Pumpkin Express — Minnesota Transportation Museum

The Minnesota Transportation Museum runs the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, which boards at the Osceola Depot in Wisconsin. Its Pumpkin Express is a family outing in which passengers ride a historic train for about 25 minutes to Dresser, where a festival is held, and ride back again afterwards.

The operator says each child may pick out one pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, and describes live music, games, a hayride, food trucks and a flea market at the festival, as well as a visit to the historic 1884 Dresser Depot. The ticket covers the 50-minute round trip aboard the vintage train and all-day admission to the festival, with trains going back and forth about every hour.

The museum also runs a Fall Colors Train from the same Osceola depot, and it sells the Pumpkin Express as a first train ride for small children or a new family tradition. All ticket sales are non-refundable.

A 25-minute ride to Dresser, time at the festival (admission is all day), then 25 minutes back: about 50 minutes on the train in all. Each child can pick one pumpkin; the festival has live music, games, a hayride, food trucks, a flea market and the historic 1884 Dresser Depot. Trains go back and forth about every hour.

Check in at the Osceola Depot, 114 Depot Road, Osceola, Wisconsin, 30 minutes before your scheduled departure; all tickets are will call and boarding passes are issued inside the depot. Tell the ticket agent if you need help boarding; the operator also says the train ride is not wheelchair accessible. There are no restrooms on the train, only at the depot and at the festival. Small foldable strollers are allowed. The operator says it sends out parking locations before the event. All ticket sales are non-refundable. Phone: 1-651-228-0263.