Texas Halloween Train Rides (2026)
Published: October 1, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Texas’s posted 2026 Halloween ride is an adult party, not a children’s pumpkin train. The Texas State Railroad Spooky Special is Saturday, October 24. You board at the Palestine depot at 5:00 p.m. and ride to Rusk for dinner, dessert, and a DJ. The railroad says the evening is about five hours, and it says this is not a steam train. No family pumpkin patch was on the 2026 events list. The fare is on the reservation page, which offers more than one seat.
Texas State Railroad's beautifully restored FP9, #126 (built as Canadian National #6533), with an excursion at the Palestine depot. TSR photo.
At a glance
| Host | Town | 2026 ride | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State Railroad | Palestine | Spooky Special. Adult-only. October 24. Board 5:00 p.m. About 5 hours to Rusk and back. Dinner on the grounds. Not steam. Fare is on the ticket | texasstaterailroad.net |
The railroad’s own words are “adult-only.” This is not a children’s pumpkin train. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets. Information compiled September 29, 2026.
Texas State Railroad
(Palestine): The Spooky Special is the railroad’s adult-only Halloween costume party. It boards the Palestine depot on October 24, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Appetizers and a champagne or cider toast are served on the way to Rusk. At the Rusk depot there is a catered dinner and dessert, with iced tea or water, and a DJ. Costume contests are part of the night. The railroad asks you to keep costumes to a size that fits in a passenger car. The cars are climate controlled and have restrooms. Accessible coaches exist and have to be booked through the reservations desk. Drinks are for sale on the train and at the depot. The reservation page shows the evening running to about 10:30 p.m. The event page says about five hours, including the time on the Rusk grounds. The page says, in capital letters, that this is not a steam event. Several prices are on the reservation screen. They were not printed in the description.
Palestine depot is 789 Park Road 70, Palestine, TX 75801. The Rusk layover depot is 535 Park Road 76, Rusk, TX 75785. The railroad’s reservation number is 1-855-632-7729. An Oktoberfest beer train on October 23 is a different adult ticket. It is not this Halloween party.
Planning tips
- Do not bring children. The railroad calls the Spooky Special adult-only.
- October 23 is the beer train. October 24 is the costume party. Both leave Palestine at 5:00 p.m. They are different reservations, and neither is steam.
- Dinner, dessert, appetizers, and the toast are in the ticket. Extra drinks are for sale.
- A children’s pumpkin train was not on this railroad’s 2026 events list. Oklahoma City’s Halloween Train is the family candy ride on the Oklahoma page.
Related reading
- Halloween train rides · Scenic train rides
- Fall foliage trains · Christmas trains · Polar Express trains
- Oklahoma Halloween trains
Always verify 2026 dates and prices on the railroad’s official site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.
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