The Christmas Caboose, the Fort Wayne Railroad’s 20-minute, $10 Santa ride out of New Haven, is not on the railroad’s holiday schedule. In its place is the Reindeer Run: one-hour Santa train rides over Thanksgiving weekend, one day each in Edon, Ohio, and in Hudson and South Milford in northeast Indiana. Deluxe Coach is $30 for adults and $17 for kids, and children 3 and under ride free on a lap. It is the short, little-kid version of the railroad’s Indiana Christmas Train in December and one of the rides on our list of holiday train rides in Indiana.
Reindeer Run 2026: Dates, Times and Tickets
- Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, Edon, Ohio: Departures at 4:15, 6 and 7:45 p.m. from 206 S. Michigan St., Edon.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026, Hudson: Departures at 11:45 a.m. and 1:30, 3:15 and 5 p.m. from 5530 W. State Road 4, Hudson, near Ashley.
- Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, South Milford: Departures at 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 and 3:15 p.m. from 7570 790 E., South Milford.
- Deluxe Coach: $30 for adults and $17 for ages 4 to 17, or $85 for a family package of four. Kids 3 and under ride free if they sit on a lap.
- First Class: A private table for four in the Silver Diner car is $225 and comes with light refreshments and holiday treats.
- Buying: Prices do not include processing fees. Tickets are sold through the Reindeer Run ticket office; pick a date and the town comes with it.
The Ride
Each trip lasts about an hour behind one of the railroad’s historic diesel locomotives. The Deluxe Coach cars are climate controlled and have restrooms, and the ride comes with Christmas music, holiday decorations and a visit from Santa at your seats, which makes it a good first train ride for kids who would not sit through the 90-minute Indiana Christmas Train. The railroad bills each stop as a one-day community celebration, with local holiday activities in town alongside the train. You can bring your own snacks and nonalcoholic drinks.
What Happened to the Christmas Caboose
For more than 20 years, the Fort Wayne Santa train meant Santa’s caboose rides from Santa’s Workshop on Edgerton Road in New Haven: 20 minutes in a heated red caboose for $10 a person, plus $500 evening charters warmed by a coal stove.
The railroad’s current calendar does not list them. It describes the Reindeer Run instead as a reimagining of its 25-year tradition of short Christmas rides for younger children, taken on the road to the small towns along its line. If the caboose rides come back, we will add them here.
Tips for the Trip
- Plan the drive. All three stops are in the far northeast corner of Indiana or just over the Ohio line, roughly two and a half to three hours from Indianapolis, so the Reindeer Run works best as part of a Thanksgiving weekend trip. If you are making a weekend of it, our list of day trips in Indiana has ideas for the way up.
- Book early and together. Buy your whole group on one reservation if you want to sit together. Saturday’s Hudson departures are filling first. Tickets arrive by email right away; check your spam folder if they don’t.
- Get there 30 minutes early. The railroad asks riders to be at the boarding site 30 minutes before departure, and there is no refund for a missed train. Parking and boarding details are in your confirmation email.
- Know the refund rule. Refunds are available 30 or more days before your trip, minus a 25% service charge. Closer than that, the railroad offers a rebooking or a credit instead.
- Check accessibility. Only some of the historic cars are ADA accessible, and those seats are marked when you pick your tickets. Boarding sites can have gravel footing and high steps.
- Leave pets at home. Service animals are welcome.
The Longer Ride: Indiana Christmas Train
The same railroad’s Indiana Christmas Train guide covers its 90-minute trips out of Pleasant Lake, which run eight days between Dec. 5 and 22, 2026, with Santa on every train, live music and First Class cars. For something closer to home, see our guide to holiday fun in Indianapolis.
