# Christmas train rides near Grand Rapids, 2026

> In 2026, Polar Express and Santa train rides near Grand Rapids run Nov 20 through Dec 22, from $15. North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225 at Steam Railroading Institute starts Nov 20, tickets from $85. Santa Express at Southern Michigan Railroad starts Nov 28, tickets $15–$175. Little kids 0–2 free.

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

## What to know

- **North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225**: Nov 20 through Dec 20 (Owosso, MI · about 75 miles away). Tickets: Coach $85 per seat. Cocoa Class is $250 for two seats at a shared table or $480 for a private table of four.
- **Santa Express**: Nov 28 through Dec 13 (Clinton, MI · about 55 miles away). Ages: Little kids 0–2 free. Tickets: $20 adults, $15 seniors and ages 3–15; private cabooses $150–$175.
- **Indiana Christmas Train**: Dec 5 through Dec 22 (Pleasant Lake, IN · about 100 miles away). Ages: All ages. Tickets: Deluxe Coach from $34–$45; First Class table for four $275.

## Train rides

- **North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225** at Steam Railroading Institute, Owosso, MI · about 75 miles away. When: Nov 20 – Dec 20. Time: Fridays 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Price: Coach $85 per seat. Cocoa Class is $250 for two seats at a shared table or $480 for a private table of four. Ages: Children 24 months or younger who can sit on a lap for the whole trip do not need a ticket. All ages are welcome unless a trip says otherwise. Ride length: 4 hours 45 minutes. Booking: Tickets are sold only on the institute’s website. They sell out fast, and there is no waiting list. The sale date was still listed as coming soon when we checked, so this ride is not marked sold out. Type: Polar Express. The operator lists the round trip as 4.75 hours, with about two hours off the train in Ashley. Free parking is on the museum grounds. During this ride, free parking is in the public lot just north of the museum, across the river. A private lot across the street charges and is not part of the institute. Official page: https://michigansteamtrain.com/north-pole-express/ (checked 2026-11-10)
- **Santa Express** at Southern Michigan Railroad, Clinton, MI · about 55 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 2 more. Time: Saturdays 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 and 2:30 p.m.; Sundays 11:30 a.m., 1 and 2:30 p.m. Price: $20 adults, $15 seniors and ages 3–15; private cabooses $150–$175. Ages: Little kids 0–2 free. Booking: Departs from Clinton United Methodist Church. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://southernmichiganrailroad.com/santa-express.html (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Indiana Christmas Train** at Indiana Rail Experience (Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society), Pleasant Lake, IN · about 100 miles away. When: Next: Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6, Sat Dec 12, Sun Dec 13 and 4 more. Time: 90-minute trains. Price: Deluxe Coach from $34–$45; First Class table for four $275. Ages: All ages; 3 and under ride free in Deluxe Coach without a seat. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.indianarailexperience.org/christmas-trains/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
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## FAQ

### Is there a Polar Express train ride near Grand Rapids in 2026?
North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225 in Owosso, MI · about 75 miles away: Nov 20 – Dec 20. Price: Coach $85 per seat. Cocoa Class is $250 for two seats at a shared table or $480 for a private table of four. Book ahead: the operator sells these as timed tickets or warns they sell out.

### Where can kids ride a Santa train near Grand Rapids?
Santa Express (Clinton, MI · about 55 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 2 more. Indiana Christmas Train (Pleasant Lake, IN · about 100 miles away): Next: Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6, Sat Dec 12, Sun Dec 13 and 4 more.

### Do Christmas train rides sell out?
Many do. One of the three here asks you to book ahead or warns that seats sell out. Each card says what the operator posts about tickets.

### Which Christmas train near Grand Rapids is shortest, cheapest, or easiest with a toddler?
Shortest ride: North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225, 4 hour 45 minutes. Cheapest ticket: Santa Express, from $15. Best for under-3s: North Pole Express behind Pere Marquette 1225. Those come from the ride length, price and age notes on this page.

### 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/).