Christmas Train Rides in Montana (2026)
Montana’s holiday train runs out of a gravel lot on the prairie north of Lewistown, in the middle of the state. The Charlie Russell Chew Choo, best known as Montana’s dinner train, turns into the North Pole Adventure on December weekends, with cocoa, stories and a live visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. It is the only holiday train ride in the state, and some dates are already sold out. There is no licensed Polar Express in Montana; see our Polar Express and Christmas train guide for the closest ones.
The short version
- North Pole Adventure Train, Lewistown: Nov 27 to Dec 19, from $80
- No licensed Polar Express runs in Montana in 2026; the closest options are in the drive-time table
Montana holiday trains at a glance
- Holiday trains
- 1 confirmed for 2026
- Licensed Polar Express
- None in Montana in 2026
- Season
- November 27 to December 19, 2026
- Lowest fare
- From $80 (Charlie Russell Chew Choo)
- After Christmas
- No rides found
- Last checked
Look inside the book
Riding a Montana 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
Eight pages from the book
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That's 8 of 25 pages
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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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Montana's Holiday Train for 2026
On the map
Where Montana’s Christmas trains leave from
- 1Lewistown: North Pole Adventure Train
Licensed Polar Express Other holiday trains. Faint dots are Montana towns, for shape.
One train, eight evenings, on the prairie outside Lewistown.
Lewistown: the Charlie Russell Chew Choo North Pole Adventure
Santa trainCharlie Russell Chew Choo · Lewistown
- Operator
- Charlie Russell Chew Choo(opens in a new tab)
- Boards at
- Hanover Boarding Station, Lewistown
- Season
- Fridays and Saturdays, November 27 and 28, December 4 and 5, 11 and 12, and 18 and 19, 2026; trains at 5:00 and 7:30 pm, boarding 30 minutes earlier
- Ride length
- About 1 hour 30 minutes
- What's included
- Cocoa and cookies, Christmas stories, songs and games, a trip to the North Pole, and a live visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus
- Price
- From $80 per person; babies 12 months and under free
- Tickets
- On sale now; some dates sold out
- Best ages
- All ages; 12 months and under free
The Charlie Russell Chew Choo is named for the Western painter, and most of the year it runs a four-and-a-half-hour dinner train across the central Montana prairie. On Friday and Saturday evenings from Thanksgiving to just before Christmas it becomes the North Pole Adventure, a 90-minute ride with cocoa and cookies, Christmas stories, songs and games, a trip to the North Pole, and Santa and Mrs. Claus coming through the cars in person.
All Chew Choo trains board at the Hanover Boarding Station, about 10 miles and 20 to 25 minutes from Main Street in Lewistown: take Highway 191 north, turn left on Hanover Road (Highway 426), and drive eight miles to the sign and the big grey boarding ramp. Allow extra time on winter roads. Tickets are per person and must be bought together for a group to sit together, babies 12 months and under ride free, and all sales are final.
Check dates and tickets with Charlie Russell Chew Choo(opens in a new tab)How Far Montana Families Drive to the North Pole Adventure
Typical winter drive times to the Hanover Boarding Station on clear roads.
| Starting from | To | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Lewistown | Hanover Boarding Station | About 25 minutes |
| Great Falls | Hanover Boarding Station | About 2 hours |
| Billings | Hanover Boarding Station | About 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Bozeman | Hanover Boarding Station | About 3 hours |
| Missoula | Reardan, WA (Santa trains) | About 3 hours 30 minutes |
Western Montana families are closer to the Santa trains at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum on our Idaho page, about 25 miles west of Spokane. Eastern Montana families can see the options on our North Dakota page, and southern Montana families can check our Wyoming page.
Free to print
For the long Montana drive
Free printable Rally pages with a red train, a maze and a word search.
Get the free printablesMontana Holiday Train Details Worth Knowing
No licensed Polar Express
Montana has no licensed Polar Express ride. The Historic Billings Depot has staged a Polar Express story event inside its old station in past Decembers, but it is not a train ride, and 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked.
Book the 5:00 pm train for little kids
The 7:30 pm departure gets back after 9 on a winter night, a long way from home for most families.
Winter on the Empire Builder
Amtrak’s Empire Builder crosses the Hi-Line and stops at Whitefish and East Glacier; see our Empire Builder with kids guide.
Big Sky Out the Window
In our book Rally watches the world roll past his window for the whole ride. On the Chew Choo the world is huge and mostly sky, and on the North Pole Adventure it is dark and starry, which is its own kind of wonderful for kids who have never been on a train at night.
My mom started Rally’s story and I finished it after she passed; our story page has more. Bring our free Rally coloring pages for the long drive.
A train story for Montana 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 Idaho
- Christmas trains in North Dakota
- Christmas trains in Wyoming
- 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
- Charlie Russell Chew Choo: North Pole Adventure(opens in a new tab)
- American-Rails: Montana Christmas Train Rides (2026)(opens in a new tab)
- Billings365: Polar Express at the Billings Depot(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.
Montana Christmas trains: questions parents ask
Is there a Polar Express train ride in Montana?
No. Montana has no licensed Polar Express ride. The state's holiday train is the Charlie Russell Chew Choo's North Pole Adventure near Lewistown, a 90-minute evening ride with cocoa, cookies, Christmas stories and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Do any Montana Christmas trains run after Christmas?
No Montana holiday train we could confirm runs after Christmas in 2026. The last one on this page is the North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown, which runs until December 19. For a ride after the 25th, look at the states near Montana in the drive-time table above. The train boards from a ramp in a gravel lot about 20 to 25 minutes outside Lewistown.
What holiday events for kids are in Lewistown, Montana, in 2026?
For families, Lewistown has North Pole Adventure Train from Charlie Russell Chew Choo (November 27 to December 19, from $80). It includes cocoa and cookies, Christmas stories, songs and games, a trip to the North Pole, and a live visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. For other Lewistown, Montana, events like parades and tree lightings, check the town or chamber of commerce calendar.
Where can families near Great Falls, Montana find a Christmas train ride?
From Great Falls, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Hanover Boarding Station, about 2 hours. Each Montana ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Great Falls families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Billings, Montana find a Christmas train ride?
From Billings, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Hanover Boarding Station, about 2 hours 15 minutes. Each Montana ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Billings families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Bozeman, Montana find a Christmas train ride?
From Bozeman, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Hanover Boarding Station, about 3 hours. Each Montana ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Bozeman families can compare before they drive.
Where can families near Missoula, Montana find a Christmas train ride?
From Missoula, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Reardan, WA (Santa trains), about 3 hours 30 minutes. Each Montana ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Missoula families can compare before they drive.
How much is the North Pole Adventure train?
Tickets for the Charlie Russell Chew Choo North Pole Adventure start at $80 per person for 2026. Babies 12 months and under ride free. Tickets are non-refundable and must be bought together for a group to sit together. Some dates were already sold out by mid-October.
Where does the Charlie Russell Chew Choo board?
All Chew Choo trains board at the Hanover Boarding Station, about 10 miles and 20 to 25 minutes from Main Street in Lewistown. Take Highway 191 north, turn left on Hanover Road, Highway 426, and drive eight miles to the boarding sign and the gravel parking lot.
When does the North Pole Adventure run in 2026?
The North Pole Adventure runs Friday and Saturday evenings on November 27 and 28, December 4 and 5, December 11 and 12, and December 18 and 19, 2026, with trains at 5:00 and 7:30 pm. Boarding starts 30 minutes before each departure.
Is Santa on the Montana holiday train?
Yes. The North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown includes cocoa and cookies, Christmas stories, songs and games, a trip to the North Pole, and a live visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The train boards from a ramp in a gravel lot about 20 to 25 minutes outside Lewistown.
Which North Pole Adventure departure is best for little kids?
The 7:30 pm departure gets back after 9 on a winter night, a long way from home for most families.
Can you take Amtrak to a Christmas train in Montana?
Amtrak’s Empire Builder crosses the Hi-Line and stops at Whitefish and East Glacier; see our Empire Builder with kids guide.
What is included with the North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown?
The North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown includes cocoa and cookies, Christmas stories, songs and games, a trip to the North Pole, and a live visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. For the Lewistown ride, plan on about 1 hour 30 minutes. The train boards from a ramp in a gravel lot about 20 to 25 minutes outside Lewistown.
What should parents know before riding the North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown?
All Chew Choo trains board at the Hanover Boarding Station, about 10 miles and 20 to 25 minutes from Main Street in Lewistown: take Highway 191 north, turn left on Hanover Road (Highway 426), and drive eight miles to the sign and the big grey boarding ramp. Allow extra time on winter roads. Tickets are per person and must be bought together for a group to sit together, babies 12 months and under ride free, and all sales are final.
Do babies need a ticket for the North Pole Adventure Train in Lewistown?
Charlie Russell Chew Choo lists ages as: all ages; 12 months and under free. On fares: babies 12 months and under free. For the Lewistown ride, plan on about 1 hour 30 minutes. The train boards from a ramp in a gravel lot about 20 to 25 minutes outside Lewistown.