2022 Holiday Trains: 'Tis the season

Festive-themed trains by state

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2022 Holiday Trains: Taking a train ride this holiday season is just one option out of many seasonal events to choose from each year. Why choose a train ride? Well, if you like trains, you certainly need no other reason. Maybe you’re looking for something new to try, and in this case, a Christmas train ride could be just the right ticket. Trains, in general, evoke a sense of adventure, romance, or nostalgia for the rider. A holiday-themed train is capable of conjuring all that and so much more. The lights, sounds, smells, and story that encompass each ride makes for an amazing experience, especially for a child.

Depending on what you’re looking for this season, there are many different types of holiday trains to choose from. Some where you can meet Santa, visit the “North Pole,” sip hot chocolate or wine in a beautifully decorated vintage passenger car, or, for one magical night, be fully immersed in the classic children’s book, the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

Whatever your choice may be, here’s a list of the 2022 Holiday Trains by location. Some you ride and some you just watch and enjoy!

This list in not all inclusive.

ALABAMA

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum (Calera), hodrrm.orgNorth Alabama Railroad Museum (Huntsville), www.narm.info

ARIZONA

Grand Canyon (Williams), thetrain.com (Polar Express)

ARKANSAS

Arkansas & Missouri (Springdale), amrailroad.com

CALIFORNIA

California State Railroad Museum (Sacramento), csrmf.org (Polar Express)Irvine Park Railroad (Orange), irvineparkrailroad.comNapa Valley Wine Train (Napa), winetrain.comNiles Canyon Railway (Sunol), ncry.orgPacific Southwest Railway Museum (Campo), www.psrm.orgRailtown 1897 State Park (Jamestown), railtown1897.org (Polar Express)Roaring Camp Railroads (Felton), roaringcamp.comRiver Fox Train (West Sacramento), riverfoxtrain.comSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Santa Cruz), beachboardwalk.com/holiday-train-rides/Sierra Northern Railway (Ventura County), www.sunbursttrain.com/spirit-of-the-holidaysSouthern California Railway Museum (Perris), socalrailway.org (Polar Express)Skunk Train (Willits), skunktrain.comWestern Pacific Railroad Museum (Portola), wplives.org

COLORADO

Colorado Railroad Museum (Golden), coloradorailroadmuseum.org (Polar Express)Durango & Silverton (Durango), www.durangotrain.com (Polar Express)Georgetown Loop (Georgetown), georgetownlooprr.comRoyal Gorge Route (Canon City), royalgorgeroute.com

CONNECTICUT

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat (Essex), essexsteamtrain.comRailroad Museum of New England (Thomaston), rmne.orgShore Line Trolley Museum (East Haven), shorelinetrolley.com

DELAWARE

Wilmington & Western (Wilmington), wwrr.com

FLORIDA

Florida Railroad Museum (Parrish), frrm.orgMiami on Brightline (Miami), miamithepolarexpressride.com (Polar Express)Seminole Gulf Railway (Fort Myers), semgulf.com

GEORGIA

SAM Shortline Train (Cordele), samshortline.comBlue Ridge Scenic Railway (Blue Ridge), brscenic.com

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

Fox River Trolley Museum (South Elgin), foxtrolley.orgIllinois Railroad Museum (Union), irm.org (Polar Express in 2023)Monticello Railway Museum (Monticello), mrym.org

INDIANA

Hesston Steam Museum (Hesston), hesston.orgHoosier Valley Railroad Museum (North Judson), hoosiervalley.orgFrench Lick Scenic (French Lick), frenchlickscenicrailway.org (Polar Express)Whitewater Valley Railroad (Connersville), whitewatervalleyrr.org (Polar Express)

IOWA

Boone & Scenic Valley (Boone), scenic-valleyrr.comMidwest Central (Mount Pleasant), www.mcrr.org

KANSAS

Abilene & Smoky Valley (Abilene), asvrr.orgKansas City Southern, kcsouthern.com

KENTUCKY

Big South Fork Scenic Railway (Stearns), bsfsry.comBluegrass Scenic Railroad (Versailles), bgrm.orgKentucky Railway Museum (New Haven), kyrail.orgMy Old Kentucky Dinner Train (Bardstown), kydinnertrain.com

LOUISIANA

MAINE

Maine Narrow Guage Railroad (Portland), mainenarrowgauge.orgSeashore Trolley Museum (Kennebunkport), trolleymuseum.orgWiscasset, Waterville & Farmington (Alna), wwfry.org

MARYLAND

Walkersville Southern (Walkersville), wsrr.orgWestern Maryland Scenic (Cumberland), wmsr.com (Polar Express)

MASSACHUSETTS

Cape Cod Central (Hyannis), capetrain.com (Polar Express)Edaville (Carver), edaville.com

MICHIGAN

Coopersville & Marne (Coopersville), mitrain.netLittle River Railroad (Coldwater), littleriverrailroad.comSteam Railroading Institute (Owosso), michigansteamtrain.com

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Streetcar Museum (Minneapolis), trolleyride.orgNorth Shore Scenic (Duluth), northshorescenicrailroad.org

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

Branson Scenic (Branson), bransontrain.com (Polar Express)St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern ( Jackson), slimrr.com

MONTANA

Charlie Russell Chew Choo (Lewistown), montanadinnertrain.com

NEVADA

Nevada Northern (Ely), nnry.comVirginia & Truckee (Virginia City), virginiatruckee.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Conway Scenic Railway (North Conway), journeytothenorthpole.orgHobo Railroad (Lincoln), santatrains.comMount Washington Cog Railway (Bretton Woods), thecog.com

NEW JERSEY

Black River & Western (Flemington), newjerseytrain.orgMorristown & Erie (Whippany), whippanyrailwaymuseum.net

NEW YORK

Adirondack Railroad (Utica), adirondackrr.comArcade & Attica (Arcade), aarailroad.comCooperstown & Charlotte Valley (Milford), lrhs.comMedina Railroad Museum (Medina), medinarailroadmuseum.org (Polar Express)

NORTH CAROLINA

Great Smoky Mountains (Bryson City), gsmr.com (Polar Express)New Hope Valley Railway (New Hill), triangletrain.comNorth Carolina Transportation Museum (Spencer), nctrans.org

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic (Akron), cvsr.comDennison Railroad Depot Museum (Dennison), dennisondepot.org (Polar Express)Hocking Valley Scenic (Nelsonville), hvsry.orgLebanon Mason Monroe (Lebanon), lebanonrr.comOrrville Railroad (Orrville), orrvillerailroad.com

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Railway Museum (Oklahoma City), oklahomarailwaymuseum.org (Polar Express)

OREGON

Mount Hood (Hood River), www.mthoodrr.comOregon Coast Scenic (Garibaldi), oregoncoastscenic.orgSumpter Valley (Sumpter), sumptervalleyrailroad.org

PENNSYLVANIA

Colebrookdale Railroad (Boyertown), colebrookdalerailroad.comEast Broad Top (Rockhill Furnace), eastbroadtop.comEverett Railroad (Hollidaysburg), everettrailroad.comHew Hope & Ivyland (New Hope), newhoperailroad.comLehigh Gorge Scenic (Jim Thorpe), lgsry.comMiddletown & Hummelstown (Middletown), mhrailroad.comNorth Central Railway of York (New Freedom), northerncentralrailway.comOil Creek & Titusville (Titusville), octrr.orgPennsylvania Trolley Museum (Washington), pa-trolley.orgRockhill Trolley Museum (Rockhill Furnace), rockhilltrolley.orgStourbridge Line (Honesdale), www.thestourbridgeline.netStrasburg Rail Road (Strasburg), strasburgrailroad.comWanamaker, Kempton & Southern (Kempton), kemptontrain.comWest Chester Railroad (West Chester), westchesterrr.net

RHODE ISLAND

Providence & Worcester (Woonsocket), tourblackstone.com

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina Railroad Museum (Winnsboro), scrm.org

SOUTH DAKOTA

Black Hills Central (Hill City), www.1880train.com

TENNESSEE

Tennessee Central Railway Museum (Nashville), tcry.orgTennessee Valley (Chattanooga), tvrail.comThree Rivers Rambler (Knoxville), threeriversrambler.com

TEXAS

Austin Steam Train (Cedar Park), austinsteamtrain.orgGrapevine Vintage Railroad (Grapevine), grapevinetexasusa.comHistoric Jefferson Railway (Jefferson), jeffersonrailway.comTexas State Railroad (Palestine), texasstaterailroad.netTexas Transportation Museum (San Antonio), txtransportationmuseum.org

UTAH

Heber Valley Railroad (Heber Valley), hebervalleyrr.org

VERMONT

Freight House (Lyndonville), thelyndonfreighthouse.comHartford (White River Junction), hartfordvtpolarexpress.com (Polar Express)Manchester Vermont Lions Club (Manchester), manchesterlionselftrain.comVermont Children’s Trust Foundation (Burlington), vtchildrenstrust.org

VIRGINIA

Old Dominion Chapter NRHS (Dillwyn), odcnrhs.orgVirginia Railway Express, vre.org

WASHINGTON

Chehalis-Centralia Railroad (Chehalis), steamtrainride.comChelatchie Prairie Railroad (Yacolt), bycx.comNorthern Pacific Railway Museum (Toppenish), www.nprymuseum.orgNorthwest Railroad Museum (Snoqualmie), trainmuseum.orgYakima Valley Trolleys (Yakima), yakimavalleytrolleys.org

WEST VIRGINIA

Durbin & Greenbrier (Elkins), mtn-rail.com

WISCONSIN

East Troy Electric (East Troy), easttroyrr.orgMid-Continent Railway Museum (North Freedom), midcontinent.orgNational Railroad Museum (Green Bay), nationalrrmuseum.org (Polar Express)Wisconsin Great Northern (Spooner), spoonertrainride.com

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, www.cpr.ca/en/community/holiday-train(CP Holiday Train Tracker)

Kansas City Southern, kcsouthern.com

CSX Transportation Santa Train, www.csx.com