2026 Christmas & holiday train guide

Christmas & holiday trains in Illinois

Compare 4 reviewed holiday programs in Illinois, including their boarding towns, departure announcements and ticket status.

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Illustrative stock photo: Tweetsie Railroad locomotive No. 12 with Christmas lights and a wreath at the station — Illustrative stock photograph. Tweetsie’s Christmas train preparing for an evening departure on December 14, 2018. Historical holiday photograph; this season’s equipment and decorations can differ. Display crop. ET&WNC12 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
2026 dates published
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Start with the train tickets. Check the exact date and seating class before booking a hotel or planning a long drive. Reviewed schedules and sold-out notices help you compare; they do not promise remaining seats.

Choose a departure in Illinois

The boarding location matters: holiday services can use a different station from a railway’s regular trains. Compare the stops below before choosing a ride.

Holiday train programs, boarding locations and schedule status in Illinois
Holiday ride	Where to board	Schedule & tickets
Santa’s Trolley ExpressFox River Trolley Museum	365 S La Fox St, South Elgin, IL 60177	November 28, November 29, December 4, December 5, December 6, December 11, December 12, December 13, December 18, December 19, December 20, 20262026 dates published
Happy Holiday RailwayIllinois Railway Museum	East Union Depot at Illinois Railway Museum, 7000 Olson Road, Union, IL 60180	November 27–29; December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–21, 20262026 dates published
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train RideMonticello Railway Museum	Wabash Depot, 200 East Livingston Street, Monticello, IL 61856	November 13–15, 20–22, 27–29 and December 4–6, 2026Sold out when checked 2026-10-26
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train RideChicago Union Station	Chicago Union Station campus, 500 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60606; no 2026 event	Not operating in 2026Not operating in 2026

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Your holiday departure

Compare rides in this state

Search rides or townsHoliday experienceRailway typeBooking and schedule status

4 rides match your filters

See these rides on a map

All 4 selected rides at 4 mapped locations, including results on the other pages. Shared depots list every selected program. Pins mark stations or event campuses; route references and inactive events are labeled in the pin details.

South Elgin, IL · Rail trolley

Santa’s Trolley Express

Fox River Trolley Museum

2026 dates published

November 28, November 29, December 4, December 5, December 6, December 11, December 12, December 13, December 18, December 19, December 20, 2026

Santa’s Trolley Express boards in South Elgin on selected November and December dates. Every passenger needs a ticket, and departure times differ by date.

Ticket status and source check

The public page offers early purchase for the listed 2026 dates. Selected departure inventory was not checked.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath — Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Union, IL · Museum train

Happy Holiday Railway

Illinois Railway Museum

2026 dates published

November 27–29; December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–21, 2026

Illinois Railway Museum’s holiday admission includes a 40-minute Santa train and historic streetcar rides, alongside lights and museum displays.

Ticket status and source check

The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Monticello, IL · Museum train

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride

Monticello Railway Museum

Sold out when checked 2026-10-26

November 13–15, 20–22, 27–29 and December 4–6, 2026

Monticello’s museum publishes four November and December Polar Express weekend groups, with evening train choices. The current event page reports its 2026 tickets sold out.

Ticket status and source check

Sold out when checked. The official operator page reports 2026 tickets sold out as checked October 26, 2026. Follow official updates; no live seat monitoring is claimed.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Chicago, IL · Heritage railroad

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride

Chicago Union Station

Not operating in 2026

The official Chicago Union Station event page announces that the Polar Express will not operate in 2026.

Ticket status and source check

No operating departures are established for this season. Follow official updates. Availability has not been rechecked today.

Source reviewed 2026-10-12

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How we check the holiday guide

Official operator pages support each source review. Licensed Polar Express status and actual rail operation are checked separately. A season window is not a daily timetable, and older fares are not current prices.

We are an independent planning guide. Optional affiliate travel offers appear separately from official train tickets, with a commission disclosure. Historical photographs are captioned with their date; they do not guarantee this season’s train or decorations.