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North Carolina "The Polar Express" Train Rides In Spencer!

Published: November 12, 2025

By: Adam Burns

Tucked in the Piedmont town of Spencer, the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) sits on hallowed railroad ground. The campus is the former Southern Railway Spencer Shops, a sprawling complex built in the 1890s to maintain steam locomotives running the vital Washington–Atlanta main line. Today, those same brick shop buildings, roundhouse, and turntable form the backbone of a 60-acre museum that celebrates railroading, automobiles, aviation, and more—while still running trains of its own.

Tiny Flagg Coal Company 0-4-0T #75 is seen here on April 26, 2008. This operational little locomotive is not part of the museum's collection. Dan Robie photo.

A quick history: Spencer Shops to state historic site

Southern Railway chose Spencer for its strategic, midpoint location between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta and broke ground in 1896. At its peak, the complex was the largest steam-locomotive service facility in the Southeast, employing thousands across the Back Shop (erecting shop), machine shops, a massive 37-stall roundhouse (completed in 1924), and a 100-foot turntable.

The shops’ importance was such that the Back Shop is recognized as a unique preserved example of a longitudinal erecting shop by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. After dieselization, operations wound down in the 1970s, and Southern Railway deeded the first parcel in 1977, with additional acreage added in 1979, enabling North Carolina to develop a transportation museum on site. The museum opened to the public as a state historic site by 1980, with early exhibits growing into the multi-building campus visitors know today.

What you’ll see today

NCTM markets itself as “the museum that moves you,” and that’s not hyperbole. The 60-acre campus preserves original shop structures and houses broad collections across several modes of transportation. Highlights include:

Barber Junction Depot (1898), relocated from nearby Barber, now the visitor center and boarding point for rides around the site.

The Bob Julian Roundhouse—the largest still-functioning roundhouse in North America—ringed with locomotives and railcars and centered on that working 100-foot turntable. Aerial views from the 1940s underscore just how busy Spencer Shops once was; today, the roundhouse doubles as exhibit hall and active shop space.

The cavernous Back Shop, which once overhauled steam locomotives and now displays rail equipment, antique vehicles, and ongoing restorations (including historic aircraft).

The Flue Shop, home to the “Bumper to Bumper” automotive exhibit, spanning the horseless-carriage era through the late 20th century.

The rail collection: icons with Carolina roots

NCTM’s rail roster blends Southeastern classics with nationally significant pieces. Among the best-known:

Southern Railway E8A No. 6900, a streamlined passenger diesel that once hauled the famed Southern Crescent. It remains a crowd-pleaser and sometimes powers museum rides.

Southern FP7 No. 6133, Southern GP30 No. 2601, and Norfolk & Western GP9 No. 620, stalwarts of mid-century dieselization.

Atlantic Coast Line E3A No. 501, a sleek early E-unit representing the dawn of streamlined diesel power in the Southeast.

Southern 2-8-0 No. 542 (built 1903), a freight veteran of North Carolina rails, today cosmetically restored for display.

Beyond the headline locomotives, you’ll find switchers, shop equipment, passenger cars, cabooses, and private varnish, all set within the very infrastructure that once serviced the South’s steam army. The living-history feel—seeing rolling stock inside a working roundhouse—pairs the artifacts with their original context.

Going for a ride

The museum operates seasonal on-site train rides using its heritage diesel fleet. Boarding is at Barber Junction, and the narrated loop explores the shop campus and grounds—an ideal way to understand the site’s scale. (Equipment varies by day; check the museum calendar.)

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at NCTM

Each holiday season, the museum transforms into a theatrical rail-journey inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s classic book and the Warner Bros. film. The experience combines live performance and an immersive train ride, all staged entirely on the museum’s campus in Spencer.

2025 dates

For 2025, THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride runs on select dates: Nov. 7–9, 14–16, 21–23, 28–30 and Dec. 5–7 & 11–23. Performances are concentrated in late afternoons and evenings; specific times and peak-pricing nights are announced as the season approaches. Tickets are sold online and via a call center beginning in early June (member presales start first).

Boarding location & run time

All performances take place at 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC, with parking and check-in directed from the museum grounds. Plan to arrive at least 45 minutes early to park and locate your queue. The combined stage show and train ride lasts about 70 minutes.

Trains, classes, and seating

NCTM typically operates two trains (Train A and Train B) for this event. The performance is identical on both, but their car sets differ slightly—Train A includes the only Parlor Class car; both trains offer Standard Coach, Deluxe Coach, and First Class (table) seating. All seating is assigned during purchase; consult the museum’s posted seating charts to see table and seat orientations.

Here’s how the service tiers break down:

Standard Coach – Assigned coach seats without tables. Includes hot cocoa (quality paper cup), cookie, golden ticket, and silver sleigh bell. (ADA: see below.)

Deluxe Coach – Upgraded coach seats without tables. Includes hot cocoa served in a keepsake tumbler, a special treat, cookie, golden ticket, and silver sleigh bell.

First Class – Table seating (2-, 4-, and very limited 6-tops). Includes hot cocoa in a keepsake ceramic mug, special treat, cookie, golden ticket, and silver sleigh bell. All table seats must be purchased together.

Parlor Class (Train A only) – 4-top tables plus the First Class amenities and one hard-bound copy of The Polar Express signed by Santa per table. All table seats purchased together.

ADA & mobility notes

Due to the use of historic rolling stock, accessible seating is limited to specific cars: “Jingle” (Standard, Train A) and “Noel” (Deluxe, Train B). These cars have lifts at the main boarding and final destination; wheelchairs cannot be unloaded at the North Pole scene, but the performance can be viewed from the train. Width and device limitations apply—review the museum’s ADA details before purchasing. First Class and Parlor are not wheelchair accessible.

What to expect on board

Just like the book and movie, your evening begins as the train glides into the station beside Barber Junction and the cast welcomes you to the adventure. Once aboard, uniformed chefs and conductors serve hot chocolate and cookies as car hosts lead sing-alongs and a reading of The Polar Express. At the “North Pole,” you’ll step off to watch Santa present the First Gift of Christmas. On the return, every guest who believes receives a silver sleigh bell before exiting at Candy Cane Lane. Pajamas are absolutely encouraged.

Practical tips

Arrive early. Gates reopen for the evening event (the museum closes at 2 p.m. on Polar days to reset). Photos with Santa are offered at Candy Cane Lane before and after rides.

Know your table size. In First and Parlor, all seats at a table must be purchased; one lap child under age 2 per adult is allowed, but ages 2+ require a seat.

Watch for member presales and lodging bundles. Rowan County’s “Stay & Play” packages may include standard-class tickets or gift-card incentives with participating hotels.

Beyond the holidays: exhibits and experiences year-round

Even apart from THE POLAR EXPRESS™, the museum offers a full calendar—winter rides, specialty tours, and themed events that make clever use of the shop buildings and roundhouse. Inside the Bob Julian Roundhouse, aviation exhibits share space with locomotives (look for the full-size Wright Flyer replica), while the Back Shop often hosts automotive and restoration displays. The juxtaposition of eras—steam-era architecture, classic diesels, early automobiles, and mid-century airline history—shows how transportation technologies evolved together.

Why NCTM matters

Few museums in the country can claim such an intact, original railroad plant—and even fewer still operate rides within that historic footprint. The Spencer Shops story is about people and place: the shop forces who kept the Southern’s motive power moving, and the Piedmont communities that grew with the railroad. Standing in the roundhouse or Back Shop, you’re not just looking at engines; you’re inside the very cathedral of their care. That authenticity is what makes NCTM a must-see for railfans and families alike.

Planning your visit

Location: N.C. Transportation Museum, 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC (physical campus). Barber Junction serves as the visitor center and boarding point.
NC Transportation Museum

Campus size: Roughly 60 acres across original shop buildings—easy to spend half a day.

Roundhouse superlative: The largest still-functioning roundhouse in North America—don’t miss a turntable demonstration if offered.

Collections to seek out: Southern E8 6900, FP7 6133, GP30 2601; Norfolk & Western GP9 620; ACL E3 501; and steam Southern 542 and ACL 1031, among others (equipment in service/display varies).

Final thoughts

The North Carolina Transportation Museum succeeds because it’s more than a display—it’s a preserved place. You can trace the arc from steam erecting shop to modern interpretive museum simply by walking the grounds and riding the rails that tie it all together. And when the holidays arrive, those same tracks host a beloved tradition: THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride, a theatrical, cocoa-and-carols journey that has become a hallmark of winter in the Carolinas.

Whether you’re coming for the roundhouse and shop architecture, to study Southern Railway diesel classics, or to make family memories in pajamas and bell bracelets, Spencer is ready to welcome you aboard.