Visitors Rave About These 9 Holiday Train Rides

Are you ready to embark on an unforgettable Christmas train ride adventure with your little ones? If you're North Carolina, you're in luck! Join us as we uncover the best holiday train rides NC has to offer. From the Polar Express (two of them!) to an Amtrack Santa Train, we have the details on Christmas trains across North Carolina.

Steaming into the holiday spirit—find a magical train ride promises a journey filled with Christmas wonder.

Dreamy Holiday Train Rides

If your child dreams of stepping aboard a beautifully decorated train, surrounded by twinkling lights and festive music, then it's time to buy those tickets because many rides sell out before the holiday season begins.

Christmas Train Rides That Sell Out Early

In fact, Pullen Park's very popular Holiday Express frequently sells out in the summer! And tickets for N.C. Amtrak's very popular Raleigh Santa Train go on sale early.

If you didn't get tickets for the Holiday Express and cannot get them for N.C. Amtrak's Santa Train, there are other options for holiday train rides. Here are seven!

The Pullen Park Christmas train ride sells out early.

The 7 Best Holiday Train Rides

Santa Train at the Museum of Life and Science

The very popular Santa Train runs Thursday- Sunday nights December 1- 31.  Tickets range in price between $19 for entry plus train ride.  The event includes a ride on the museum's kiddie train, the Ellerbe Creek Railway, plus crafts, face painting, hot chocolate, admission to the museum's indoor butterfly house and more. This train ride can sell out, so if you want to go, buy tickets early.

New Hope Valley Railway's Santa's Reindeer Roundup Express

This Christmas train ride involves searching for Santa's nine missing reindeer, including Rudolph, along the tracks. The event runs Dec. 7, Dec. 8, Dec. 14, Dec. 15 and Dec. 21. The hour-long rides on the open-air trains start at 10 a.m. each day. Tickets are between $11 and $13, depending on your age. This holiday train ride is very popular, so consider purchasing tickets in advance, especially if you're trying to schedule a specific time. Bundle up – just be prepared for a chilly ride in the open-air cars. We recommend this one for younger kids.

Christmas at Hubb's Farm

Hubb's Farm in Clinton hosts Polar Express Movie and Santa Too with train rides on Nov. 30. Tickets are $20. Then Christmas on the Farm, which also includes train rides, is on select dates in December. Tickets are between $5 and $10. Kids under 2 are free with a paying guest.

N.C. Transportation Museum's Polar Express

Conveniently located between Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, this holiday best train ride is in Spencer (adjacent to Salisbury) at the NC Transportation Museum (heaven for train buffs). This Polar Express experience is incredibly popular with many sold out dates. This year, it runs Nov. 8 -10, Nov. 15-17, Nov. 22-24, Nov. 29-30,Dec. 1, Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 12 – 23. Set to the popular movie's soundtrack, families will ride to the “North Pole,” enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, a reading of the book and a visit with Santa, who presents the first gift of Christmas. At the end, everyone will get their own silver sleigh bell to take home. Individual tickets start at $32.

How To Get Free Polar Express Tickets

Have you heard about free Polar Express tickets? There's a trick to getting free tickets to the NC Transportation Museum's Polar Express experience and we have the details! Click here to learn more about the free ticket offer.

Tweetsie Railroad's Tweetsie Christmas

In Blowing Rock, Tweetsie Railroad will host Tweetsie Christmas for the third year. It runs on Friday and Saturday evenings from Nov. 29 through Dec. 30. Take a train ride through the park along a route decorated with a display of twinkling lights. Back at the park, guests can listen to carolers, watch a live Christmas Show, roast s’mores by a fire pit and get their picture taken with Santa. Know your schedule before purchasing tickets (and buy in advance) because tickets are good for a particular date and time.

Country Christmas Train

Travel about two hours from Raleigh to Denton for this annual tradition, the Country Christmas Train. It opens on Nov. 29 and runs on select nights through Dec. 28. See lights and the nativity story on this train ride. Then enjoy Christmas carols, arts and crafts, a doll museum, treats and more, including a visit with Santa. Tickets are $5 for kids ages 5 to 11 and $6 for adults.

Pajamas are encouraged on the Polar Express train rides!

Great Smoky Mountain Railway's Polar Express

A perennial entry in the Best Christmas Train Ride lists is this Polar Express experience. In the mountain town of Bryson City, this annual favorite begins Nov. 7 and runs select evenings through Dec. 31. Tickets start around $28 for kids and $42 for adults. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas. The ride recreates the classic story with a stop at the North Pole, a visit with Santa, hot chocolate, treats and more.