Christmas Train Rides in Nebraska (2026)
Nebraska has no tourist railroad running holiday trains, so its Christmas train traditions are a little different. At Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, children ride the story of The Polar Express inside a real, stationary passenger car, then help Santa build wooden trains in the baggage car. In Chadron, Santa rolls into town on a freight railroad’s locomotive. For a moving train with Santa, Nebraska families head to Iowa or the Black Hills; our state-by-state Polar Express and Christmas train guide shows the options.
The short version
- North Pole Express, Grand Island: Nov 21 and 28, Sold out (sold out)
- No licensed Polar Express runs in Nebraska in 2026; the closest options are in the drive-time table
Nebraska holiday trains at a glance
- Holiday trains
- 1 confirmed for 2026
- Licensed Polar Express
- None in Nebraska in 2026
- Season
- November 21 to November 28, 2026
- Lowest fare
- Sold out (Stuhr Museum)
- After Christmas
- No rides found
- Sold out
- Stuhr Museum
- Last checked
Look inside the book
Riding a Nebraska 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
Turn the page
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.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Nebraska's Holiday Train Program for 2026
On the map
Where Nebraska’s Christmas trains leave from
- 1Grand Island: North Pole Express
Licensed Polar Express Other holiday trains. Faint dots are Nebraska towns, for shape.
The state's ticketed holiday train event, which sold out within days.
Grand Island: the Stuhr Museum North Pole Express Sold out
Holiday program in a real train carStuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer · Grand Island
- Operator
- Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer(opens in a new tab)
- Boards at
- Stuhr Museum, Grand Island
- Season
- Saturdays, November 21 and 28, 2026, sessions at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
- Ride length
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- What's included
- The Polar Express story told aboard a stationary passenger car, dancing, singing and hot chocolate, then building a wooden train car with Santa to keep
- Price
- $40 per child, $30 for museum members; tickets are for children 4 to 11 only; sold out
- Tickets
- Sold out
- Best ages
- Children 4 to 11; parents may stay in a reserved section or drop off
Stuhr Museum’s North Pole Express is built for kids, and only kids need tickets. Children 4 to 11 take a journey through The Polar Express story aboard a real passenger car that stays put, with stories, dancing, singing and a cup of hot chocolate. Then they move into the baggage car to help Santa build wooden train cars they get to keep. Each session lasts about an hour and 15 minutes.
Tickets went on sale October 5 and every session sold out. Parents can drop off or stay in a section of the car set aside for adults. Refunds are possible through November 1, so it is worth calling the museum at (308) 385-5316 to ask about cancellations, and tickets can be transferred to another eligible child.
Check dates and tickets with Stuhr Museum(opens in a new tab)More Christmas Train Traditions in Nebraska
Santa arrives by train in Chadron
For Chadron’s Magic City Christmas, Santa arrives on the train at Railroad Park on Thursday, December 3, at 5 pm, then heads to the Downtown Plaza for meet-and-greets, soup, hot chocolate and live music. The Nebraska Northwestern Railroad brought the tradition back last year. It is free.
Christmas at Union Station in Omaha
The Durham Museum, in Omaha’s old Union Station, opens Christmas at Union Station on November 27, with Family Nights with Santa on Tuesdays, December 1, 8, 15 and 22. There is no ride.
Getting there by Amtrak
The California Zephyr crosses Nebraska, stopping in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege and McCook; see our California Zephyr with kids guide.
How Far Nebraska Families Drive for a Moving Santa Train
Typical winter drive times on clear roads.
| Starting from | To | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | Boone, IA (Santa Express) | About 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Omaha | Mount Pleasant, IA (North Pole Express) | About 4 hours 15 minutes |
| Omaha | Abilene, KS (Cowtown Santa Express) | About 3 hours 45 minutes |
| Scottsbluff | Hill City, SD (1880 Train Holiday Express) | About 3 hours |
| Omaha | Kansas City Union Station | About 3 hours |
Eastern Nebraska families are closest to the Boone and Mount Pleasant trains on our Iowa page. Southern Nebraska is a few hours from Abilene on our Kansas page, and the Panhandle is closest to the 1880 Train in the Black Hills on our South Dakota page.
Free to print
A train trip at the kitchen table
Free printable Rally pages with a red train, a maze and a word search.
Get the free printablesA Train Car of Their Own
Rally’s whole adventure in our book happens in one train car, and he makes it his own. Stuhr’s North Pole Express works the same way: the car never moves, and the kids still come out sure they have been somewhere.
Rally began as my mom’s story, and I finished it after she passed; our story page tells the rest. Print our free Rally coloring pages to make a train trip at home.
A train story for Nebraska 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 Iowa
- Christmas trains in Kansas
- Christmas trains in South Dakota
- 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
- Stuhr Museum: North Pole Express tickets(opens in a new tab)
- Visit Nebraska: Magic City Christmas, Chadron(opens in a new tab)
- Discover Northwest Nebraska: A Country Christmas(opens in a new tab)
- The Durham Museum: Christmas at Union Station(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.
Nebraska Christmas trains: questions parents ask
Is there a Polar Express train ride in Nebraska?
No. Nebraska has no licensed Polar Express ride and no tourist railroad running holiday trains in 2026. Stuhr Museum in Grand Island holds a North Pole Express program inside a stationary train car, and the nearest moving Santa trains are in Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota.
Do any Nebraska Christmas trains run after Christmas?
No Nebraska holiday train we could confirm runs after Christmas in 2026. The last one on this page is the North Pole Express in Grand Island, which runs until November 28. For a ride after the 25th, look at the states near Nebraska in the drive-time table above. The train car does not move; the magic is in the story, the songs and the wooden train each child builds with Santa.
What holiday events for kids are in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 2026?
For families, Grand Island has North Pole Express from Stuhr Museum (November 21 and 28, sold out). It includes the Polar Express story told aboard a stationary passenger car, dancing, singing and hot chocolate, then building a wooden train car with Santa to keep. Plan on about 1 hour 15 minutes. For other Grand Island, Nebraska, events like parades and tree lightings, check the town or chamber of commerce calendar.
Where can families near Omaha, Nebraska find a Christmas train ride?
From Omaha, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Boone, IA (Santa Express), about 2 hours 45 minutes; Mount Pleasant, IA (North Pole Express), about 4 hours 15 minutes; Abilene, KS (Cowtown Santa Express), about 3 hours 45 minutes; Kansas City Union Station, about 3 hours.
Where can families near Scottsbluff, Nebraska find a Christmas train ride?
From Scottsbluff, typical winter drive times on clear roads are: Hill City, SD (1880 Train Holiday Express), about 3 hours. Each Nebraska ride on this page lists dates, prices and the booking link, so Scottsbluff families can compare before they drive.
Does the Stuhr Museum North Pole Express move?
No. Stuhr Museum says children ride aboard a real-life, stationary passenger car. The 75-minute program includes the story, dancing, singing and hot chocolate, then Santa helps each child build a wooden train car to keep. Tickets are only for children 4 to 11.
Is the Stuhr North Pole Express sold out?
Yes. All 2026 sessions on November 21 and 28 sold out after tickets went on sale October 5. Tickets were $40 per child, or $30 for members. The museum allows refunds through November 1 and transfers to another eligible child, so seats can reopen.
When does Santa arrive by train in Chadron?
Santa arrives on the train at Railroad Park in Chadron on Thursday, December 3, 2026, at 5 pm, as part of Magic City Christmas. Families then head to the Downtown Plaza for meet-and-greets with Santa, soup, hot chocolate and live music.
What is Christmas at Union Station in Omaha?
The Durham Museum, in Omaha’s old Union Station, opens Christmas at Union Station on November 27, with Family Nights with Santa on Tuesdays, December 1, 8, 15 and 22. There is no ride.
Can you take Amtrak to a Christmas train in Nebraska?
The California Zephyr crosses Nebraska, stopping in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege and McCook; see our California Zephyr with kids guide.
What does the North Pole Express in Grand Island cost in 2026?
The North Pole Express in Grand Island costs $40 per child, $30 for museum members; tickets are for children 4 to 11 only; sold out. The North Pole Express runs Saturdays, November 21 and 28, 2026, sessions at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Stuhr Museum tickets: sold out. Stuhr Museum age rules: children 4 to 11; parents may stay in a reserved section or drop off.
What is included with the North Pole Express in Grand Island?
The North Pole Express in Grand Island includes the Polar Express story told aboard a stationary passenger car, dancing, singing and hot chocolate, then building a wooden train car with Santa to keep. For the Grand Island ride, plan on about 1 hour 15 minutes. The train car does not move; the magic is in the story, the songs and the wooden train each child builds with Santa.
Where does the North Pole Express in Grand Island leave from?
The North Pole Express in Grand Island boards at Stuhr Museum, 3133 West Highway 34, in Grand Island. Stuhr Museum tickets: sold out. The train car does not move; the magic is in the story, the songs and the wooden train each child builds with Santa.
What should parents know before riding the North Pole Express in Grand Island?
Tickets went on sale October 5 and every session sold out. Parents can drop off or stay in a section of the car set aside for adults. Refunds are possible through November 1, so it is worth calling the museum at (308) 385-5316 to ask about cancellations, and tickets can be transferred to another eligible child.
Is the North Pole Express in Grand Island good for toddlers?
Stuhr Museum lists ages as: children 4 to 11; parents may stay in a reserved section or drop off. For the Grand Island ride, plan on about 1 hour 15 minutes. The train car does not move; the magic is in the story, the songs and the wooden train each child builds with Santa.