We’ve put together a list of Christmas trains throughout North Carolina.
For attractions outside of the Triangle, we’ve indicated the number of miles it is from Raleigh. Please adjust the distance from your own starting point.
We’ve put together a huge list of holiday events in the Triangle, including parades, festivals, markets, Santa visits, and more. Check out our growing day by day list of holiday events in the Triangle!
Caveat: Not all of these train rides are cheap. Some of these are pretty pricey. But we’re including them anyway, because they are so popular.
Also, please note that some of these rides are on actual, full-size trains, and some are on smaller models.
Please make sure to follow the links below for the official information and to buy tickets.
And at the end of this post, there’s be a day-by-day list of holiday events in the Triangle
Santa’s Reindeer Roundup Express at New Hope Valley Railway
Santa’s Reindeer Roundup Express
New Hope Valley Railway
3900 Bonsal Road
New Hill, North Carolina 27562
24 miles from Raleigh
919-396-5833
2023 dates: December 2, 3, 9, 10, and 16, 2023.
Cost: All ages: $16
Take pictures with Santa in the rail yard, using your own camera. Then go on a 50-minute train ride and search for Santa’s missing reindeer. Tickets will go on sale July 22.
Goldsboro’s Polar Express
Goldsboro’s Polar Express
Herman Park
900 Park Avenue, Goldsboro
53 miles from Raleigh
2023 dates: Check back soon.
Cost: $1 (2022 price)
Take a train ride with Santa on a 1953 miniature train. The train ride goes 2 to 3 times around the track.
Pullen Park’s Holiday Express
Holiday Express
Pullen Park
520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh
2023: check back soon.
Pullen Park’s immensely popular Holiday Express sells out almost immediately.
Holiday in the Park at Museum of Life + Science
Museum of Life + Science
433 W. Murray Avenue
Durham, NC 27704
919-220-5429
2023 dates: Check back soon.
Ticket price: Check back soon. These were the 2022 prices: $16 for admission only to walk around, and $19 for admission plus a train ride.
Check back soon for 2023 info. In 2022, the event wasn’t a Santa Train, the Museum hosted Holidays in the Park, which includes the option of including a train ride. Museum of Life + Science’s Holidays in the Park includes holiday music and light displays, family photo ops, sock-skating, complimentary candy canes, Magic Wings Butterfly House, and an optional ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway past colorful lights.
Carolina Christmas Train
Carolina Christmas Train with Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway
Star, NC
85 miles from Raleigh
2023 dates: The train will be running Fridays and Saturdays from November 24 to December 16, 2023, and then Tuesday, December 19, to Saturday, December 23, 2023.
Cost: $45-$60
This is a brand new Christmas train for 2023!
Country Christmas Train at Denton Farmpark
Denton Farmpark
4259 Handy Road
Denton, NC 27239
93 miles from Raleigh
336-859-2755
2023 dates: Nov. 24-26; Dec. 1-3; 7-10; Dec. 15 – 23, 26 – 27, 2023
Ticket prices: $20 for adults; $6 for children 5-11, free for children 4 and under. Santa pictures: 2 for $15, cash only.
Enjoy a train ride, and explore the grist mill, a petting zoo, doll museum, kids’ rides, and much more. Santa pictures are available.
The Polar Express Train Ride at North Carolina Transportation Museum
The Polar Express Train Ride
North Carolina Transportation Museum
1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer
123 miles from Raleigh
2023 dates: November 10-11, 17-19, 24-26. December 1-3, 7-10, 12-23
Tickets start at $34 for kids and $40 for adults.
The train ride is set to the sounds of the movie soundtrack as you travel to the “North Pole.” Along the way, listen to a reading of Chris Van Allsburg’s classic, The Polar Express, and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. At the North Pole, families will leave the train and watch Santa present the first gift of Christmas. Back at Candy Cane Lane, all passengers who “believe” will receive their own sleigh bell.
Kannapolis Christmas–Winterland Express
Kannapolis Christmas
Village Park
700 W. C Street
Kannapolis, NC 28081
141 miles from Raleigh
2023 dates: Check back soon.
Cost: Free to enter and walk through the light display. $2 to ride the train, but you need to reserve your spot in advance.
It’s free to enter the park, where you can see more than 250,000 Christmas lights. A group of animatronic bears will sing Christmas carols, Santa will be available for visits, and families can ride the carousel.
Tweetsie Christmas
Tweetsie Railroad
300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
192 miles from Raleigh
800-526-5740
2023 Dates: November 24-26, December 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 20-23, 27-30
Cost: $40 for kids and $60 for adults
- Meet Santa in his own home — made of gingerbread, and filled with candied furnishings.
- Take a night-time train ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains. See thousands of Christmas lights along the three-mile track and the open areas of the park.
- Enjoy the sounds of Christmas during a 15-minute variety show in the Tweetsie Palace.
- Step into a snow globe filled with swirling (synthetic) snow, peek through a Christmas present, see giant nut crackers, toy soldiers, candy canes, toy drums, and more.
- Snacks for sale: Roast s’mores over an outdoor fire pit and enjoy freshly baked cookies, warm funnel cakes, and other handmade items from Tweetsie Railroad’s famous Fudge Shop.
The Polar Express with Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Polar Express Train Ride
Bryson City Depot
45 Mitchell Street
Bryson City, NC 28713
309 miles from Raleigh
800-872-4681
2023 dates: Dates from November 9 to December 31, 2023.
Cost: Ticket prices start at $47 for children and $68 for adults.
Tickets: For sale now
Set to the soundtrack of The Polar Express movie, the 1 1/4 hour round trip excursion takes passengers from the Bryson City depot to a visit to the North Pole. Guests will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening to and reading along with the story.At the North Pole, Santa will board the train and greet each child. Santa will give each child a silver sleigh bell.
Selma Santa Train
Selma Santa Train
Selma Train Depot
500 E. Railroad Street
Selma, NC
32 miles from Raleigh
2023 date: Check back soon. This event hasn’t been occurring the last couple years.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
You might also be interested in:
- Signing up for Triangle on the Cheap's daily email
- Free events this week
- Day by Day list of holiday events
- What Christmas food can dogs eat?
- Best Christmas Lights in the Triangle
- Christmas tree farms and lots near the Triangle
- Free pictures with Santa in the Triangle
- Holiday Markets in the Triangle
- Christmas Trains in North Carolina
More Holiday Events in the Triangle
Check out our big list of holiday events in the Triangle, or look at a few of them here:
