# Christmas train rides near Columbus, 2026

> We found four Christmas trains within a drive of Columbus with 2026 dates posted: one Polar Express ride, two Santa trains and one holiday lights train. The closest, Santa Train in Nelsonville, is about 55 miles out. Each card has the dates, times, the ages it suits, the price as the operator lists it and whether you need to book ahead.

- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- 4 Christmas trains with 2026 dates
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/columbus/christmas-trains/
- Santa visits (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/columbus/santa/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/columbus/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/columbus/llms.txt

## Train rides

- **North Pole Express** at Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, Findlay, OH · about 80 miles away. When: Nov 20 – Dec 27. Time: Evenings. Ages: All ages. Type: Lights train. Official page: https://www.nworrp.org/events.html (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa Train** at Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Nelsonville, OH · about 55 miles away. When: Nov 28 – Dec 20. Time: Weekends 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; 6 p.m. evening trains Nov 28, Dec 3–5, 10–12 and 17–19. Ages: Under 3 free on a lap. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.hvsry.org/train-rides/santa/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride** at Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, Dennison, OH · about 95 miles away. When: Next: Thu Dec 3, Fri Dec 4, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 4 more. Time: Thu–Fri 6 and 8 p.m.; Sat–Sun 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Price: $53–$84 per ticket plus a $4 fee. Type: Polar Express. Official page: https://dennisondepot.org/events/polar-express/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Holiday Train** at Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum, Bellevue, OH · about 90 miles away. When: Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6, Sat Dec 12 and Sun Dec 13. Price: $7 per rider. Ages: All ages. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://madrivermuseum.org/events/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is there a Polar Express train ride near Columbus in 2026?
THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride in Dennison, OH · about 95 miles away: Next: Thu Dec 3, Fri Dec 4, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 4 more. Price: $53–$84 per ticket plus a $4 fee.

### Where can kids ride a Santa train near Columbus?
Santa Train (Nelsonville, OH · about 55 miles away): Nov 28 – Dec 20. Holiday Train (Bellevue, OH · about 90 miles away): Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6, Sat Dec 12 and Sun Dec 13.

### Are there holiday light trains or zoo trains near Columbus?
North Pole Express (Findlay, OH · about 80 miles away): Nov 20 – Dec 27.

### Do Christmas train rides sell out?
None on this page warns about it right now. Each card says what the operator posts about tickets.

### How do you check these train rides?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 29, 2026, and we recheck them every week through December. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).