# Christmas train rides near Washington, DC, 2026

> We found seven Christmas trains within a drive of Washington, DC with 2026 dates posted: one Polar Express ride and six Santa trains. The closest, Holly TrolleyFest, is in Colesville. 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
- 7 Christmas trains with 2026 dates
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/washington-dc/christmas-trains/
- Santa visits (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/washington-dc/santa/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/washington-dc/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/washington-dc/llms.txt

## Train rides

- **Santa's Paradise Express** at Strasburg Rail Road, Strasburg, PA · about 85 miles away. When: Nov 21 – Dec 24. Time: Weekends Nov 21–Dec 20, plus Nov 27 and Dec 21–24. Price: $47.70 adults, $37.10 children. Ages: All ages. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://strasburgrailroad.com/event/santas-paradise-express (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Breakfast with Santa train** at Woodstown Central Railroad, Woodstown, NJ · about 105 miles away. When: Nov 28 – Dec 20. Time: Saturdays and Sundays. Price: $245 per table for four. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://woodstowncentral.com/breakfast-with-santa/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Candy Cane Express** at Stewartstown Railroad, Stewartstown, PA · about 65 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 1 more. Time: Daytime trains; evening trains Dec 5 and 20. Price: $19–$67. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://stewartstownrailroadco.com/events1/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Holly TrolleyFest** at National Capital Trolley Museum, Colesville, MD. When: Nov 28 – Dec 23. Time: Saturdays and Sundays. Price: $15 per person. Ages: Child rate for ages 2–13. Type: Santa train. Santa and Mrs. Claus visit; trolley rides included. Official page: https://www.dctrolley.org/calendar/holly-trolleyfest-2026 (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa Express** at Virginia Scenic Railway, Staunton, VA · about 80 miles away. When: Nov 28 – Dec 23. Price: About $51–$76 per person. Ages: 2 and under free on a lap. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/experiences/santa-express/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride** at B&O Railroad Museum (National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation), Baltimore, MD · about 35 miles away. When: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 6 more. Time: Trains between 2:30 and 9:30 p.m.; about two hours with the North Pole stop. Price: Bronze $60–$70 adult, $50–$60 child; Silver $80–$95; Gold $105–$125. Ages: Everyone 2 and up needs a ticket; under 2 ride as lap infants. Booking: Tickets on sale now; non-refundable. Type: Polar Express. Official page: https://nationalrailroad.org/events/polar-express-4/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Santa Railway Express to Old Town Manassas** at Whistle Stop Hobbies, Alexandria, VA. When: Mon Dec 7, Mon Dec 14, Thu Dec 17 and Mon Dec 21. Price: $29.99 per ticket. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://www.whistlestophobbies.com/annual-santa-train/ (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.
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## FAQ

### Is there a Polar Express train ride near Washington, DC in 2026?
THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride in Baltimore, MD · about 35 miles away: Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 6 more. Price: Bronze $60–$70 adult, $50–$60 child; Silver $80–$95; Gold $105–$125.

### Where can kids ride a Santa train near Washington, DC?
Santa's Paradise Express (Strasburg, PA · about 85 miles away): Nov 21 – Dec 24. Breakfast with Santa train (Woodstown, NJ · about 105 miles away): Nov 28 – Dec 20. Candy Cane Express (Stewartstown, PA · about 65 miles away): Next: Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 and 1 more. Holly TrolleyFest (Colesville, MD): Nov 28 – Dec 23. Plus two more on this page.

### 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/).