Travel & Outdoors
Where to Hop Aboard a Holiday Express Train Ride This Season
Ten terrific Mid-Atlantic rail rambles serving up steam engines, sessions with Santa, winter scenery, and more of the season's best.
Joshua Meise adores Christmas. Ask him about his favorite holiday and his steel-blue eyes actually twinkle. He’ll reminisce about the model-train village that graced a radiator cover in his family’s Catonsville home when he was little. And childhood visits to Baltimore to enjoy the city’s consummate Christmas adventures: 34th Street’s light displays and the B&O Railroad Museum’s holiday trains.
This time of year, Meise, a 35-year-old, bushy-bearded, Kris Kringle-bellied son of a railroad conductor, revels in playing a role he was born to: Santa Claus for Frederick County’s Walkersville Southern Railroad and Museum.
Weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Meise dons his Santa suit, whitens his Santa-length whiskers, and roams vintage train cars, intent on making children’s holiday memories as warm as his were.
“There’s no experience like opening that coach door, saying, ‘Ho, ho, ho!’ and seeing the reaction,” he says. “It’s just…pure joy. It could melt the polar ice caps. I’d do it year-round if I could.”
Alas, Christmas comes but once a year, and so, too, do heritage railroads’ holiday trains. This beloved “track-dition” took root in the eastern United States in the early 1940s, when the regional CSX “Santa Trains” began catering to needy Appalachian communities.
It accelerated following the release of The Polar Express, the beloved 2004 animated film starring Tom Hanks, based on the classic children’s book about a Christmas-skeptical boy’s magical train ride to the North Pole. Licensed Polar Express trains now replicate the movie experience with costumed performers, festive story times, hot cocoa and cookies, and even souvenir sleigh bells like the tale’s hero received.
Clearly, they were onto something—that same magic Meise references—and these days, all sorts of yuletide train rides abound. This holiday season, make your way to one of these 10 Mid-Atlantic rail rambles serving up the season’s best: sessions with Santa, steam engines, winter scenery—even ugly sweater contests. Reservations a must. Pajamas optional, but encouraged.
B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM
Baltimore
What the B&O route lacks in distance, it makes up for in immersive festivity. Each year, the museum rolls out the trademarked Polar Express experience, featuring the conductor (aka the puncher of passengers’ golden tickets), dancing chefs, and Santa, who dispenses those cherished silver sleigh bells. This short ride on the nation’s first mile of passenger track ends at the “North Pole” (the restored B&O roundhouse), where Santa poses for photos and accepts holiday wish lists. A Charm City tradition, this two-hour deep dive into the holidays attracts about 20,000 passengers annually.
Dates: Nov. 28-29, Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 19-23.
Tickets: $45-120.
Don’t Miss: Model train layouts and s’mores at the roundhouse.
WALKERSVILLE SOUTHERN RAILROAD
Walkersville, MD
The Walkersville Southern’s popular Santa Trains are a 30-year tradition for this heritage railroad, which clatters along a four-mile former Pennsylvania Railroad line through the scenic Monocacy Valley outside of Frederick. Passengers board eight-car diesel trains for a 70-minute trip during which Santa—Joshua Meise or a backu —spends time with children and adults. (To that end, Meise has been asked for everything from teddy bears to Teslas.) Kids get a toy and the thrill of meeting Santa’s helpers, including Meise’s wife as Mrs. Claus. Beware: Wild West “bandits” sometimes board to target Santa’s toy sack.
Dates: Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21.
Tickets: $20-850 (with the latter including private lounge, parlor, and caboose car rentals, to name a few amenities).
Don’t Miss: A museum detailing the railroad’s history.
WESTERN MARYLAND SCENIC RAILROAD
Cumberland, MD
You won’t see reindeer herds on the tracks, but Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s Polar Express trains follow a movie-worthy route from Cumberland’s historic rail station through the craggy Cumberland Narrows to the famous Helmstetter’s Curve. Snow often coats the Allegheny Mountains as the trains navigate a wilderness route to the “North Pole,” where Santa climbs aboard. From coach class to a domed observation car, passengers sing along to the film’s soundtrack, relive movie scenes, and sip hot cocoa during their one-hour trip. As a special treat, pre-Thanksgiving excursions are pulled by one of the East’s largest
steam engines.
Dates: Nov. 21-23, 28-30, Dec. 5-7, 12-14, 19-23.
Tickets: $40-1,075 (with the latter including a lounge-class table seating eight).
Don’t Miss: Santa’s trackside workshop.
EAST BROAD TOP RAILROAD
Rockhill Furnace, PA
In a state rich with railroad history, East Broad Top has achieved National Historic Landmark status as one of the nation’s oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads. From the 1870s to the 1950s, the line hauled coal and iron, a legacy reflected today in its Christmas in Coal Country excursions. In decorated cars—warmed by coal stoves—passengers enjoy a one-hour ride and the chance to mingle with Santa, who gives children a coal-themed ornament. This central Pennsylvania railroad and working museum also offers holiday rides on vintage electric trolleys.
Dates: Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 (with trolleys running only Fridays and Saturdays those weekends).
Tickets: $22-32 (train); $10-12 (trolley).
Don’t Miss: The railroad’s frozen-in-time Industrial Age workshop.
LEHIGH GORGE SCENIC RAILWAY
Jim Thorpe, PA
The Pocono Mountains’ Lehigh River Gorge boasts truly striking scenery, making this iconic railway one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most popular excursions. Beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving and continuing through December, the line offers 70-minute holiday trains every day. Santa Claus greets passengers Thursdays through Sundays while a cast of costumed characters—snowmen, reindeer, penguins—host remaining weekday trips. Kids get cookies and photos with Santa; adults enjoy riding the cushy coaches and domed observation cars. Lehigh Gorge Railway is operated by the Port Clinton-based Reading & Northern Railroad, which offers similar Santa trains from its Reading station and five others in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Dates: Nov. 28-30, Dec. 4-7, 11-14, 18-24 (Santa Claus specials); Dec. 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 26-29 (winter character rides).
Tickets: $9-54.
Don’t Miss: The station’s King Coal Café housed in a converted rail car.
NEW HOPE RAILROAD
New Hope, PA
In picturesque Bucks County, this historic line offers a pair of one hour excursions with Santa and the missus, one pulled by a vintage steam locomotive, the other by a heritage diesel. Each round-trip departs from New Hope’s restored, late 19th-century passenger depot bound for Lahaska (aka the “North Pole”). En route, the Clauses offer meet-and-greets, hot cocoa, cookies, and gifts while wandering musicians strum carols. Coach, table-class, and private cars—including a caboose—provide a range of seating options, as do four fare levels: value, off-peak, and peak days, plus coveted Christmas Eve trains.
Dates: Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7, 13-24, 26-28 (Santa’s Steam Train); Nov. 28-30, Dec. 1-24, 26-30 (Santa’s North Pole Express).
Tickets: $18-169 (with private charters running up to $1,299).
Don’t Miss: The festive Freight House and Christmas gift shop.
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY OF YORK
New Freedom, PA
This railroad with a presidential pedigree once connected Baltimore and York, carrying Abraham Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address. Today’s passengers can ride a replica 1800s car bearing Lincoln’s name when booking one of Northern Central’s holiday trains. The one-hour Santa Express features personal visits with Father Christmas, who hands out gifts to children on his “nice” list. The Elves Express is a zany 75-minute trip with Santa’s addled helpers who’ve temporarily lost their Christmas spirit. Adults get in on the fun with two Ugly Sweater rides aboard plush Pullman cars: a complimentary craft beer trip and a cash-bar happy-hour ride.
Dates: Dec. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 (Santa Express); Nov. 28-30 (Elves Express); Dec. 5 (Ugly Sweater Ales on the Rails); Dec. 6-7, 12-14, 19-21 (Ugly Sweater Happy Hour).
Tickets: $30-100 (brilliantly with discounts for designated drivers).
Don’t Miss: Hot cocoa, model trains, and a strolling fiddler at the Engine House.
STEAMTOWN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Scranton, PA
Visiting this National Park Service-run attraction is a holiday wish come true for train buffs. Its 62-acre campus in Scranton includes two museums, a working railyard, and a collection of steam locomotives—all dedicated to honoring the legacy of steamrail transportation. In December, the nonprofit Iron Horse Society runs North Pole Limited trains from Steamtown. Pulled by a century-old, steam-belching locomotive, the train carries Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a group of roaming musicians on a one-hour trip that’s been enjoyed by families for generations. All proceeds benefit Steamtown’s programs and offerings.
Dates: Dec. 7, 13-14, 19-21.
Tickets: $5-25.
Don’t Miss: Model train layouts and holiday sweets at Steamtown.
STRASBURG RAIL ROAD
Ronks, PA
Another aficionados’ favorite, the Strasburg Rail Road is said to be the nation’s oldest continuously operating railroad (chartered in 1832, five years after the B&O) and famous among U.S. heritage rail lines for its meticulously restored, all-steam-driven equipment that still gives regular tourist rides to this day. Strasburg’s 66-year-holiday rail tradition rolls on this winter with three excursions. The popular Santa Claus Limited is a coach-class, 45-minute ride through the Lancaster County countryside highlighted by onboard visits from Kris Kringle himself. Santa’s Paradise Express elevates the journey by adding parlor, lounge, and dining cars fit for the Gilded Age. Aboard the evening Night Before Christmas Train, passengers listen to the Clement Clarke Moore classic read by Victorian-costumed performers.
Dates: Dec. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 (Santa Claus Limited); Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20- 24 (Santa’s Paradise Express); Nov. 28- 29, Dec. 5-7, 11-14, 18-23 (Night Before Christmas Train).
Tickets: $25-2,400 (with the latter including private charter rides).
Don’t Miss: Carolers, a theatrical revue, and Santa’s mailbox at the station.
POTOMAC EAGLE SCENIC RAILROAD
Romney, WV
Craving a winter wonderland? The Potomac Eagle’s three-hour Holiday Trough train is just the ticket. For more than 15 miles, it follows the South Branch of the Potomac River, hugging a scenic canyon called The Trough. Here, atop sheer, forested walls, majestic bald eagles make their nests and foster the railway’s reputation. The holiday version of this regular excursion features multi-course dining on seasonal favorites like beef Wellington, glazed ham, and pumpkin pie. Families especially enjoy the railway’s 75-minute North Pole Express trains featuring Santa, Mrs. Claus’s favorite cookies, caroling, and gifts for the kids.
Dates: Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12, 19 (Holiday Trough); Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5-7, 12-14, 17-23 (North Pole Express).
Tickets: $62-144.
Don’t Miss: Scenic views from the open-air observatory car.