North Carolina Halloween Train Rides (2026)

Published: September 28, 2026

North Carolina’s 2026 Halloween trains are two different nights. New Hope Valley runs Track or Treat from New Hill on October 10, 17, 23, and 24, with afternoon trips in daylight and a 7:45 departure after dark. Tweetsie Railroad holds Ghost Train on Friday and Saturday nights through October 31 at Blowing Rock. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is running its gorge and river excursions this month. A Peanuts pumpkin train is not running on the GSMR.

New Hope Valley Railway's Track or Treat

The New Hope Valley Railway's annual "Track or Treat" Halloween Express. New Hope Valley photo.

At a glance

Host	Town	2026 ride	Page
New Hope Valley Railway	New Hill	Track or Treat. October 10, 17, 23, and 24. Saturday departures 2:15, 3:30, 4:45, 6:30, and 7:45. Friday, October 23, at 5:15, 6:30, and 7:45. About 1 hour. Costumes welcome	triangletrain.com
Tweetsie Railroad	Blowing Rock	Ghost Train. Friday and Saturday nights, September 25–October 31. Adult $65, child $45. One reserved train ride plus the park. The train, haunted house, and Freaky Forest are recommended for ages 8 and older	Tweetsie Ghost Train

Tweetsie’s September 25 and 26 nights have run. Confirm the railroad before you book. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets. Information compiled September 28, 2026.

New Hope Valley Railway

(New Hill): Track or Treat is October 10, 17, 23, and 24 on the North Carolina Railway Museum’s line. Saturday departures, on the 10th, 17th, and 24th, are 2:15, 3:30, 4:45, 6:30, and 7:45 p.m. Friday, October 23, is 5:15, 6:30, and 7:45 p.m. The railroad calls the 2:15 through 5:15 trips daylight Halloween, the 6:30 a sunset ride that comes back under the stars, and the 7:45 the night trip. The ordinary round trip is about an hour and about 4 miles, from Bonsal to New Hill and back, through the woods and over a trestle. Come in costume. Food trucks are on site each of those days, and they are a separate purchase. Thirsty Skull Brewing is there on October 10. Hugger Mugger Brewing is there on October 23. A private caboose is offered on some departures and was selling quickly. The fare is on the ticket page. Children under 2 ride free with an adult and sit on a lap if the train is full. There is no restroom on the train. The yard has restrooms. The ticket office opens one hour before the first train and takes a credit or debit card. The station is 3900 Bonsal Road, New Hill. Phone (919) 396-5833. A sensory-friendly fall ride on Wednesday, October 14, at 10:30 a.m. and noon, is a different, milder ticket. The state scenic guide is North Carolina scenic trains.

Tweetsie Railroad

(Blowing Rock): Ghost Train is Friday and Saturday nights from September 25 through October 31. The park is open 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on September 25 and 26 and on October 2, 3, 9, and 10. The last three weekends, October 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, and 31, open at 7:00 p.m. and close at 10:30. Adults 13 and older are $65. Children 3 through 12 are $45. Toddlers 2 and under are free. Taxes and fees are included, and parking is free. The ticket is for one date and one departure. It includes one reserved ride on the Ghost Train, plus the haunted house, Freaky Forest, trick-or-treating, live entertainment, and the amusement rides. There is no assigned seat. The railroad recommends the train, the haunted house, and Freaky Forest for ages 8 and older. Younger children can trick-or-treat on Main Street and stay with the dance party. The ride is a night trip behind a historic steam locomotive. The page does not name the engine. Family-friendly costumes are welcome. A Golden Rail season pass takes $20 off one Ghost Train ticket. Daytime Wild West, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., is its own ticket. The park is 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock. Phone (877) 893-3874. The full write-up is the Tweetsie Ghost Train page. The profile is Tweetsie Railroad.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

(Bryson City): The ticket menu opened September 28 lists Nantahala Gorge and Tuckasegee River excursions through October 31, along with KidZip, Raft & Rail, and Rail & Trail. A Peanuts Great Pumpkin train is not on that list. Polar Express tickets are on the November calendar. Reservations are (800) 872-4681. The profile is Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Fall trips are GSMR fall. The short note on the missing pumpkin train is the GSMR pumpkin train page.

Planning tips

New Hill’s afternoon departures are the daylight family ride. The 7:45 trip is the one the railroad calls the night experience.
Tweetsie’s train, haunted house, and Freaky Forest are recommended for ages 8 and older. Main Street trick-or-treat is the younger child’s part of the same ticket.
Buy the Tweetsie departure you want. The ticket is tied to a date and a train time.
New Hill and Blowing Rock are different drives. Bryson City is a third, and its October trains are the scenic excursions.
High Country nights cool off fast. Color on these lines is the North Carolina fall foliage guide.

Always verify 2026 dates and prices on the railroad’s official site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.

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