SpotatrainSpotatrain

Rail events

Christmas Train Rides 2026

55 listings, by state & province

Santa trains, North Pole rides, lantern-lit evening departures: every December, heritage and tourist railroads run their busiest trains of the year. This page gathers every Christmas train ride we track, grouped by state and province, with the dates we checked on each operator’s official site.

Popular departures can sell out well before the season starts, so it pays to look early. Each listing links to the official booking page — that is where seats, prices and any dress-up suggestions are confirmed.

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United States

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Washington

Wisconsin

Canada

Alberta

United Kingdom

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Frequently asked questions

Are THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Rides on this page?▾
Yes. Licensed POLAR EXPRESS™ events are Christmas train rides, so they appear here alongside every other Santa and holiday train. They also have their own page, listing only the licensed events.
Where do I buy tickets?▾
Always on the operator’s own website or the ticketing page it links to. Spotatrain does not sell tickets: the “Book on the official site” button on each event page takes you straight to the source.
How do you check the dates?▾
Every date on Spotatrain is read on the operator’s official website or its official ticketing page, and each event page says when we last checked it. Railroads do change schedules, so confirm on the official site before you travel — and if a date looks wrong, use the “These dates look wrong” button on the event page.

THE POLAR EXPRESS and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of their respective owners. Spotatrain is an independent guide and is not affiliated with them or with the railroads listed here.