2026 Christmas & holiday train guide
Compare 3 reviewed holiday programs in Wisconsin, including their boarding towns, departure announcements and ticket status.
2026 dates published
Plan this holiday ride →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.
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 ride | Where to board | Schedule & tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Santa ExpressMid-Continent Railway Museum | Mid-Continent Railway Museum, E8948 Museum Road, North Freedom, WI 53951 | November 28–29 and December 5–6, 20262026 dates published |
| Holiday FlyerMid-Continent Railway Museum | Mid-Continent Railway Museum, E8948 Museum Road, North Freedom, WI 53951 | December 5, 2026; departures at 4 and 5:30 p.m.2026 dates published |
| THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train RideNational Railroad Museum | 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay, WI 54304 | Fridays–Sundays November 20–December 13, 2026Sold out when checked 2026-10-26 |
Your holiday departure
3 rides match your filters
All 3 selected rides at 2 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.
North Freedom, WI · Museum train
Mid-Continent Railway Museum
2026 dates published
November 28–29 and December 5–6, 2026
Mid-Continent’s Santa Express is an approximately 55-minute museum train ride with Old Saint Nick.
The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.
Source reviewed 2026-10-26
North Freedom, WI · Museum train
Mid-Continent Railway Museum
2026 dates published
December 5, 2026; departures at 4 and 5:30 p.m.
The Holiday Flyer is a separate evening train with festive music, decorations, cocoa and treats. It does not include the Santa Express visit.
The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.
Source reviewed 2026-10-26
Green Bay, WI · Museum train
National Railroad Museum
Sold out when checked 2026-10-26
Fridays–Sundays November 20–December 13, 2026
Green Bay’s museum hosts its Polar Express program on Friday, Saturday and Sunday dates. The operator reported in our October 12 review the 2026 tickets sold out.
Sold out when checked. The official museum page reports 2026 tickets sold out as checked October 26, 2026. No available seats or live monitoring is claimed.
Source reviewed 2026-10-26
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.
