Calling all train lovers. Christmas train rides are some of the first holiday tickets to sell out around Indianapolis, so book early. Here are the Santa trains, the Polar Express train ride in French Lick and a few light-show rides, from Noblesville to northern Indiana and just across the state line.
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Holiday Train Rides Near Indianapolis 2026
Reindeer Express
- Location: Nickel Plate Express, check in at Hobbs Station, 825 Forest Park Drive, Noblesville
- Dates: Select days Nov. 14 to Dec. 23, 2026
- Price: Standard seats for two are $95 in November and $115 in December; groups of four are $180 and $230. Private tables run $142 to $328, and a private caboose for up to 20 is $800 to $900. Reindeer Express tickets
The Reindeer Express, also known as the Reindeer Ride Express, is a 75-minute round trip from Noblesville that crosses Morse Reservoir on the way toward Arcadia, with a visit from Santa and a holiday cookie for everyone. Standard seats get chocolate milk; tables and the caboose get hot chocolate. Kids write a letter to Santa that goes to the North Pole post office. Children 2 and under ride free on a lap in Standard seating only. Seating is upstairs, and the cars are not accessible.
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Sullivan Express at Sullivan Hardware
- Location: Sullivan Hardware, 6955 N. Keystone Ave., Indianapolis
- Dates: Nov. 20-22, Nov. 25 and Nov. 27-Dec. 23, 2026
- Tickets on sale: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 4 p.m. Sullivan Express details
- Price: Sold by the train car, which fits about four adults and two small kids*
Sullivan Hardware’s Christmas train leaves from Central Station inside the Keystone store. The Traditional Sullivan Express takes about 30 minutes, including a 15-minute visit with Santa at a heated indoor North Pole. Santa’s Outpost is a 17-minute nonstop ride with a quick wave, a selfie with Santa and a cookie. The ride is open-air and runs rain or shine, so dress for the weather. Sullivan Hardware says tickets sell out fast and most days are full, so be ready at 4 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2026. Refunds and exchanges are available up to 24 hours before your ticket time.
*2026 dates and prices have not been released yet. We will update as soon as they are announced.
Snowfall Express at the Indiana State Museum
- Location: Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis
- Dates: Daily Nov. 27, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Dec. 25, 2026
- Price: Included with museum admission: $23 adults, $21 seniors, $17 ages 3-17, free for kids under 3 and members, $5 with an Access Pass. Indiana State Museum tickets
The Snowfall Express rolls through a snowy forest of scenes that move with music at Celebration Crossing, where you’ll also find Santa’s House, the Reindeer Barn and the original L.S. Ayres Santa Claus Express. On opening day, Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, Santa arrives by helicopter at 10:30 a.m. Admission includes a $4 parking validation, and buying online saves $1 per ticket.
Glimmer Lights: Piney Acres Express
- Location: Piney Acres Farm, 1115 E. 1000 N., Fortville
- Dates: Select nights Nov. 15 to Dec. 20, 2026, mostly Thursdays through Sundays; rides leave every 30 minutes from 6 to 8:30 p.m., plus 5:30 p.m. on December nights
- Price: Train ride $18, tractor-wagon ride $15, plus fees; $3 off the 8 and 8:30 p.m. rides. Every child old enough to walk needs a ticket. Glimmer Lights tickets
Climb aboard the Piney Acres Express for a 20-minute ride to the “North Pole” through Christmas light displays on the tree farm, with hot cocoa and a cookie for each rider. Piney Acres is also one of our Christmas tree farms near Indianapolis, so you can pick out a tree the same trip. Santa waits in his cabin. The train runs in rain or snow but is not wheelchair accessible.
Holiday Lights Railbike Adventure
- Location: Nickel Plate Express, check in at Santa’s House in Forest Park, 825 Forest Park Drive, Noblesville
- Dates: Select nights Nov. 19 to Dec. 31, 2026; rides at 5:15, 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m.
- Price: $24.95 per rider or $89.95 for a four-person bike. Railbike tickets
Not a train, but it rides the same rails. Families pedal open-air railbikes through holiday lights and a 60-foot light tunnel, stop for hot chocolate and a cookie, then pedal back, about an hour in all. Dress warmly and bring a small blanket. Kids under 3 ride free in an infant carrier you bring.
Christmas Train Rides Around Indiana
The Polar Express Train Ride in French Lick
- Location: French Lick Scenic Railway, 8594 W. State Road 56, French Lick
- Dates: Select days in November and December; most dates are sold out
- Price: $45 to $115 per person depending on the date and seat; kids under 2 ride free on a lap. First Class and Dome Class are sold out. The Polar Express tickets
The conductor punches golden tickets, dancing chefs serve hot chocolate and a cookie, and Santa boards to give every guest a silver sleigh bell on this roughly 75-minute ride. Pajamas are encouraged. Arrive an hour early because trains leave on time, and know that tickets are nonrefundable. French Lick is one of our best Christmas towns in Indiana, so the resort’s Season of Lights can fill the rest of the weekend.
Indiana Christmas Train
- Location: Indiana Rail Experience, 1469 W. Main St., Pleasant Lake
- Dates: Dec. 5 to 6, 12 to 13 and 19 to 22, 2026
- Price: Deluxe Coach is $35 for ages 4-17 and $45 for adults, or $135 for a family package of four. First Class and private options run $115 to $1,500. Kids 3 and under ride free without a seat in Deluxe Coach. Indiana Christmas Train tickets
Santa walks the train on this 90-minute diesel trip through the northeast Indiana countryside, with live music on board. The Christmas Kitchen car bakes treats on board for its private tables. Dec. 5 and Dec. 12, 2026, were nearly sold out as of Oct. 8, 2026. See our full guide to the Indiana Christmas Train for every ticket class and departure time.
Reindeer Run
- Location: Indiana Rail Experience; departs from Edon, Ohio (Nov. 27, 2026), Hudson, Ind. (Nov. 28, 2026) and South Milford, Ind. (Nov. 29, 2026)
- Dates: Nov. 27 to 29, 2026, with three or four departures a day
- Price: Deluxe Coach is $17 for ages 4-17 and $30 for adults, or $85 for a family package of four. Kids 3 and under ride free without a seat. Reindeer Run tickets
This one-hour diesel ride is built for younger kids, with Christmas music, seasonal decorations and a visit from Santa. Each town hosts the train for one day, so pick the one closest to you. Our Reindeer Run guide has every departure time.
Hoosier Valley Railroad Santa Train
- Location: Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, 507 Mulberry St., North Judson
- Dates: Saturdays, Nov. 21 and 28, Dec. 5, 12 and 19, 2026; trains at 10 a.m., noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Central
- Price: Coach is $30 for adults and $25 for ages 3-15; Economy Coach is $25 and $20. First Class is $35, and kids 2 and under ride free on a lap. Santa Train tickets
This one-hour ride from the North Judson depot rolls past quiet winter fields before a visit and photos with Santa, and every child gets a gift. There are no working restrooms on the train, so stop before you board, and arrive 30 minutes early.
Santa’s Candy Cane Express
- Location: Hesston Steam Museum, 1201 E. 1000 N., Hesston (La Porte County)
- Dates: Dec. 5 to 6 and 12 to 13, 2026, noon to 4 p.m. Central
- Price: $9 for adults and $5 for kids under 13, sold online; no museum admission charge
Visit Santa in a real railroad caboose, sip cocoa from Doc’s Soda Fountain and ride up to three of the museum’s railroads, weather permitting. Parking is free.
Bonus: 4 More Holiday Train Rides Just Outside Indiana
These are worth the drive if the Indiana trains are booked.
North Pole Express in Lebanon, Ohio
- Location: LM&M Railroad, 16 E. South St., Lebanon, Ohio
- Distance from Indianapolis: About two hours
- Dates: Select days Nov. 20 to Dec. 23, 2026
- Price: Coach is $40 to $55 per person and Deluxe is $50 to $65, depending on the date and age; infants under 2 are $10. North Pole Express tickets
Santa and his elves ride along on this 75-minute trip through Warren County, Ohio, in cars decorated with holiday lights. Every child gets a souvenir bell and a holiday cookie, and hot chocolate is sold at the station.
Santa Train on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
- Location: Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, 33 W. Canal St., Nelsonville, Ohio
- Distance from Indianapolis: About 3.5 hours
- Dates: Nov. 28 to Dec. 20, 2026; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends, plus 6 p.m. trains on select nights
- Price: $26 for adults, $21 for ages 3-12 and $22 for seniors and military; kids under 3 ride free on a lap. Santa Train tickets
Ride about two hours along the Hocking River valley in heated, decorated coaches, with Christmas music and a visit from Santa for every child, plus a candy cane. Pick up paper tickets at the depot.
Holiday Express at Blackberry Farm
- Location: Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora, Ill.
- Distance from Indianapolis: About 3.5 hours
- Dates: Dec. 4 to 20, 2026, with a sensory-friendly night Friday, Dec. 4, 2026
- Price: $11 for everyone 1 and up. Tickets go on sale Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at 9 a.m. through the Fox Valley Park District.
The short train runs continuously, so ride as many times as you like, then visit Santa at the Carriage Museum, play in Sugar Plum Playland and see the lights and displays.
A Carillon Christmas at Carillon Historical Park
- Location: Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton, Ohio
- Distance from Indianapolis: About two hours
- Dates: Nov. 24 to Dec. 30, 2026, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 2026
- Price: Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for ages 3-17; kids 2 and under are free. Train rides cost extra: $5 per person on the Carillon Park Railroad and $1 per person on the Midnight Express. A Carillon Christmas details
The park’s 65-acre campus is strung with thousands of lights, and two trains run through the evening. The Carillon Park Railroad is a narrated, mile-long ride on a replica of one of the first trains to arrive in Dayton. The Midnight Express is a miniature train through a light display meant to feel like a trip to the North Pole. Santa is in the Heritage Center through Dec. 23, 2026, and kids can write him a letter in Newcom Tavern.
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