2015’s Twin Cities Christmas Trains
If you’re looking for some train-centric family fun this holiday season, the Twin Cities has several great opportunities worth exploring.
North Pole Express: Union Depot, St. Paul
Sold Out First Two Weeks of December; $18-$22; 261.com
The premier Christmas train event in the Twin Cities is unquestionably the North Pole Express at Union Depot in St. Paul. Families board at the platform and take a short trip to the “North Pole,” where Santa boards and visits with each child as the train returns to the platform. The passenger train is covered in Christmas Lights, and led by the Minneapolis-based Milwaukee Road 261 steam locomotive. The long wait times to meet Santa that were an issue for some families last year have been resolved this year, and should be something your kids remember for a long time to come — mine still talk about last year’s trip on a frequent basis.
CP Holiday Train: Various Locations
December 6 - December 14; Free (bring foodshelf donation); cpr.ca
My favorite railroad event around the holidays is Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train. At these events, along much of CP’s network in Minnesota, consist of a light covered train arriving, a stage unfolding, and a quick concert. These events are free, but donations for the local food shelf are collected.
There will be a big crowd at Union Depot in St. Paul for their show on Friday, December 12, at 7 PM, which is noteworthy because it will allow families to see not one, but two trains covered in Christmas lights, as the North Pole Express (mentioned above) will also be operating there that evening.
Check out CP’s website for full details on the stops the Holiday Train will making in Minnesota. They’ll stop in nearly two dozen communities along their network between the southeast and northwest corners of the state.
Night Trains: Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum
Saturday Evenings through February 27th; $10; tcmrm.org
Model trains, some covered in lights, traverse the world-class train layout representing miniature landmarks from around the Twin Cities. This will mark the final year of Night Trains at the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum’s current location at Bandanna Square in St. Paul, so catch it while you can.
Holiday Express & Santa’s Train Shop: Minnesota Transportation Museum
Saturdays and Sundays in December; $10-$12; transportationmuseum.org
MTM’s Jackson Street Roundhouse is a great family destination year-round, but they feature a variety of Christmas events and expanded weekend hours during the holidays.
Toy Train Shops
If you’re wishing to get into the spirit with toy and model trains this year, Choo Choo Bob’s is a great kids-oriented retailer in St. Paul; Hub Hobby has a large stock of trains at both of their Twin Cities locations, and is fun to visit with kids if you can keep a close eye on them; Scale Model Supplies has the best selection, but probably shouldn’t be visited by kids under 5 or 6 unless there’s an adult to hold their hand the entire time.
Catch it Next Year: Events at Minnesota Streetcar Museum
Unfortunately this year’s special holiday events at the Minnesota Streetcar Museum’s locations in Minneapolis and Excelsior have already taken place; keep an eye on their website for details on their events next year.
