Nothing beats the childhood joy of seeing a choo-choo train display during the holiday season.
Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.
Here's a roundup of some of the best holiday train rides and model train displays in the U.S. for this season of celebration.
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Set your sights on your favorites — and add them to your wish list for a holiday memory for the books.
Here are eight to catch while you can (some run well into January). It's always best to check dates and ticket prices on each location's website ahead of time.
Have a very Tweetsie Christmas in Western North Carolina at Tweetsie, a Wild West-inspired holiday railroad experience.
Up in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll ride a train behind a real-deal 1866 steam locomotive decorated with twinkling lights.
Round that out with Christmas carolers, live holiday performances and the chance to meet Santa in the Gingerbread House back at the home base, and you’ve got the makings of a great holiday memory.
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The Tweetsie Railroad grounds also boast four classic amusement rides, including the holiday-themed Little Drummer Boy Tea Cup, and there’s a fire pit where you can enjoy s’mores and hot cocoa and restaurants if you need to sit on solid ground for a while. Learn more at tweetsie.com.
For an unforgettable toy train show, head to Indy, where you can scope out The Eiteljorg Museum's Jingle Rails. The model train display sprawls across some 1,200 square feet with 25 model trains wending their way through landscapes as diverse as the White House, the Indianapolis skyline and the Grand Canyon.
Fun fact: All the 30-plus locations featured in the display are handcrafted from natural materials and adorned with holiday lights to up the yuletide quotient.
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While here, guests can also enjoy the new winter market where local artists peddle everything from artwork to candles. Learn more at eiteljorg.org/exhibitions.
All aboard to climb up Mount Washington on the Cog Railway for a cuppa hot cocoa with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
This winter, Cog Railway trains terminate at the alpine meadow marvel that is Waumbek Station. With an elevation of some 4,000 feet, the venue boasts panoramas of the southern Presidential mountain range to the Canadian border.
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Travelers can enjoy a 25-minute pit stop to savor that aforementioned hot chocolate, get cozy in warming huts or stand beside a crackling fire pit. Learn more at brettonwoodsvacations.com.
Throw yourself into a Hallmark movie scene on a vintage train ride that traverses West Virginia’s rolling hills while channeling some North Pole merriment.
Voyagers will be treated to a 75-minute ride complete with caroling, "The Nutcracker" character dance performances, and "Yes, West Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" story time.
All of this and more can be washed down with Mrs. Claus’s milk and cookies. A scenic caboose final approach showcases glowing Christmas lights, dancing elves and a Santa cameo.
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Back at the Christmas Event Barn after the trip, kids can enjoy a petting farm, crafts, photo opps, s’mores roasting and more.
P.S. A first class ticket will have you hopping aboard a handsomely restored vintage 1940s-1950s dining car with lounge-style seating. Learn more at potomaceagle.com.
In the otherworldly vistas of the American Southwest, holiday splendor is chugging along on the Grand Canyon Railway, which morphs into the wintertime classic, The Polar Express.
For 90 minutes, you’ll zigzag through landscapes as Chris Van Allsburg’s eponymous children’s book is read.
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Music, Santa visits, hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies sweeten the deal on this excursion. Learn more at thetrain.com.
Known for its wine-tasting locomotive excursions in Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Wine Train during the holiday season hosts the Santa Train Jolly Journeys, much to the delight of kids — and kids at heart.
Once you’ve boarded, expert carolers, cookies and cocoa, and Santa visits — plus printed and digital photo opps at four spots along the way.
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Food-wise, choose desserts at Santa’s Cookie car or a full holiday dinner on an antique Pullman dining car dubbed the Gourmet Holiday Express.
Don’t forget to soak up the stunning views from the Very Merry Vista dome observation cart before your time on this special train ride concludes. Learn more at winetrain.com.
For another fabulous toy train show, check this out.
Now in its 37th year of operation, this highly detailed display has about 600 trains, a slew of famous landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Central Station and the Dallas Skyline — plus a new display made entirely from LEGO bricks, all across 1,600 feet of track.
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Bonus: Visitors can leave the exhibit knowing their admission fees benefit Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, which helps families with ill or injured children. Learn more at trainsatnorthpark.org.
A third holiday train show not to be missed is the impressive setup at the U.S. Botanic Garden in our nation’s capital city.
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Here, get excited about an outdoor model train extravaganza where the miniature cabooses circulate through — fittingly for the setting — pollinators and their plants.
Throughout the show, which is made from plant parts, you’ll see oversized models of our country’s native flowers like milkweed, an orchid bee pollinating a vanilla orchid flower, a chocolate midge pollinating a cacao flower and much more.
FYI: As with many museums in D.C., the U.S. Botanic Garden is free of charge. Learn more at usbg.gov/holiday.
