What to expect when you go on the Sacramento Polar Express Train Ride

Get ready to take a magical ride to the North Pole (without leaving Sacramento)! We just went on the Polar Express Train Ride in Sacramento and it was whimsical! Here is what to expect when you go on the Sacramento Polar Express Train Ride with the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM)!

* Spoiler Alert * This is a review for those who like to know what to expect and prepare accordingly. This article is totally not for those who like the element of surprise. So read on, only if you want to know what to expect when going on this train ride!

Are you interested in more activities around Sacramento/San Francisco? Read more here:

• GUIDE TO THE NAPA VALLEY SANTA WINE TRAIN – WHAT TO EXPECT
• GUIDE TO THE EFFIE YEAW NATURE CENTER AND PRESERVE IN SACRAMENTO WITH KIDS
• 30+ WEEKEND GETAWAYS AND DAY TRIPS FROM SAN FRANCISCO WITH KIDS

Getting the Tickets

Getting tickets to this holiday train ride is like winning the lottery. We became members of the California Railroad Museum (which is awesome, btw) just so we can take advantage of the member-only presale tickets. There are Open-Air, Coach, and First-Class Car options. Unfortunately, I didn’t book right when it opened, so we couldn’t get enough tickets (6 adults, 2 kids) in any category (even the fancy ones!) for the weekend. So, we went on a Thursday. You definitely need to plan ahead if you want to go!

Polar Express Train Ride Schedule:

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: November 29 – December 1

Wednesdays through Sundays: December 4 – December 22

Times: 

Matinee- 3:30 pm (slightly cheaper)

Evening- 5:00 pm, 6:30 pm, & 8:00 pm

The tickets go on sale for members in late September/early October (depending on the level of membership). Once you become a member, make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you will know when they go on sale! When you know the date, mark it in your calendar, and go get your tickets at the exact time it opens. Have them on the phone too, just in case things don’t go your way. They are super helpful.

Not a member? We were still able to get the Thursday evening tickets pretty easily once it went on sale to the public. Just sign up for the CSRM newsletter to mark your calendar!

*Side note- The California State Railroad Museum is a cool place to be a member! It is a nice indoor activity for those hot summer days, rainy winter days, or just whenever you feel like it! There are so many trains for kids to look at, climb on, and learn about in one place. It’s a family-friendly museum. There is a Thomas the Tank Engine play area for little kids and a STEM learning center for the older kids. Also, they hold storytime on Mondays at 11:00 am in the East Theater. Plus, during the summer, excursion train rides are free for members!

Things to do before your visit

• To help get into the holiday spirit, we decided to wear fun Christmas jammies on our trip to the North Pole. Here are some cute options to wear on your Polar Express Train Ride! 
• Make reservations at a restaurant around Old Town for before/after your ride! There are so many delicious options in the area! Check out their website for ideas.
• On the day of your Polar Express Train Ride, all tickets can be picked up at the Central Pacific Passenger Station at the corner of Front St. and J St. in Old Town Sacramento. Make sure to arrive with plenty of time to park and check out the festive decorations all around town! 
• Use the restroom before boarding! There are no bathrooms on the train!

The Waiting Area

The train ride is at the historic Old Town in Sacramento, so it’s in a perfect setting for the Polar Express train ride. The waiting area is a semi-indoor/outdoor area with gorgeous trains, lighted holiday displays, and a gift shop. There is even an area to write letters to Santa and a mailbox to send them to the North Pole! There isn’t food to purchase, so plan accordingly (there are a ton of cafes and small shops around the Old Town area though). The gift shop was good to get Polar Express merchandise. Bring (or buy) a copy of the Polar Express book because the conductor on board will sign it for you! In our case, we got the wooden box puzzle (because Henry is obsessed with puzzles) and we got the conductor to sign that! It was super cute. The waiting area is pretty spacious, but I wouldn’t say you need more than 15 – 20 min to look around this place.

Pre-Boarding, Boarding, and Seating

There was a conductor standing at a podium in front of where everyone was in line to board the train. He gets people excited by cheering on the crowd (“Are you ready?!”). The kids loved it! We also took advantage of this time to snap plenty of festive pictures while waiting. Those cute holiday pajamas made for adorable pictures and memories. Side Note: If you would like to take holiday pictures in the bay area, then you should check out Emily Jenks Photography! 

Seating is first-come, first-served, by the car you reserved. So, plan ahead of time to get a good spot! Maybe designate a person to stand in line while the kids enjoy the pre-boarding fun area. Which side of the train you sit on also makes a difference for you to enjoy the North Pole, so it’s kind of important to get good seats. (Try to snag the left side seats for the best North Pole experience.) We didn’t know this, and we were the last ones to get in our car! We got lucky that we were even all able to sit next to each other (4 adults, 2 kids).

On-Board Food and Drinks

Hot cocoa and cookies were included with your ticket, and they were delicious! (Snooker doodle when we went.) The actors singing and dancing to the ‘Hot Chocolate’ song made it feel like we were part of the movie! Be aware that there weren’t any other food or drinks available – and maybe it’s a good thing because there are no bathrooms on the train! 🙂 Plan accordingly.

The Entertainment during the Train Ride

During this 1-hour train ride, we had dancing from the chefs (so fun!), songs from the Polar Express movie, and storytime (which was the reading of the book via overhead speaker while the volunteer actors came around showing the pages of the book). There were also elves that juggled and mingled with us. The entertainment on the train ride was a dream for anyone who loves Polar Express (the story or the movie)!

The North Pole

The North Pole set up for this train ride is absolutely gorgeous! You stay on the train and see all the lighted displays from your seat. Santa was there (of course!), and elves were busy making toys. Henry absolutely loved it. *Reminder- Make sure to grab the left side seating (when facing the direction the train moves) to get the best view! This was the turning point. Finally, Santa got on board, and we headed back to the station. There was entertainment before and after the North Pole. We also received a silver bell (the first gift of Christmas from the Polar Express Story) from Santa! When you return from your train ride, you will be able to take commemorative photos with Santa (for an additional fee). If you want to feel the joy of the holiday season, then you will definitely adore this festive train ride!

The Takeaway

People who are fans of the Polar Express (book or movie) will love this train experience.  They recreated the story perfectly. Even if you haven’t read/seen the Polar Express, you can just enjoy the whimsical setting and magic of Christmastime. As for kids- Henry (3) and Andrew (almost 1) loved it. I think they will enjoy it that much more when they can appreciate the Polar Express story more… and are able to (relatively) sit still for the duration of the train ride. I think we will try to reserve the entire row of seats next time (8 seats), so we will have more room, and we will have someone get there early to get the left side seats.

The California State Train Museum said it best, “Relive the magical journey of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride on an hour-long trip to the North Pole.” What a fun family-friendly way to kick off the holiday season!

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Other Things to do in the Area

If you plan on staying in Sacramento for a bit, then there are plenty of fun, festive things to do in Old Town Sacramento. Here are just a few other things to do in Old Town Sacramento:

• Theater of Lights: After the tree-lighting in the middle of Old Town, there is a fun live-action retelling of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” that happens in the streets. It is an exciting rendition of the story with characters acting, singing, and dancing from the balconies of the local stores. The audience is captivated by the (approximately) 20-minute production that includes appearances from Jack Frost and Santa Clause! There are two shows a night from Thursday-Sunday at 6:00 pm & 7:30 pm! It is fun for all ages! 
• Carriage Rides: (Prices may change during the holiday season. Check their website for more details.)
• Take a river cruise! 

Check out additional fun options on Old Town Sacramento’s Website! 

Do you want to know what it’s like to go on the Napa Valley Santa Wine Train with kids? Here’s our Ultimate Review of the Napa Valley Santa Wine Train. Check out our Napa and Sacramento Santa Train Comparison, so you can decide which one is best for your family!

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