Santa's Trolley Express — Fox River Trolley Museum

The Fox River Trolley Museum, in South Elgin, Illinois, runs Santa's Trolley Express on a rail line the operator says dates back to 1896. Families ride its beautifully decorated 1950s vintage elevated cars through the Fox River Valley to the North Pole Trolley Station.

The experience starts before the ride. The operator asks guests to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled departure to check in and receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate aboard a restored vintage train, among festive decorations and holiday music. Crew then escort guests to their assigned train car.

Once aboard, the operator says families enjoy a classic holiday story, Christmas sing-alongs and a festive ride to the North Pole. There Santa Claus boards the train and visits each family as he travels through the cars, posing for photos and listening to Christmas wishes.

The operator is explicit that Santa's Trolley Express is planned, organized and run independently by the museum and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any media franchise, including The Polar Express. Seats are sold through a limited-capacity reservation system, and each departure is booked separately.

Check in 15 minutes before your departure and enjoy a complimentary hot chocolate aboard a restored vintage train. Crew then escort you to your assigned car for a classic holiday story, Christmas sing-alongs and the ride to the North Pole Trolley Station, where Santa boards and visits each family, poses for photos and listens to wishes.

All trains board at Blackhawk Station in the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve, 35W003 Route 31, South Elgin, Illinois, not at the main museum. The preserve is about two miles south of the Fox River Trolley Museum, on the east side of Illinois Route 31. Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled departure to check in. Every passenger, whatever their age or size, needs their own ticket. All ticket sales are final: no refunds, exchanges, transfers or rain checks once tickets are bought. Tickets are sold per departure through the museum's online ticketing links; the operator says tickets sell fast. Questions about the event: foxtrolleytickets@foxtrolley.org or (847) 380-6121.