All aboard! Ride the Polar Express or take your family on a special Christmas Train ride this Holiday Season! Keep in mind that tickets for many of these events sell out early.
Keep updated on the latest Omaha fun and Sign up for our Free Email Newsletter!
As details may change, it is always a good idea to verify with the business before visiting.
PLEASE NOTE: Many events require pre-registration, have limited capacity, or offer timed slots. As things continue to change during this time, it is highly recommended to verify details, closures, cancelations, hours of operation, and any requirements or procedures for guests before visiting. Thank You!
Iowa
Santa Express at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad
225 10th St., Boone, IA (North of Des Moines)
Select Dates: Friday-Sunday, Nov. 26 – Dec. 19, 2021
Tickets: $20/each. Online or by phone, beginning November 1, 2021.
The North Pole Express
Midwest Central Railroad, Mount Pleasant, IA (4.5 hours East of Omaha)
Select Dates: Saturdays & Sundays, Dec. 4 – 19, 2021
Tickets: $25 per person over 18-months-old (plus a small service charge from the ticket service). All tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on September 2, 2021.
Watson Steam Train & Depot
800 W. Huron St., Missouri Valley, IA
Select Date: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Kansas
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Santa Train
Abilene, KS (3.5 hours Southwest of Omaha)
Select Date: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021
Tickets: Contact the Abilene Parks & Recreation Office for reservations and tickets, 785-263-7266.
The Polar Express Train Ride
Midland Railway, 1515 High St., Baldwin City, KS (West of Kansas City)
Select Dates: Cancelled for 2021. Hope to return in 2022.
Missouri
The Polar Express – Branson
Branson Scenic Railway, Branson, MO
Select Dates: Selected dates Nov. 4 – Dec. 18, 2021
Tickets: Starting at $36 per child age 2-12 and $46 per guest age 13+; $2 for toddler in lap. Book online or call the box office at (417) 334-6110.
The Polar Express Train Ride – St. Louis
St. Louis Union Station
Select Dates: Nov. 19 – Dec. 30, 2021
Tickets: Starting at $35 per guest + package options available
St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway The Santa Express – SOLD OUT FOR 2021
225 East Jackson Blvd., Intersection of Highway 61 & 25, Jackson, MO (Located 100 miles south of St. Louis, MO)
Select Dates Select dates, Nov. 27 – Dec. 22, 2021
Tickets: Tickets MUST be purchased in advance by calling the Ticket Office at (573) 243-1688 and usually sell out by August.
Filled with fun, enjoy the antics on the Iron Mountain as our Christmas special guests attempt to land Santa on this moving train. If successful, you will get to visit with him, too! Games, songs, fun and Christmas magic fill this train to the brim.
South Dakota
Holiday Express
1880 Train, Black Hills Central Railroad, 222 Railroad Ave., Hill City, SD (located in Black Hills National Forest, 8 hours from Omaha)
Select Dates Select dates, Nov. 26 – Dec. 24, 2021
Tickets: $18 per child age 3-12, $39 per guest age 13+, free for lap-sitting children ages 2 and younger
Santa will board the train and ride back to Hill City, taking time to visit with each child on the way. Passengers enjoy hot cocoa, a sugar cookie, and a special story on the way to the North Pole. Santa will hand out a small sleigh bell to each child on the trip.
