Christmas Train Rides in Mississippi (2026)
Mississippi has no tourist railroad running a Santa train, but December still brings trains with Christmas lights to the state. On the Coast, TrainTastic in Gulfport hosts five Polar Experience nights with train rides, cocoa and Santa. In Picayune, a Santa and Mrs. Claus group rides Amtrak in from New Orleans. And for the first time, the CPKC Holiday Train is coming to Meridian and Jackson, plus Vicksburg. The licensed Polar Express nearest most Mississippians is in New Orleans; see our Polar Express guide by state.
The short version
- The Polar Experience, Gulfport: Five nights in December, $30 child, $20 adult
- No licensed Polar Express runs in Mississippi in 2026; the closest options are in the drive-time table
Mississippi holiday trains at a glance
- Holiday trains
- 1 confirmed for 2026
- Licensed Polar Express
- None in Mississippi in 2026
- Season
- December 6 to December 20, 2026
- Lowest fare
- $30 child, $20 adult (TrainTastic)
- After Christmas
- No rides found
- Last checked
Look inside the book
Riding a Mississippi Christmas train? Read Rally first.
Rally Takes the Train is a corgi’s first train ride, from the early wake-up to the dark tunnel to the sunshine on the other side. It takes about five minutes to read, so it fits in the car on the way to the station. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
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See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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Mississippi's Holiday Train Night for 2026
On the map
Where Mississippi’s Christmas trains leave from
- 1Gulfport: The Polar Experience
Licensed Polar Express Other holiday trains. Faint dots are Mississippi towns, for shape.
The one ticketed holiday train event in the state this year.
Gulfport: the Polar Experience at TrainTastic
Holiday train museum nightTrainTastic · Gulfport
- Operator
- TrainTastic(opens in a new tab)
- Boards at
- TrainTastic, Gulfport
- Season
- December 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20, 2026, 5:30 to 8:00 pm
- Ride length
- An evening event, 5:30 to 8:00 pm
- What's included
- Train rides, cocoa, crafts, sock skating, Santa and a Gift of Christmas ceremony, among the museum's model train displays
- Price
- $30 per child and $20 per adult
- Tickets
- On sale now; limited capacity each night
- Best ages
- All ages
TrainTastic is a Gulfport train museum with model railroad displays in every gauge, and on five December nights it becomes the Polar Experience. Families get train rides, cocoa, crafts, sock skating, a visit with Santa and a Gift of Christmas ceremony, with the museum’s layouts lit up around them. Capacity is limited each night, which the museum says keeps the evening cozy and personal.
It is not the licensed Polar Express, which runs from New Orleans, about an hour and 15 minutes away. But at $30 a child and $20 an adult, it is a much less expensive way to give Coast kids a train night with Santa, and it is indoors.
Check dates and tickets with TrainTastic(opens in a new tab)The CPKC Holiday Train Comes to Mississippi
The CPKC Holiday Train, lit with LEDs and carrying a stage car, adds Meridian and Jackson as brand-new stops in 2026. Each stop is a free 30-minute concert by Chase Rice and Madeline Edwards. Nobody rides; organizers ask for food bank donations instead.
Tuesday, December 1
Meridian, 1805 Front Street, in the park next to the Meridian Railroad Museum and Union Station, 4:15 to 4:45 pm. Jackson, the old Jackson intermodal yard at 360 Industrial Park Drive, 7:30 to 8:00 pm.
Wednesday, December 2
Vicksburg, 1001 Levee Street at Grove Street, next to the Old Depot Museum, 2:45 to 3:15 pm.
Santa's cars in Meridian
Visit Meridian also lists the CPKC Holiday Express, a separate set of festive cars families can walk through to visit Santa and his elves, at Union Station on December 1.
How Far Mississippi Families Drive to a Holiday Train
Typical drive times without holiday traffic.
| Starting from | To | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Biloxi | TrainTastic, Gulfport | About 20 minutes |
| Gulfport | New Orleans Polar Express | About 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Hattiesburg | New Orleans Polar Express | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Jackson | New Orleans Polar Express | About 3 hours |
| Tupelo | Calera, AL (North Pole Express) | About 3 hours 15 minutes |
| Southaven | Memphis | About 20 minutes |
The licensed Polar Express at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal is on our Louisiana page. North Mississippi families can see the Heart of Dixie trains on our Alabama page, and DeSoto County families should check our Tennessee page.
Free to print
Something for the drive
Free printable Rally pages with a red train, a maze and a word search.
Get the free printablesMississippi Holiday Train Details Worth Knowing
The Cringles Christmas Express
On Saturday, November 28, a Santa and Mrs. Claus pair known as the Cringles ride an Amtrak train with families from New Orleans to Picayune for Christmas on the Rails at The Commons, 801 Goodyear Boulevard. It sold out in August, but Picayune families can visit the event at The Commons.
Santa in Jackson
The Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson hosts Journey to the North Pole, with Santa appearances starting November 21. It is not a train, but it pairs well with the CPKC stop.
Getting there by Amtrak
The Mardi Gras Service runs along the Coast through Gulfport and Biloxi to New Orleans, a fun way to reach the Polar Express; see our Mardi Gras Service with kids guide.
The Coast Out the Window
Rally spends much of our book with his nose at the window, watching the water go by. The Coast is a good place for that, and the Mardi Gras Service along the Gulf is a real train ride worth taking with kids, Christmas or not.
My mom imagined Rally’s first train ride, and I finished the book after she passed; our story page tells the rest. Our free Rally coloring pages are worth printing for the car.
A train story for Mississippi kidsRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi on his first train ride, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon
More for holiday train families
- Find a Christmas train near you: type your town and see every ride in the country sorted by distance
- Christmas train guide by state: licensed rides, costs and booking tips
- Christmas trains in Louisiana
- Christmas trains in Alabama
- Christmas trains in Tennessee
- Every Amtrak route with kids, for a real train trip after the holidays
- Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before the ride
Sources
- TrainTastic: The Polar Experience(opens in a new tab)
- CPKC: U.S. Holiday Train schedule 2026(opens in a new tab)
- PR Newswire: CPKC Holiday Train begins 182-stop journey(opens in a new tab)
- Visit Meridian: CPKC Holiday Express(opens in a new tab)
- Eventbrite: The Cringles Christmas Express(opens in a new tab)
- Mississippi Children's Museum: Journey to the North Pole(opens in a new tab)
Checked against each railroad’s own pages on . THE POLAR EXPRESS is a trademark of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Each ride is run by the railroad or museum named above; Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Rail Events or any railroad listed here. Book only through the operator’s own site, and confirm dates and prices there before you go.
Mississippi Christmas trains: questions parents ask
Is there a Polar Express train ride in Mississippi?
No. Mississippi has no licensed Polar Express ride. The closest is at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, about an hour and 15 minutes from Gulfport, running December 11 to 31, 2026. TrainTastic in Gulfport hosts its own Polar Experience nights with train rides and Santa.
Do any Mississippi Christmas trains run after Christmas?
No Mississippi holiday train we could confirm runs after Christmas in 2026. The last one on this page is The Polar Experience in Gulfport, which runs until December 20. For a ride after the 25th, look at the states near Mississippi in the drive-time table above. It is held inside a train museum with model railroads in every gauge.
What Christmas events are happening in Gulfport, Mississippi, in 2026?
For families, Gulfport has The Polar Experience from TrainTastic (five nights in December, $30 child, $20 adult). It includes train rides, cocoa, crafts, sock skating, Santa and a Gift of Christmas ceremony, among the museum's model train displays. Plan on an evening event, 5:30 to 8:00 pm. For other Gulfport, Mississippi, events like parades and tree lightings, check the town or chamber of commerce calendar.
Where can families near Biloxi, Mississippi find a Christmas train ride?
From Biloxi, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: TrainTastic, Gulfport, about 20 minutes. Each Mississippi ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Biloxi families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Hattiesburg, Mississippi find a Christmas train ride?
From Hattiesburg, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: New Orleans Polar Express, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Each Mississippi ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Hattiesburg families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Jackson, Mississippi find a Christmas train ride?
From Jackson, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: New Orleans Polar Express, about 3 hours. Each Mississippi ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Jackson families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Tupelo, Mississippi find a Christmas train ride?
From Tupelo, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Calera, AL (North Pole Express), about 3 hours 15 minutes. Each Mississippi ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Tupelo families can compare before they drive.
How much is the TrainTastic Polar Experience?
Admission to the 2026 Polar Experience at TrainTastic in Gulfport is $30 per child and $20 per adult. It runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm on December 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20, with limited capacity each night, so the museum suggests buying tickets early.
When does the CPKC Holiday Train come to Mississippi?
The CPKC Holiday Train stops in Meridian at 4:15 pm and Jackson at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, and in Vicksburg at 2:45 pm on Wednesday, December 2. Meridian and Jackson are first-time stops. Each is a free concert.
Can you ride a train with Santa in Mississippi?
Not on a tourist railroad this year. The closest options are TrainTastic's Polar Experience in Gulfport, the Cringles Christmas Express on Amtrak from New Orleans to Picayune on November 28, which is sold out, and the Polar Express in New Orleans.
What is the CPKC Holiday Express in Meridian?
Visit Meridian also lists the CPKC Holiday Express, a separate set of festive cars families can walk through to visit Santa and his elves, at Union Station on December 1.
What is the Cringles Christmas Express to Picayune?
On Saturday, November 28, a Santa and Mrs. Claus pair known as the Cringles ride an Amtrak train with families from New Orleans to Picayune for Christmas on the Rails at The Commons, 801 Goodyear Boulevard.
Where can kids see Santa in Jackson, Mississippi?
The Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson hosts Journey to the North Pole, with Santa appearances starting November 21. It is not a train, but it pairs well with the CPKC stop.
Can you take Amtrak to a Christmas train in Mississippi?
The Mardi Gras Service runs along the Coast through Gulfport and Biloxi to New Orleans, a fun way to reach the Polar Express; see our Mardi Gras Service with kids guide.
What is included with The Polar Experience in Gulfport?
The Polar Experience in Gulfport includes train rides, cocoa, crafts, sock skating, Santa and a Gift of Christmas ceremony, among the museum's model train displays. TrainTastic ride length: an evening event, 5:30 to 8:00 pm. It is held inside a train museum with model railroads in every gauge.
Any tips for The Polar Experience in Gulfport with young kids?
It is not the licensed Polar Express, which runs from New Orleans, about an hour and 15 minutes away. But at $30 a child and $20 an adult, it is a much less expensive way to give Coast kids a train night with Santa, and it is indoors. Families get train rides, cocoa, crafts, sock skating, a visit with Santa and a Gift of Christmas ceremony, with the museum’s layouts lit up around them.