THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride — National Railroad Museum

The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay stages THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the weeks before Christmas, and says it has become a holiday tradition for people throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

Guests first gather in the museum's Lenfestey Center, where the show begins with the Hot Chocolate Dance, followed by hot chocolate, a cookie and a dramatic reading of the original book. A conductor then leads everyone outside to board vintage train cars for a ride to the North Pole. The museum stresses this is not a ride of decorations outside the windows: the story is re-created inside the train, with characters on board, a hobo, the Northern Lights and polar bears.

Each car has its own name and price tier — Northern Lights, Glacier Gulch, Arctic Circle and Spirit of the Season — and Santa visits passengers on board or in the depot depending on the car. The event is a museum fundraiser.

About 30 minutes of check-in and pre-show activities, then about 60 minutes for the show and train ride. Before the show you can stroll the museum's Festival of Trees, see the full-size trains and play Reindeer Games. The Hot Chocolate Dance and a reading of the book take place indoors before everyone boards a real train; characters interact with families on board. Everyone, regardless of age, needs a ticket.

National Railroad Museum, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay, WI 54304. Doors to the Lenfestey Center open 30 minutes before each show. Tickets depend on the car: Northern Lights (general seating), Glacier Gulch (first class, handicap accessible), and Arctic Circle and Spirit of the Season (premium table seating sold in blocks of four). Northern Lights, Arctic Circle and Spirit of the Season are not handicap accessible. All sales are final with no exchanges; refunds only if the museum cancels a show. Tickets are sold exclusively through TicketStar, with a public on-sale held on a Saturday. The event raises funds for the museum's educational programs and operations and is not tax deductible.