells at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at a glance

Type
Pumpkin and costume ride: Family wizard train, not haunted, afternoon and evening departures
Dates left
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Sun Oct 18, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24 and Sun Oct 25
Tickets
On sale as of Oct 14; every departure on all six dates bookable, none sold out
Times
Fri Oct 16 and 23: 5:00 and 6:30 PM; Sat Oct 17: 3:30, 5:00 and 6:30 PM; Sun Oct 18 and 25: 3:30 and 5:00 PM; Sat Oct 24: 3:30, 5:00, 6:30 and 8:00 PM (Eastern)
Ride length
Plan about 2.5 hours; the train portion is about 50 minutes
What's included
A vintage train ride with a guest wizard, Professor Americus Hillmore, who visits each car; an optional Potions and Spells Special-Tea ($60) runs at 3:30 PM on Oct 17, 18, 24 and 25
Price
$35 per person, ages 2 and up; all sales final unless you buy trip protection
Ages and scare level
No minimum age; the museum presents it as a family wizard ride, not a haunted one, and children under 12 must stay with a parent
Costumes
Costumes and wands encouraged, not required No costume? The Rally tunnel tee counts.
Strollers
No stroller rule posted; paths are packed gravel, so check the operator site
Parking
Free
Where
Grand Junction Station, 4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421

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

Chattanooga: Haints and Haunts at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

Next: Fri Oct 30Best for: Ages 13 and upFrom $35About 1.5 to 2 hoursDates left: Oct 30

The name tells you the mood, and this one-night ride leans all the way into it. Aboard historic railcars after dark, storytellers share ghost stories, Appalachian folklore and haunted history on a 45-minute ride, and the evening adds a 10-minute haunted hayride and a bonfire. There are two departures on Friday, Oct 30, at 7:00 and 8:30 PM, and each runs about an hour and a half to two hours in all.

The museum recommends it for ages 13 and older, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian along. Costumes are fine, but no full-face masks. Tickets are $35, s'mores kits cost extra, and it runs rain or shine. This is a teen and parent night, not one for little siblings.

Haints and Haunts at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at a glance

Type
Haunted ride: Haunted night ride, recommended for ages 13 and up
Dates left
Fri Oct 30 only
Tickets
On sale as of Oct 14; both the 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM departures bookable
Times
Fri Oct 30 at 7:00 PM or 8:30 PM
Ride length
About 1.5 to 2 hours: a 45-minute train ride, a 10-minute haunted hayride and a bonfire
What's included
Ghost stories, Appalachian folklore and haunted history aboard a historic train, a haunted hayride and a bonfire; s'mores kits are an add-on
Price
$35 per person
Ages and scare level
The museum recommends ages 13 and older; under 18 must be with a parent or guardian
Costumes
Allowed, but no full-face masks
Strollers
No stroller policy posted; check the operator site
Parking
Parking details are not posted; check the operator site
Where
Grand Junction Station, 4119 Cromwell Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421

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 Chattanooga Wizard Too Much for a Four-Year-Old

The museum is clear that Rails, Wizards and Spells is a wizard-themed family ride and not a haunted one, which puts it in the gentle column. The one thing to prepare a small child for is the wizard himself: Professor Americus Hillmore comes into each car, so a costumed stranger will be standing in the aisle a few feet away. Most preschoolers are thrilled, but a shy one might bury their face in your arm. Tell them ahead of time that a friendly wizard is coming to say hello and that they can just wave.

Haints and Haunts is a different story. The museum recommends it for 13 and up, both departures run after dark, and the whole point is ghost stories, haunted history and a haunted hayride. Leave the little ones home with a sitter for that one, or skip it.

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw on the train
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

When Rally first boards in our book, Mr. Conductor in his blue uniform holds out his hand, and Rally has to decide whether to trust this new grown-up. That is the moment I would rehearse before the wizard train in Chattanooga. A costumed wizard walking up the aisle is a lot for a three-year-old, so we would read that page and practice saying hello. Our free train coloring pages starring Rally help fill the wait at the station.

My mom dreamed up Rally's first train trip; you can read why I finished writing it for her.

How Long the Drive to Grand Junction Station Takes From Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga

These are rough drive times without traffic; Nashville families should also remember Chattanooga runs on Eastern time.

Drive times, no traffic

Chattanooga
about 15 min from Chattanooga; about 1 hr 50 min from Knoxville; about 2 hr from Nashville
Chattanooga
about 15 min from Chattanooga; about 1 hr 50 min from Knoxville; about 2 hr from Nashville

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Notes for Families

  • Both Halloween rides board at Grand Junction Station, 4119 Cromwell Rd, so set the GPS to that address rather than just the museum name.
  • Rails, Wizards and Spells has afternoon and evening departures: 3:30 PM is the nap-friendly choice on weekends, while the two Fridays (Oct 16 and 23) only run at 5:00 and 6:30 PM. Plan about two and a half hours on site.
  • Haints and Haunts is one Friday night only, Oct 30, at 7:00 or 8:30 PM, with a museum age recommendation of 13 and older and a no full-face masks rule. If you have a teen who wants it, do not wait until the last week.
  • Nashville families: the museum runs on Eastern time, an hour ahead of you, so build that into your departure.
  • Parking is free. The museum has not posted a stroller rule, and the paths are packed gravel, so a carrier may be easier than a small-wheeled stroller.
  • All Rails, Wizards and Spells sales are final unless you add the museum's 15 percent trip protection, and it runs rain or shine, so pick your date with the forecast in mind.

Chattanooga in Late October: Shirtsleeve Afternoons, Jacket Nights

Chattanooga afternoons in late October usually land in the 60s and low 70s, which makes a 3:30 PM wizard train a light-layers outing: a long-sleeve shirt under a costume and a zip-up in the bag. The Friday and later weekend departures (5:00, 6:30 and 8:00 PM) run into the evening, when temperatures drop into the 40s and 50s, and that is the weather Haints and Haunts runs in too. Sunset is about 6:55 PM Eastern on Oct 30, so both of its departures are in full dark, and the hayride and bonfire will feel cool.

One Tennessee quirk worth planning around: Chattanooga is on Eastern time, while Nashville and Memphis are on Central. A Nashville family leaving at noon for an afternoon departure loses an hour on the clock, so the two-hour drive effectively eats three.

Closer Halloween Trains for Middle Tennessee and North Georgia Drivers

From Chattanooga, the nearest pumpkin-style alternative is over the Georgia line: the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway's Trick or Treat Train, about 1 hour 30 minutes away, runs one night, Oct 31, with a costume contest and merchant trick-or-treating. Details are on our Georgia Halloween train guide.

Nashville families are about 2 hours 30 minutes from the Kentucky Railway Museum's gentle Trick and Track Express in New Haven, covered on our Kentucky Halloween rides page. Knoxville sits about two hours from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City; see our North Carolina pumpkin and haunted train roundup.

A train book for the ride

Memphis families looking for a different kind of train day can read our guide to the City of New Orleans with young kids, a long ride where the whole point is watching the world go by.

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 Chattanooga
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.

Tennessee Halloween Train Questions, Answered for Chattanooga, Nashville and Knoxville Parents

What is there to do for Halloween in Chattanooga, Tennessee with young kids?

One family Halloween event in Chattanooga is Rails, Wizards and Spells at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, a gentle wizard-themed train on Oct 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25, $35 for ages 2 and up. A guest wizard, Professor Americus Hillmore, visits each car. The same museum runs Haints and Haunts on Oct 30 at 7:00 and 8:30 PM, a ghost story train and hayride it recommends for ages 13 and older.

What can families do for Halloween near Chattanooga besides the museum train?

The closest other Halloween train is in Blue Ridge, Georgia, about 1 hour 30 minutes from Chattanooga. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway's Trick or Treat Train runs Saturday, Oct 31 only, a family ride with a costume contest and trick-or-treating with merchants. In Chattanooga itself, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Rails, Wizards and Spells is the gentle option for young kids on its six remaining October dates.

Is there a Halloween train for kids near Nashville?

The nearest one is about two hours away in Chattanooga. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Rails, Wizards and Spells is a family wizard ride on Oct 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25, at $35 a person. Kentucky's Trick and Track Express in New Haven, about 2 hours 30 minutes from Nashville, is a costume and candy ride on Oct 24 and 31. Nashville's own tourist railroad had no 2026 Halloween train listed.

Halloween things to do with kids near Knoxville, Tennessee?

For a Halloween train, Knoxville families have two choices about two hours out. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, about 1 hour 50 minutes away, runs the gentle Rails, Wizards and Spells train on Oct 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, North Carolina is about 2 hours away. The Three Rivers Rambler in Knoxville lists only a Christmas train.

What is the wizard train in Chattanooga?

It is Rails, Wizards and Spells, a family wizard-themed ride on vintage coaches at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. A guest wizard, Professor Americus Hillmore, visits each car, and the museum says it is not a haunted ride. Remaining dates are Oct 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25, tickets are $35 for ages 2 and up, and the train portion runs about 50 minutes.

Can my kids wear costumes on the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Halloween trains?

Yes. For Rails, Wizards and Spells, the museum encourages costumes and wands but does not require them, and a guest wizard visits each car. For Haints and Haunts on Oct 30, costumes are allowed but full-face masks are not. On either ride, keep long robes and capes short enough for the steps of vintage coaches and the gravel paths around the station.

Is Haints and Haunts in Chattanooga too scary for a toddler?

Yes, it is not meant for toddlers: the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum recommends it for ages 13 and older. Both departures on Oct 30, at 7:00 and 8:30 PM, run fully after dark, with ghost stories, Appalachian folklore, haunted history, a haunted hayride and a bonfire. For a toddler, the better fit is the museum's Rails, Wizards and Spells train, which the museum says is not a haunted ride.

Can I still get Chattanooga Halloween train tickets for this weekend?

As of October 14, yes. Rails, Wizards and Spells runs Friday, Oct 16 at 5:00 and 6:30 PM, Saturday, Oct 17 at 3:30, 5:00 and 6:30 PM, and Sunday, Oct 18 at 3:30 and 5:00 PM, and every departure was bookable with none sold out. Sales are final unless you add trip protection. Haints and Haunts does not run until Friday, Oct 30.

Is there a Halloween train in Tennessee other than Chattanooga this year?

Not that we could confirm for 2026. Both rides we found, Rails, Wizards and Spells and Haints and Haunts, run at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga. The Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville lists fall foliage and Santa trips only, and the Three Rivers Rambler in Knoxville lists only a Christmas train. The museum's Halloween Eerie Express shows no 2026 run.

What time zone is the Chattanooga Halloween train on if we drive from Nashville?

Chattanooga is on Eastern time, while Nashville and Memphis are on Central time. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's departure times are Eastern, so a Nashville family loses an hour on the clock during the roughly two-hour drive. For example, the 3:30 PM Eastern wizard train is 2:30 PM in Nashville, which means leaving home by about 12:00 PM Central to allow for parking.

What should teens wear to Haints and Haunts in Chattanooga?

Plan for a cool night. Chattanooga evenings in late October usually fall into the 40s and 50s, sunset is about 6:55 PM on Oct 30, and both departures include a haunted hayride and a bonfire, so jackets and closed-toe shoes make sense. Costumes are allowed, but the museum does not allow full-face masks, and it runs rain or shine.

Does the Chattanooga wizard train have strollers and parking?

Parking at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is free. The museum has not posted a stroller rule for Rails, Wizards and Spells, but it notes the paths are packed gravel and accessible train seating is limited, so check the operator site if you need either. A carrier or a sturdy-wheeled stroller handles gravel better than a small umbrella stroller.

Kelsey Cecil
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