Chicagoland and Midwest Santa Claus/North Pole/Holiday Trains

One of the more interesting developments in the railroad and heritage 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 multiple weekends.  Click on the links below to find out more about a special holiday train near you.
For brevity, we have listed events that are in the Chicagoland area, or within a day or two's drive.  For a list covering the 48 contiguous states, Trains magazine has assembled a state-by-state list of Holiday trains & Polar Express rides (2023) .

There also may be employee-only events sponsored by local railroads.  Details of these events are rarely public, but we will try to release them if we come across any.

After the Winter holiday season ends, many museums and heritage railroads also offer other themed rides for other holidays throughout the year: Easter Bunny, Pumpkin Trains, Ghost Trains, and, of course, visits from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....all of which are are extremely popular with families.  Although outside the scope of this page, we invite you to contact your local museums and heritage railroads to find out what they offer and when.

Is there a Santa Claus/North Pole/Holiday Train that we left out?  Have you found a broken link?  Please contact us.
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(Photo courtesy of Canadian Pacific)
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(Photo by Michael Riha)
We will periodically update this page, to the best of our ability, with the latest information. ​

​Note that the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society is not responsible for these events, including problems with their websites, cancellations, delays, and equipment substitutions.  We are posting this for informative purposes only.

We strongly suggest you personally contact the event operator to verify if they are running and if there are tickets available, as some events are already sold out. 
This page last updated November 17, 2023

​Contents © 2023 Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, Inc. - an Illinois not-for-profit corporation.   Photos and images on this site without credit belong to Blackhawk Railway Historical Society or the Public Domain.  Credited photos and images are the property of their owner.  The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, Inc. is a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society  and  is not affiliated with the former Blackhawk Films or the ​Chicago franchise of the National Hockey League.  

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