NCTM Wine & Dine on the Rails (2026): Spencer Dates, Tickets & What to Expect
Last revised: September 16, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Spencer’s Wine & Dine on the Rails is the North Carolina Transportation Museum’s seated three-course dinner on a short ride around the 60-acre former Southern Railway Spencer Shops. The 2026 event ran February 13–15. The museum lists it as sold out. Adult fare was $145 non-member / $140 member per seat (fees and tax included in the posted all-in price). 21+ only, photo ID at boarding. This is the dinner product. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ at Spencer is a different ticket.
The NCTM's Wine & Dine On The Rails, led by historic Norfolk & Western GP9 #620. NCTM photo
About the North Carolina Transportation Museum
Spencer Shops began in 1896 as Southern Railway’s largest steam backshop in the Southeast. The state museum opened on the site in 1977: Bob Julian Roundhouse, Flue Shop, Master Mechanics Shop, and operable equipment. Address for the event is 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, North Carolina (mailing 411 S. Salisbury Avenue). Train rides on the grounds are part of a regular visit; Wine & Dine is the plated evening.
Related: North Carolina dinner trains · National dinner hub
2026 Wine & Dine on the Rails — At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Wine & Dine on the Rails |
| Location | N.C. Transportation Museum, 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, North Carolina |
| 2026 season | February 13–15, 2026. Museum: sold out. Watch nctransportationmuseum.org for a later year. |
| Duration | Cocktail hour about 45 minutes, then dinner on the train about 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Meal | Three-course dinner at 2-top or 4-top tables; three drink tickets for wine/beer |
| Typical fares | $145 non-member / $140 member per seat. Private table on Pullman Doris (1917, James B. Duke): $788 / $768 per table of four (sold out) |
| Official site | nctransportationmuseum.org |
Menus, dates, and fares change. Confirm on the museum before you book. Information compiled September 16, 2026.
What the evening is like
Cocktail hour is on the museum floor. Then you board historic cars for a leisurely lap of the shops while dinner is served at your reserved seats. If your party does not fill a 4-top, other guests may take the empty chairs. Cars used for this event are not wheelchair accessible. Rain or shine. No refunds or exchanges as posted.
Friday and Saturday 2026 had two seatings (first cocktail 4:00 p.m., second 6:30 p.m.). Sunday followed the same pattern. Dress is encouraged as nice, not required. A St. Patrick’s Day Train Ride on March 13–14, 2026, was a separate spring dinner-style evening on the same grounds.
Tickets & practical
- Booking: Museum Etix / wine-and-dine page. 2026 is sold out
- Station / parking: 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer. Arrive for cocktail hour, not just train time
- Age / alcohol: 21+; valid photo ID for boarding passes. Three drink tickets; more for purchase
- Licensed Polar Express at Spencer is NCTM Polar 2026—not this dinner
Related reading on American-Rails.com
Always verify 2026 dates, menus, and prices on the railroad’s official site. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.
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