It didn’t take long for the 1985 children’s book The Polar Express — written and illustrated by Rhode Island resident Chris Van Allsburg — to stake its claim as a holiday classic. The tale of a little boy who travels by magical train to the North Pole was an instant best-seller; today it has sold 12 million copies and counting. The Polar Express became a Warner Brothers movie in 2004, and not long after that, it took off in a series of real-life train rides that aim to replicate the book’s wondrous journey. It’s estimated that more than 500,000 people hop aboard each year at one of the 40-plus official Polar Express Train Ride locations in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, all of which are licensed by the company Rail Events Inc. on behalf of Warner Brothers (hence the “official” designation).
What happens on the trip? While each of the official Polar Express train ride locations can incorporate some local touches, treats, and entertainment, they all present the story of The Polar Express in the same way. After buying their actual tickets online – often months in advance – passengers receive their souvenir “golden tickets” before boarding the train. (FYI: Kids and adults alike are welcome to wear their pajamas for the trip, just like the little boy in Van Allsburg’s story). Dancing chefs and waiters serve treats and hot chocolate, and there’s a reading of The Polar Express. And when the train reaches the North Pole, Santa comes aboard to hand out the storybook’s “first gift of Christmas”: a silver sleigh bell.
As of 2019, there are four Polar Express train ride locations in New England — read on to find the one near you!
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- Cape Cod Central Railroad | Buzzards Bay, MA
- Blackstone Valley Polar Express | Woonsocket, RI
- Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad | Portland, ME
- Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation | Burlington, VT
- White River Rotary Club Polar Express | White River Junction, VT
Blackstone Valley Polar Express| Woonsocket, RI
This train is considered to be the longest-running Polar Express ride in America, thanks to the very early efforts of its organizer, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC), to bring Chris Van Allsburg’s story to life. A few years before the movie version of The Polar Express was even released, the council began doing holiday readings of the storybook during trips on the Providence and Worcester Railroad. It was therefore primed to hop aboard when Rail Events began licensing its production, and there have been Polar Express trains at the historic Woonsocket depot every holiday season since. It is the largest fund-raiser for the BVTC, which works to draw visitors to Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad| Portland, ME
The story of The Polar Express gets a one-of-a-kind backdrop in Portland, where the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum preserves and operates Maine’s historic two-foot gauge railway equipment. Here, the train departing the Ocean Gateway Visitor Center (which serves as the museum’s depot) is a classic narrow-gauge steam locomotive that travels a mile and a half along Casco Bay to reach the North Pole. It’s the largest annual fund-raiser for the museum, and draws more than 14,000 passengers each year. Note: Tickets are sold through thePortTix websiteor by calling the PortTix box office at 207-842-0800.
Hartford, VT, Polar Express | Hartford, VT
This community fund-raiser marked its 10-year anniversary in 2016 and is going strong into its next decade of merriment. Organized by the White River Rotary and staffed by dozens of local volunteers, the ride features a Green Mountain Railroad train that runs from the White River Junction station along the meandering Connecticut River to reach the North Pole. Like Vermont’s other Polar Express train (see below), the Hartford event is held on just one special weekend. Adding to the excitement is the chance to win an original Lionel Polar Express train set (raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the station).
Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation | Burlington, VT
For a Polar Express adventure with a city vibe, check out this annual fund-raiser for the VCTF, which traverses a stretch of tracks in downtown Burlington, by Lake Champlain. In addition to supporting the VCTF with their ticket purchase, passengers are encouraged to honor the event’s original inspiration — a beloved children’s book — by bringing new or gently used children’s books to donate to Santa’s sack. These books will in turn be distributed before the holidays via the Fletcher Free Library.
Have you been to one of New England’s official Polar Express train ride locations? Let us know!
