What to Expect
What to Expect
Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ for a magical one-hour trip to meet Santa. Once on board, your car hosts will work their way through the coach and punch your golden ticket before hot chocolate and delicious Walker’s Shortbread are served by dancing chefs. Passengers then read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.
Santa and his helpers board the train to greet passengers and each guest is given the first gift of Christmas – a silver sleigh bell. During the trip, characters on each car lead passengers in caroling and onboard entertainment just like in the film! Each guest will take home a keepsake sleigh bell in addition to the wonderful memories made on this magical trip.
We have consolidated our event to one location at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, CA. The Fillmore & Western Railway in Fillmore, CA is no longer operating excursions and will not host the event in 2023.
Please Note: Based on feedback from our guests and a continued emphasis on improving the show inside the train, this year’s event will not feature an outdoor North Pole set. Santa will still board the train to greet passengers and present The First Gift of Christmas at the appropriate time during the show as he does at our other major market locations.
Further event information is available in Frequently Asked Questions.
Classes of Service
Coach Class
There is one class of service available at the event in Perris, CA. Coach Class cars seat approximately 100 passengers inside of restored commuter coaches adorned in festive holiday decor. Seating is arranged in a 3-2 configuration with three seats on one side of the aisle and two on the other. Designated wheelchair spaces are located in select coaches and can be booked online by selecting the wheelchair space icon and adjacent companion seats as needed. Seating is oriented so all seats face the center of the car. This theatre-in-the-round style arrangement gives passengers the best possible view of our wonderful entertainers. Please review the Seating Chart carefully before booking. All seats on board the train are assigned and you will select your own seats during checkout.
2023 Ticket Pricing
Value Departures: $50 Adult, $43 Child (2-11) │ Standard Departures: $65 Adult, $58 Child (2-11) │ Premium Departures: $79 Adult, $72 Child (2-11)
Additional ticketing service fee will apply.
