Fall train rides are one of those outings that work for both kids who are obsessed with trains and adults who just want an excuse to see Indiana in October. Around the state, railroads pair fall color with pumpkin patches, cider, Halloween themes and vintage passenger cars.
We’ve rounded up some of the best train rides in Indiana for fall, including options in Noblesville and Fishers plus day-trip rides in Connersville, North Judson, Pleasant Lake and French Lick. Pair a ride with more fall fun or one of our favorite Indiana fall foliage destinations.
Editor’s note: Most railroads have posted complete fall schedules. Two annual favorites are still waiting on dates and are marked below.
Jump to a fall train ride:
- Hoosier Valley Railroad Pumpkin Train
- Fall Foliage Express
- Fall Foliage Flyer
- Pumpkinliner
- Piney Express at Piney Acres Farm
- Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown
- Trick or Treat on the Rails
- Ghost Train of Metamora
- Fall Colors Steam Special
- Autumn Limited
- French Lick Scenic Train Rides
Fall Train Rides Near Indianapolis and Around Indiana
1. Hoosier Valley Railroad Pumpkin Train
Location: Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum | North Judson
Dates: Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24
Times: 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Central
Duration: 45 minutes
Price: $20 for ages 16 and older; $15 for ages 3 to 15; ages 2 and younger ride free on a lap. First-class seating starts at $25.
Book Hoosier Valley Pumpkin Train Tickets
The Pumpkin Train makes a 45-minute, 10-mile round trip from North Judson to English Lake, crossing the Kankakee River before returning to the museum grounds. After the ride, passengers stop at the pumpkin patch on the museum grounds, where each ticket holder can choose a pumpkin to take home. Families can choose open-air, coach or first-class seating, and trains run rain or shine. One important planning detail: Hoosier Valley Railroad operates on Central Time, one hour behind Indianapolis.
2. Fall Foliage Express
Location: Nickel Plate Express | Noblesville
Dates: Oct. 10, 11, 17, 18 and 25; Nov. 1
Price: $20 to $35 per person depending on seating; tables for four are $120. Lap infants younger than 3 ride free in standard coach.
Book Fall Foliage Express Tickets
The Fall Foliage Express keeps things simple: board a 1956 vintage train in Noblesville and ride through the countryside of northern Hamilton County as the leaves change. Tickets include local apple cider and a fall sweet treat. Fall cocktails, beer and wine are available for purchase for adults, and families can choose from standard coach, premium booth seating, table seating or the open-window caboose. The caboose has no heat and no restroom, so dress for the weather if that is the car you pick.
3. Fall Foliage Flyer
Location: Whitewater Valley Railroad | Connersville
Dates: Oct. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30
Price: $27 adults; $16 children ages 2 to 12
Book Fall Foliage Flyer Tickets
The Fall Foliage Flyer works well for families who want the train ride to become most of the day’s plans. The five-hour round-trip excursion leaves Connersville’s Grand Central Station at 10 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays in October and includes a two-hour layover in Metamora. That gives families time to get off the train, explore the historic canal town, grab lunch and look around before the return trip through the Whitewater Valley. Group and field trip rates are available by phone.
4. Pumpkinliner
Location: Whitewater Valley Railroad | Connersville
Dates: Oct. 24–25
Times: 10 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: $12 for ages 2 and older
Book Pumpkinliner Tickets
The Pumpkinliner combines a train ride with a classic pumpkin patch stop. The 90-minute round trip leaves from Grand Central Station in Connersville and includes train service to the pumpkin patch, a hayride to and from the fields and a pumpkin for each child age 12 and younger. The train, hayride and pumpkin patch operate rain or shine, and tickets often sell out.
Departure address: 455 Market St., Connersville, IN 47331
5. Piney Express at Piney Acres Farm
Location: Piney Acres Farm | Fortville
Dates: Sept. 19–Oct. 25
Hours: 1–7 p.m. Monday–Friday; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday; noon–7 p.m. Sunday
Address: 1115 E. 1000 N., Fortville, IN 46040
View Piney Acres Fall Fun Details
The Piney Express is part of a larger fall day at Piney Acres Farm rather than a stand-alone railroad excursion. Families can take a ride on the farm train while visiting the 73-acre Hancock County farm, where fall activities also include hayrides, corn mazes, barnyard animals, gem mining and multiple play areas. This is a good option for younger train fans who want the train ride to be one piece of a full farm outing rather than the main event.
6. Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown
Location: Allisonville Home and Garden by Sullivan | Fishers
Dates: *Operating dates have not been released yet. We will update as soon as they are announced.
Tickets: Go on sale Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.
Price: *Pricing has not been released yet.
View Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown Updates
The Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown runs from the Allisonville location in Fishers, at 11405 Allisonville Road. Sullivan Hardware has confirmed that tickets go on sale Sept. 1 at 4 p.m., but the full operating calendar and ticket prices have not been posted. Train times can go quickly once sales open, so this is one to put on the calendar if PumpkinTown is part of the family’s fall plans.
7. Trick or Treat on the Rails
Location: Nickel Plate Express | Noblesville
Date: Oct. 31
Duration: 65 minutes
Price: $23 to $32 per person depending on age and seating; private tables for four are $140. Lap infants younger than 3 ride free in standard seating.
Book Trick or Treat on the Rails Tickets
Costumes are encouraged for this 65-minute Halloween ride aboard Nickel Plate Express’s historic 1956 train. Each child receives a trick-or-treat bag filled with goodies and all passengers receive apple cider. The train travels 35 minutes north from Forest Park toward Arcadia before switching engines and returning to Noblesville, so families stay aboard for the entire trip. The cars are heated and air-conditioned, there are restrooms on board and the train runs rain or shine.
8. Ghost Train of Metamora
Location: Whitewater Valley Railroad | Metamora
Dates: Oct. 16–17, 23–24 and 30–31
Times: 6:45, 7:30, 8:15 and 9 p.m.
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: $15 for ages 2 and older
Book Ghost Train of Metamora Tickets
The Ghost Train of Metamora is a half-hour evening excursion designed to be spooky without blood or gore. As the train travels through the dark countryside, characters from the railroad’s ghost story appear along the route. The train departs from Metamora, not Connersville. This event often sells out, so buying tickets early gives families the best choice of departure times.
Departure address: 19056 Main St., Metamora, IN 47030
9. Fall Colors Steam Special
Location: Indiana Rail Experience | Pleasant Lake
Dates: Oct. 16–18
Times: Boarding begins at 9 a.m., departure at 9:30 a.m., return around 5:30 p.m.
Duration: All day
Price: Deluxe coach is $85, with a family package seating four for $285. Open-air, dining car, Pullman and private table options run from $185 to $1,100. Processing fees are additional.
Book Fall Colors Steam Special Tickets
This is the biggest commitment on the list and the only ride pulled by steam. Nickel Plate Road No. 765 hauls a vintage passenger train from Pleasant Lake to Hillsdale, Michigan, where a midday layover gives families time for lunch at local restaurants or food trucks and a walk around town. The return trip includes a planned photo runby around 4 p.m., when passengers step off the train and watch No. 765 pass at speed. Seating ranges from deluxe coach to open-air cars, a 1950s dining car, Pullman accommodations and private tables, and select premium tickets include coffee, refreshments or chef-prepared breakfast. Passengers can bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks, and children 3 and younger who do not need a seat ride free in deluxe coach. Families who want something shorter should look at the Autumn Limited below.
10. Autumn Limited
Location: Indiana Rail Experience | Pleasant Lake
Dates: Oct. 23–25
Times: 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday; 2:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Duration: Three hours
Price: Tickets start at $25. A family package seating four is $284. Open-air, first-class, Pullman and private car options cost more.
Book Autumn Limited Tickets
The diesel-powered Autumn Limited takes passengers on a three-hour fall color trip from Pleasant Lake through northeast Indiana and into southeast Michigan. There are no stops or layovers, making this more about settling into a vintage passenger car and watching the scenery go by. Cider and seasonal desserts are part of the ride, and seating ranges from family-friendly deluxe coach to open-air cars, a 1950s dining car and private suites. Children 3 and younger who do not occupy a seat ride free in deluxe coach.
11. French Lick Scenic Train Rides
Location: French Lick Scenic Railway | French Lick
Dates: Scenic train rides return in October. *Exact dates have not been posted yet. We will update as soon as they are announced.
Price: *October pricing has not been posted yet.
Check the French Lick Scenic Railway Schedule
French Lick Scenic Railway’s 90-minute excursion leaves from the depot at 8594 W. State Road 56 and travels through the hills and forests of Southern Indiana, including a trip through Burton Tunnel. Scenic rides are scheduled to return in October, but exact departure dates and ticket prices have not yet been posted.
Fall train rides can sell out, particularly on October weekends. Check the official ticket page for current departure times and availability before making the drive.
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