Pumpkin Trains on the Hoosier Valley Railroad

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 7:52 AM

By Staff report

The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum will be running Pumpkin Trains every Saturday in October in historic North Judson, at the junction of four former railroads.

A diorama of the Erie, Chesapeake & Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York Central Railroads is on display in the admission-free museum, along with one of the largest collections of working railroad signals, a restored WWII Pullman Troop Car, and all types of rolling stock, engines, and memorabilia of a bygone era.

Diesel Pumpkin Trains are 10-mile, round-trip excursions to the Kankakee River, lasting approximately 45 minutes. Steam Pumpkin Trains take approximately 25 minutes to travel 1.4 miles to the park and then return. All trains depart from the depot area and drop off passengers at the Pumpkin Patch on the museum grounds.

The Twilight Pumpkin Trains begin with an hour-long Not-So-Scary, Scary Animal Show, put on by Silly Safaris, at 4:15 PM, Central Time, all four Saturdays in October. With a variety of animals and expert handlers, this experience is as much fun and educational for adults as it is for children. Then, the diesel train pulls away from the depot area at 5:30 PM Central Time for a unique excursion through the Indiana autumn countryside as the sun sets.

Please check the website for departure times and prices. Tickets are available online at www.hoosiervalley.org or by calling the depot on Saturdays at 574-896-3950. Please book in advance, as many of these special trains sell out.