The Halloween Train Ride At The Whitewater Valley Railroad Is Filled With Fun For The Whole Family
At the risk of sounding a bit “back-in-our-day,” we feel like there was a time where Halloween was all about the kids. Suddenly, it seems almost every haunted house feels obliged to offer up gore with their ghosts or put alcohol at the center of their horror. These attractions are fine for what they are, but sometimes it seems they don’t have the same spirit as the wholesome horror of Halloween’s past.
Halloween train rides are a tried and true family tradition that won’t have your kids waking you up with nightmares. To enjoy a not-so-terrifying trick-or-treat on the tracks, we recommend the Whitewater Valley Railroad’s Halloween events.
The Ghost Train of Metamora departs from 19054 S. Main St. Metamora, IN 47030.
The Pumpkinliner departs from 455 Market St, Connersville, IN 47331.
The Whitewater Railroad has been an Indiana institution for almost 200 years. Over that span of time, you can really stock up on spooky stories. A haunted train ride on the Whitewater Railroad takes you back in time while bringing the spirits from the past into the present.
Whitewater Railroad offers two separate Halloween-themed events for your family. The Ghost Train of Metamora is the signature spooky event that we'll discuss here, but the Whitewater Railroad also hosts a "Pumpkinliner" tour that takes guests from Connersville Grand Central Station to a nearby pumpkin patch to play. This is a good alternative to the Ghost Train of Metamora for those especially faint of heart, those closer to Connersville, and for pumpkin lovers in general.
The Ghost Train of Metamora is a 30-minute tour of a historic stretch of local railroad with a dark past. Guests are treated to tales of historical horror and special specters make ghostly guest appearances.
The Ghost Train of Metamora may be a brief ride, but it's well worth the trip to explore Metamora. The quaint canal town attracts tourists in all seasons because of its history, markets, and pastoral beauty.
Metamora may be heavy on the charm and light on the creeps, but it all depends on your perspective. In October, the canals turn chilling as the local residents, like this fearsome feline, take part in the spooky action.
You know what they say: give a kid a few "aahs!" and it brings on the "zzzs." Okay, maybe no one says that, but after a haunted day out in Metamora you just might coin the phrase.
The next time you’re hoping for a happy Hoosier Halloween for everyone in the family, all you have to do is take a short ride on the Ghost Train of Metamora. It strikes the balance of trick to treat just right, so you can give your closest ones the creeps but not a sleepless night. To learn more or to book your tickets, visit the railroad’s website or Facebook page.
What other Indiana trains haunt your holidays? What’s your favorite tour of terror, or tale from the tracks? We love hearing your tales and seeing your photos. Leave us a comment!
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Benjamin Clancy is the Illinois and Indiana writer at Only In Your State, a doctoral candidate at UNC Chapel Hill in Communication, and an artistic type who has attended the Vermont Studio Center residency in poetry writing and makes something like music as "little other." They grew up in Austin, Texas and currently live in Chicago, IL with their partner, two dogs, and a cat. Get in touch by emailing bclancy@onlyinyourstate.com.
