THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride — Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in eastern Ohio offers THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride, which it describes as the authentic ride sanctioned by Warner Bros. and Rail Events. The museum calls it a family re-enactment of the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg.

The adventure begins on board decorated vintage coaches, where storytellers read the story aloud. As the train heads north toward the North Pole, festive elves entertain passengers with songs, games and activities, and hot chocolate and cookies are served. At the North Pole, passengers see Santa and his workshop out the train window but do not get off; Santa then boards and gives each child a jingle bell taken from his reindeer's harness.

The museum sells three fare tiers by departure time, Prime Time, Standard and Downtime, in Coach, Deluxe and First Class, plus First Class private compartments and whole-car rentals.

Storytellers read the book aloud on decorated vintage coaches. Elves lead songs, games and activities on the way north, and hot chocolate and cookies are served. Passengers see Santa and his workshop through the train window at the North Pole but stay on board; Santa then boards and gives each child a jingle bell. Pajamas are encouraged.

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, 400 Center St., Dennison, OH 44621; phone 740-922-6776. All passengers aged one year and up must have a seat. The museum suggests arriving one hour before departure; passengers board half an hour before departure, and gates close 5 minutes before departure, so the museum is not obligated to refund or exchange tickets for late arrivals. Fares depend on the departure tier (Prime Time, Standard or Downtime) and on class (Coach, Deluxe or First Class); a non-refundable ticket fee is added to every ticket. First Class private compartments seat up to six, and whole cars can be rented. Coach and Deluxe tickets are sold through the museum's Eventbrite page and First Class tickets are sold by phone; there is a public on-sale after a museum-member presale, and the museum sells memberships for early access.