Mushroom Tunnel

The Mushroom Tunnel at Picton, in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia, is a disused railway tunnel originally known as the Redbank Range Tunnel. Opened in 1867 as part of the Main Southern railway line, the roughly two-hundred-metre stone-and-brick bore carried trains until 1919, when a deviation and a new tunnel bypassed it. During the twentieth century the cool, damp and dark interior found a second life as a commercial mushroom-growing facility, which gave the tunnel its enduring popular name.

Over the years the abandoned tunnel accumulated local ghost stories, most often attached to a woman said to have died on the railway line nearby, and it became a fixture of regional 'haunted' lore and occasional ghost tours. These tales are anecdotal and unverified, typical of old and atmospheric infrastructure, and are best enjoyed as folklore rather than treated as documented fact.

The tunnel's genuine interest lies in its place in the early history of railway engineering in colonial New South Wales. As one of the oldest tunnels on the line, it is a modest but tangible reminder of nineteenth-century transport development and the later reuse of industrial spaces.

The Mushroom Tunnel is a disused heritage structure on the edge of Picton and is not a formally staffed visitor attraction. It has featured in locally organised ghost and history tours over the years, and it sits near walking routes in the Picton area, but access to the tunnel itself can be restricted and conditions inside are dark, damp and uneven.

Visitors should check current local arrangements, respect any signage or fencing, and avoid entering if access is closed or unsafe. Organised tours, where available, are the appropriate way to see the tunnel; the surrounding land and any private property should be treated accordingly.