Scottsdale's McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is gearing up for its annual Spook-Track-Ula event, running October 1 through 31 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $15 per person for anyone age 3 and older. The event includes unlimited train rides, costumed train rides, and carousel rides, according to the City of Scottsdale, which announced that tickets go on sale September 1, 2026.
The Halloween tradition unfolds at the 30-acre park located at 7301 E. Indian Bend Rd., which is operated by the city's Parks & Recreation Department. This year's run arrives just months after the park unveiled a $13.1 million renovation funded through voter-approved bond financing and support from the Scottsdale Railroad & Mechanical Society, as Hoodline reported in September 2025. That overhaul added a 10,000-square-foot indoor play space called The Roundhouse, a 5,000-square-foot splash pad, and an updated entry plaza, giving families new ways to spend the day before boarding the evening's haunted train.
A Milestone Year for the Park
The renovation was completed just ahead of the park's 50th anniversary, which the venue celebrated in October 2025. It originally opened on October 4, 1975, as McCormick Railroad Park before being renamed in 1996 to honor founder Guy Stillman, the same report notes. The park sits on land donated to the City of Scottsdale in 1967 by Fowler McCormick, grandson of John D. Rockefeller and former board chairman of International Harvester, along with his wife Anne Stillman McCormick, from their 4,200-acre Arabian horse ranch, according to the park's own historical account.
Spook-Track-Ula's centerpiece ride runs along the Paradise & Pacific Railroad, a 15-inch-gauge miniature railway with 3,800 feet of mainline track, 1,400 feet of sidetrack, two trestles, and a turntable built with construction aid from the U.S. Marines in the early 1970s, per Wikipedia. The park also houses the 1950-vintage Allan Herschell Carousel, which will offer rides during the event, and a 10,000-square-foot model railroad building. Riders can also spot the historic Roald Amundsen Pullman Car, a 1928 presidential railcar that served as a rolling White House for U.S. Presidents Herbert Hoover through Dwight Eisenhower and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Scottsdale Railroad Museum.
What to Expect Along the Track
Past iterations of Spook-Track-Ula have transformed the train route with family-friendly Halloween displays, including giant skeletons, man-eating spiders, alien invasions, and creepy clowns, according to Arizona Digital Free Press, which reported that the displays are specifically designed to be mild and suitable for young children. On Halloween night, the fun has historically been supplemented by trick-or-treating in the Desert Arboretum. The outlet also reported that the park has sold tickets in timed-entry arrival slots, such as 6 to 7:30 p.m. or 8 to 9:30 p.m., capped at around 650 guests per session, and has closed to daytime visitors early each evening to prepare, with high demand historically leading to long ride lines during the first 90 minutes each night.
The renovation's early returns suggest the park's popularity is only growing. Following the August 2025 opening of the new indoor play structure and splash pad, summer attendance surged 160% year-over-year, drawing more than 39,000 visitors in its first month, per Hoodline's earlier reporting. The park also houses the Scottsdale Railroad Museum, which includes the historic Peoria Depot, originally built in 1894 for the Santa Fe Railroad and relocated to the park in the early 1970s to serve as the museum's entrance.
Who Oversees the Park's Business Side
In February 2025, the City of Scottsdale appointed veteran municipal manager Judy Doyle to oversee business-focused city functions, including the railroad park, which generates between $1.5 million and $2.5 million in annual municipal revenue, Hoodline reported at the time, underscoring the park's role as one of the city's key economic and tourism contributors. Families planning a visit this fall can reach the park directly at 480-312-2312, with tickets for Spook-Track-Ula set to go on sale September 1.
