Halloween and Fall Foliage Train Rides for New Jersey Kids

Halloween and hayrides go hand in hand, but if you really want to up your game this year, take a trip on a Halloween train! If you have a junior conductor in your family, don't miss out on one of these four seasonal NJ railway adventures—plus one across the Delaware in Pennsylvania.

From spooky to scenic, these rides offer a unique bit of fall fun for the whole family: passengers can take a seat in a vintage caboose, travel through gorgeous fall foliage, visit a pumpkin patch, and even trick-or-treat onboard. After the ride, round out the day with autumn activities like corn mazes, crafts, and a costume party.

Check out our NJ Fall Fun Guide for even more seasonal family fun around the state.

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Families can enjoy the fall foliage with a ride on The Great Pumpkin Train, part of Delaware River Railroad Excursions.

The Great Pumpkin Train – Phillipsburg
Saturday, September 29 – Sunday, October 28 (weekends only)
Families can enjoy a steam train ride through the beautiful fall landscape of western New Jersey. Disembark at a farm and pumpkin patch, where children can pick their own FREE pumpkin to take home, and explore the historic Carpentersville Lime Kilns there. Looking to add a little more fun to your day? Take a jaunt through the corn maze or a tour of the Ole Susquehanna Mining Company for an additional fee.

RELATED: 20+ Fun-Filled Fall Day Trips for New Jersey Families

Ride the Black River and Western Railroad to "Pumpkin Junction" for pumpkin picking and a corn maze. 

Pumpkin Train – Flemington
Saturday, September 29 – Sunday, October 28 (weekends only)
Board the Black River and Western Railroad's Pumpkin Train and get off at Pumpkin Junction, where kids can pick pumpkins in the field, explore a six-acre corn maze or smaller hay-bale maze (for toddlers), take a hay wagon ride, visit a small petting zoo, and enjoy other games, refreshments, and activities.

Pumpkin Festival – Whippany
Sunday, October 7
Budding train enthusiasts will love the Whippany Railway Museum's 18th Annual Pumpkin Festival, which includes a train ride on the Pumpkinliner. The excursion follows the route of the Historic Whippanong Trail; you can choose to ride in an antique caboose or the elegantly restored club car. Round out the afternoon with seasonal arts and crafts, or ogle the grinning scarecrows and collection of antique tractors and railroad memorabilia. Tickets sell out quickly, so book soon!

Have some scary fun with a nighttime ride on the Haunted Express! 

The Haunted Express – Wall Township
Fridays and Saturdays, October 12–27  
All aboard the Haunted Express! The New Jersey Museum of Transportation's Pine Creek Railroad is one of the oldest operating narrow-gauge railway exhibits in the country. The train's Halloween incarnation, the Haunted Express, travels through the darkened woods of Allaire State Park, leaving every 30 minutes from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. All riders, regardless of age, need a ticket, which must be purchased in person. This nighttime ride is best for older kids.

Trick-or-Treat Train – New Hope, PA
Hop across the Delaware to New Hope for a ride on the Trick-or-Treat Train. Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes for the ride, which includes a reading of Spookley the Square Pumpkin and songs. Afterward, go trick-or-treating around the New Hope train station for candy and toys. 

Photos courtesy of the railroads