Santa Claus/North Pole/Holiday Trains

One of the more interesting developments in the railroad industry over the past couple decades has been the large number of special Santa Claus/North Pole/Holiday Trains that operate in November and December.  Kids of all ages can enjoy riding or watching special trains throughout our area, bringing the holiday spirit to the local communities. 

These events come in several variations: most are rides, many are fundraisers for non-profits and charities.  All of these events have proven to be very popular -- most of these trips sell out months in advance.   We have left out dates as there are too many to list as they range from one-time events to nearly daily service.  We invite you to click on the links below to find out more about a special holiday train near you.

​Note that the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society is not responsible for issues you may have with these organizations, including problems with their websites, cancellations, delays and equipment substitutions.  

For brevity, we've listed events that are in the Chicagoland area, or within a day's drive, with a few exceptions.  Is there a Santa Claus/North Pole/Holiday Train that we left out?  Have you found a broken link?  Please send us an E-mail.

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(Photo courtesy of Canadian Pacific)

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• Canadian Pacific - various stops in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin
  "Holiday Train" gathering donations for local food pantries - http://www.cpr.ca/holiday-train/united-states
• Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago, Illinois  (Note: As of 11/3 the 2019 schedule was yet to be finalized)
  "Allstate CTA Holiday Train" - https://www.transitchicago.com/holidayfleet/#about_train
• Chicago Union Station/Amtrak - Chicago, Illinois
  "The Polar Express" - https://www.chicagothepolarexpressride.com/ 
• ​East Troy Electric Railroad - East Troy, Wisconsin (southwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
  "Christmas Train" - https://www.easttroyrr.org/christmas-train.html 
• Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (home of NKP #765) - New Haven (Fort Wayne), Indiana
  "Santa Train" - https://fortwaynerailroad.org/events-and-excursions/ 
• Fox River Trolley Museum - South Elgin, Illinois (between Elgin and St. Charles, Illinois)
  "The Polar Express" - https://www.foxtrolley.org/polarexpress 
  "Christmas City Express" - https://www.foxtrolley.org/CCE-South-Elgin 
• Friends of the 261 (owners of Milwaukee Road #261) - St. Paul, Minnesota
  "North Pole Express" - https://261.com/NPE/ 
• Hesston Steam Museum - Hesston, Indiana (between Michigan City, Indiana and New Buffalo, Michigan)
  "Santa's Candy Cane Express" - https://www.hesston.org/ccx-event 
• Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum - North Judson, Indiana (southeast of Valparaiso, Indiana)
  "Santa Trains" - http://www.hoosiervalley.org/shop/tickets/… 
• Illinois Railway Museum - Union, Illinois (northwest suburban McHenry County)
  "Happy Holiday Railway" - https://www.irm.org/event/happy-holiday-railway/ 
• Indiana Rail Road - various stops in south-central Indiana and Illinois
  "Santa Train" - https://www.facebook.com/IndianaRailRoad/photos/a.609815909055444/2489428884427461/?type=3&theater 
• Indiana Transportation Museum - Kokomo, Logansport and Tell City, Indiana
  "Polar Bear Express" - https://www.itm.org/ 
• Kansas City Southern - Kanasas City, Missouri  and points south
  "Holiday Express" -  https://www.kcsouthern.com/corporate-responsibility/giving/holiday-express
• Lake State Railway - North Central Michigan
  "Santa Train" - https://www.lsrc.com/news/newssanta/ 
• Little River Railroad - Coldwater, Michigan (far southern Michigan, just north of the northeast corner of Indiana)
  "Holiday Express" - http://littleriverrailroad.com/index.php/special-events/ 
• Mid-Continent Railway Museum - North Freedom, Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells area)
  "Santa Express" - https://www.midcontinent.org/train-ride-info…/santa-express/ 
• Monticello Railway Museum - Monticello, Illinois (between Champaign and Decatur, Illinois)
  "The Polar Express" - http://www.mrym.org/polar.html and "Lunch with Santa on the Train" - http://www.mrym.org/santa.html ;
  MRM also provides equipment for the Norfolk Southern's Santa train for employee families out of Decatur, usually the second weekend in December.
• National Railroad Museum - Green Bay, Wisconsin
  "The Polar Express" - https://nationalrrmuseum.org/events/polar-express/ 
  and "Holidays on the Rails" - https://nationalrrmuseum.org/holidays-on-the-rails/ 
  
• Nickel Plate Express - Noblesville, Indiana
  "Reindeer Ride" - https://nickelplateexpress.com/reindeer-ride-tickets 
• St. Louis Union Station - St. Louis, Missouri
  "The Polar Express" - https://www.stlthepolarexpressride.com/the-polar-express 
• Steam Locomotive Heritage Association's Soo Line #1003 - Hartford, WI
  See Santa along with their 1913-built steam locomotive - http://steamlocomotiveheritage.org/  
• Steam Railroading Institute (home of Pere Marquette #1225) - Owosso, Michigan (between Lansing and Flint, Michigan)
  "North Pole Express" - https://www.michigansteamtrain.com/tickets-reservations/north-pole-express 
• Whitewater Valley Rail Road - Connersville-Metamora, Indiana (halfway between Indianapolis, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio)
  "Metamora Holiday Special," "Santa Claus Limited," and "The Polar Express" - https://whitewatervalleyrr.org/excursions/events 
• Operation North Pole - Des Plaines, Illinois
  ONP is a charity that works with Chicago’s major children’s hospitals, providing a day of fun and fantasy for families who have a child battling a life-threatening illness by hosting a fantasy trip with a specially decorated Metra train to the "North Pole." - https://www.operationnorthpole.org/ 
• Santa in Chicago - various Chicago and suburban locations
  Numerous community organizations and park districts sponsor their own "Santa/Polar Express" trains, and a full list can be found on this handy website - http://www.santainchicago.com/santaonthe…/santaandtrains.htm