I love The Polar Express – the book and the movie. Hubby loves trains of all kinds. He has an HO Packer train that he sets up under the Christmas tree every year. Naturally, when I started looking for family activities for the holidays, The Polar Express jumped to the top of my list.
I wanted to take my nephew on The Polar Express when he was younger, but we didn’t have one nearby, and I couldn’t make the schedule work. But, when I had my own kiddo, and we had moved to Cincinnati, I was pleasantly surprised to find an official Polar Express Train on the Whitewater Valley Scenic Railroad in Connorsville, Indiana – just over an hour from our home.
We booked a 6pm train, dressed in our Christmas pajamas, and brought a simple brown bag dinner to eat on the train. The sun set quickly after we departed the train station, and the garland and lights that decorated the trains made the atmosphere festive. They provided us with hot chocolate and a cookie, served by “dancing chefs” (volunteers in chef outfits) to the tune of “Hot Chocolate” while we journeyed to the North Pole. The conductor also came around to punch our ticket – no fancy punches though!
TIP: Bring a blanket! Our train was heated but our seats next to the windows got cold as we rode!
On our journey to the North Pole, we listened to an audiobook of The Polar Express while we rode. The dancing chefs walked around with the book so we could see pictures.
TIP: Bring your own book to read along!
Once we arrived at the “North Pole,” Santa boarded the train and visited with all the kids as we rode home. He gave every child a bell as a reminder to always believe!
Each individual location will do things their own way, but official Polar Express train rides will include all of the above. Sometimes local railroad companies offer an unofficial Polar Express ride, but they’re always called something slightly different like “North Pole Express.” In my experience, they are very similar but don’t include anything that’s officially “Polar Express” like the audiobook. But, they are usually less expensive too.
Our kiddo loved the experience of riding on the train in his pajamas, seeing Santa, and singing Christmas carols on the train. He loves the bell, and can be seen and heard shaking it and singing “Jingle Bells” all December long. It has definitely become part of our Christmas family tradition.
Official Polar Express Train Rides usually go on sale in the summer and sell out quickly! Find your official Polar Express Ride here, and book your ticket family memories at Christmas!
