Halloween Train Rides... Go On One... IF You Dare ~ Then Go Back In November To Ride The Christmas Train!

Taking a Halloween train ride in your area could be a spooky, fun and interesting new way to celebrate Halloween. Who knows, it could even become a new, exciting and memorable holiday family tradition for your family.

Train rides often vary in the type of ride offered from pumpkin picking rides - where riders are taken to the pumpkin patch to pick out their perfect jack-o-lantern, to scary, haunted train rides, to costume party rides.

There are also some fun and exciting train rides that are not quite so scary, for the younger crowd, like the one I found here in Southern Nevada. Southern Nevada Railway has a Halloween train ride that riders can enjoy every year close to Halloween. The train is frighteningly decorated for Halloween and youngsters (as well as us "oldsters") can dress up and participate.

Trains that are used vary from steam engine trains to diesel powered stream liners. There are train rides where ghost tales are told, to costume party train rides - where prizes are given for the best costumes - and you can even find "mystery" train rides where a mystery is told and solved by the train riding participants during the time it takes to ride the train!

Any of these types of Halloween train rides are a fun way to celebrate. Seasonal celebration train rides can be found all over the U.S.A., as well as in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. There is even a website that will give you information on the train rides that are available in each area.

Here, just 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City, is the Nevada Southern Railway. This railway was originally built in 1931, and was used during the construction of "Hoover Dam"... to carry people, as well as many of the building materials that were used in the construction of the Dam out to the Dam building site - and it ran from Las Vegas out to Boulder City.

Today's version of the Nevada Southern Railway excursion train runs on the same tracks that were built and used back in 1931. This train's refurbishment was funded by the state of Nevada. Since then it has thrived on private donations, and on volunteer labor.

This train compliments another train that runs through Northern Nevada, called "Nevada Northern Railway." That train runs in and around Ely, Nevada.

Train tours can be an excellent way to introduce youngsters to train travel, something that has been missed by several generations. A lot of railways and train routes are now defunct, but the ones that are preserved as museums and excursion trains can be an excellent and interesting way to show kids how things used to be done in this country.

Here in Nevada, to get to the Southern Nevada Railway museum and excursion tour, visitors can take U.S. 93 and exit at Yucca Street in Boulder City. A right turn will take you to the parking area, and a sidewalk is available there to take you to the depot. A great deal of attention to detail makes this depot a charming reminder of the railroad buildings that were constructed in the early 1900's.

Volunteers run the Southern Nevada Railway excursion train, and they are often dressed in period costumes (except at Halloween, when some of them will be dressed in Halloween costumes). Workers enjoy getting into the "spirit" of the occasion as much as train travelers enjoy the experience.

Trains were such an important and colorful part of the history of the Western United States. Taking the train gives riders a wonderful glimpse into the country's historical and colorful railroading past.

Ride The Train Again In December ~

Every December, this fun and unique Halloween Train becomes the Santa Train and is enjoyed by kids of all ages. Visit with Santa and experience the thrill of riding a real steam train through scenic Boulder City, Nevada and surrounding areas. Fun will be had by all on these seasonal train rides.