The Ghost Train Rolls Through Shorewood
The Ghost Train lights up the Oak Leaf Trail in Shorewood for Kidney Cancer Awareness
If you're seeking an imaginative adventure right in your neighborhood, Shorewood’s enchanting Ghost Train is an artistic sensory experience at the Oak Leaf Trail Bridge over Capitol Drive.
Since its first appearance on Halloween night in 2016, this public art installation has delighted families by creatively blending history, technology, and community spirit. Today, families can gather each evening to experience the magic of this historical train as it reappears through captivating lights and authentic sounds.
The best spots to view this display include outside on the patio of Culver’s or Corner Bakery on Capital Drive in Shorewood. Or you can time your bike ride or walk on the Oak Leaf Trail to feel like you are on board the Ghost Train.
History of the Ghost Train
The Twin Cities 400 in what is now the Oak Leaf Trail in Shorewood
The Ghost Train brings to life the legendary "Twin Cities 400," a famous high-speed passenger train operated by the Chicago & North Western Railway from 1935 to 1963. Known for covering the 400-mile journey between Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, in less than 400 minutes, this train once thundered right through Shorewood along today's Oak Leaf Trail route.
This installation was brought to life by Creative Lighting Design & Engineering. Using state-of-the-art lighting, programmable LEDs, and a dynamic audio system, the public display creates a vivid illusion of the train's nightly journey across the bridge. The installation not only highlights Shorewood's rich history but also invites visitors to explore imaginative storytelling through light and sound.
“An idea percolated with the usual ‘wouldn't it be cool if...’ thought,” wrote Matt Peck, Principal of Creative Lighting Design & Engineering. “(The display would) combine lighting and control technology with creative programming to create an allusion of the passage of the train over the bridge...a suggestion that would be a "ghost" of the train.”
When to Experience the Ghost Train
Catch the Ghost Train twice nightly as it simulates northbound and southbound journeys:
Winter Schedule (September 1 - March 31):
Northbound at 7 pm
Southbound at 7:15 pm
Summer Schedule (April 1 - August 31):
Northbound at 9 pm
Southbound at 9:15 pm
Special Events
Holiday Express (December): Daily at 7:30 pm, celebrate the season with festive sounds and colors.
Circus Train (April - August): Every Saturday at 9:30 pm, experience whimsical colors and playful sounds.
Night of the Ghost Train (October 31): Join Shorewood's annual Halloween community celebration from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, featuring a costume contest, ghost stories, free refreshments, and special Ghost Train showings at 8 pm and 8:15 pm.
#OrangeUp for Kidney Cancer Awareness (March 29-30, 2025): Starting at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 29 and running the whole evening, the Ghost Train will #OrangeUp for Kidney Cancer Awareness. The display will also run on Sunday, March 30 starting at 7:30 pm.
The Village’s Public Art Committee, one of many active volunteer committees, has been excited to see requests for special Ghost Train events and is committed to do their part by programming new, unique light shows to highlight these causes using our community light asset.
For more information about what else is happening with the Public Art Committee, please visit www.shorewoodarts.org.
