# Christmas train rides near Madison, 2026

> In 2026, Santa train rides near Madison run Nov 28 through Dec 20, from $18. Daytime Christmas Trains at East Troy Railroad Museum starts Nov 28, tickets $36–$43. Ages 0–2 need a $13–$16 ticket. Santa Express at Mid-Continent Railway Museum starts Nov 28, tickets $18–$30.

- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- 5 Christmas trains with 2026 dates
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/madison/christmas-trains/
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## What to know

- **Daytime Christmas Trains**: Nov 28 through Dec 20 (East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away). Ages: Ages 0–2 need a. Tickets: Adults $41–$43, kids 3–14 $36–$39.
- **Santa Express**: Nov 28 through Dec 12 (North Freedom, WI · about 35 miles away). Tickets: $30 adults, $18 children.
- **Santa's Special Evening Trains**: Nov 28 through Dec 19 (East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away). Tickets: Adults $69–$79, kids 3–14 $59–$72.
- **Santa's Trolley Express**: Nov 28 through Dec 20 (South Elgin, IL · about 95 miles away). Ages: Every passenger needs a ticket, whatever their age. Tickets: $50 per person from Nov 1.
- **Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show**: Dec 5 through Jan 3 (Madison, WI). Ages: 5 and under free. Tickets: $10 general, $6 ages 6–12.

## Train rides

- **Daytime Christmas Trains** at East Troy Railroad Museum, East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 4 more. Price: Adults $41–$43, kids 3–14 $36–$39. Ages: Ages 0–2 need a $13–$16 ticket. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.easttroyrr.org/daytime-christmas-trains1.html (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa Express** at Mid-Continent Railway Museum, North Freedom, WI · about 35 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 1 more. Time: 10, 11:30 a.m., 1 and 2:30 p.m. Price: $30 adults, $18 children. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.midcontinent.org/train-ride-information/santa-express/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa's Special Evening Trains** at East Troy Railroad Museum, East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Fri Dec 4, Fri Dec 11, Sat Dec 12 and 2 more. Time: 5 p.m. Price: Adults $69–$79, kids 3–14 $59–$72. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.easttroyrr.org/santas-special-evening-trains.html (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa's Trolley Express** at Fox River Trolley Museum (boards at Blackhawk Station, Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve), South Elgin, IL · about 95 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Fri Dec 4, Sat Dec 5 and 7 more. Time: Weekends from 10:30 a.m.; Friday evenings from 5:30 p.m. Price: $50 per person from Nov 1. Ages: Every passenger needs a ticket, whatever their age. Booking: Each departure booked separately; all sales final. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://foxtrolley.org/visit/special-events/santas-trolley-express/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## Model-train holiday displays

- **Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show** at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, WI. When: Dec 5 – Jan 3. Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily; closes 2 p.m. Dec 24, closed Dec 25. Price: $10 general, $6 ages 6–12. Ages: 5 and under free. Booking: Tickets at the door. Type: Model trains. Large-scale model trains run among hundreds of poinsettias. Official page: https://www.olbrich.org/calendar/holiday-express (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6. Lists refresh Monday and Thursday. The email goes out Thursday evening.
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## FAQ

### Is there a Polar Express train ride near Madison in 2026?
Not one we could confirm with 2026 dates on an official page. The closest thing on this page is Daytime Christmas Trains, Santa Express and Santa's Special Evening Trains.

### Where can kids ride a Santa train near Madison?
Daytime Christmas Trains (East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 4 more. Santa Express (North Freedom, WI · about 35 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 1 more. Santa's Special Evening Trains (East Troy, WI · about 55 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Fri Dec 4, Fri Dec 11, Sat Dec 12 and 2 more. Santa's Trolley Express (South Elgin, IL · about 95 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Fri Dec 4, Sat Dec 5 and 7 more.

### Where can kids see a model train holiday display near Madison?
Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show at Olbrich Botanical Gardens: Dec 5 – Jan 3, $10 general, $6 ages 6–12.

### Do Christmas train rides sell out?
Many do. One of the five 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 Madison is shortest, cheapest, or easiest with a toddler?
Cheapest ticket: Santa Express, from $18. 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/).