Pennsylvania Christmas Train Rides (2026): A Complete Guide

Last revised: September 1, 2026

Pennsylvania has more Christmas trains than almost any other state. Lancaster County’s Strasburg Rail Road and Bucks County’s New Hope Railroad are the two that sell out first. Boyertown, Middletown, Titusville, and Kempton add shorter Santa rides. None of these are licensed Polar Express events. If you want the franchise story, cocoa, and silver bell, use the Polar Express hub.

Great Western 2-10-0 90 Strasburg Rail Road February 13 2016 Jon Wright

Great Western Railway 2-10-0 #90 at the Strasburg Rail Road, February 13, 2016. Jon Wright photo.

On this page: At a glance · Christmas hosts · Planning tips

Pennsylvania Christmas trains at a glance

Host	City	2026 product	Deep dive
Strasburg Rail Road	East Strasburg / Ronks	Santa’s Paradise Express (~45 min, adult $47.70 / child $37.10 as listed); Night Before Christmas Train	Strasburg Christmas 2026
New Hope Railroad	New Hope	Santa’s Steam Train Ride and Santa’s North Pole Express (~60 min New Hope–Lahaska). Dynamic fares	New Hope Santa 2026
Colebrookdale Railroad	Boyertown	Santa’s Polar Bear Express (~1 hr, from $55 listed); ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (~90 min, from $65). Confirm 2026 calendar	Railroad site
Middletown & Hummelstown	Middletown	Santa / Polar Bear Express-style family trains when posted. Confirm 2026	Railroad site
Oil Creek & Titusville	Titusville	Santa Trains (typical post-Thanksgiving weekends). Confirm 2026	Railroad site
Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern	Kempton	Santa Claus Special / Story Time with Mrs. Claus when posted. Confirm 2026	Railroad site

Schedules and fares change. Confirm on each railroad before you book. Information compiled September 1, 2026. These are Christmas trains—not licensed THE POLAR EXPRESS™ events.

Christmas hosts

Strasburg Rail Road

(East Strasburg / Ronks): America’s oldest continuously operating railroad company. The family headliner is Santa’s Paradise Express—about 45 minutes through Amish farmland with carolers, Santa, and a small gift for children. Adult $47.70 / child $37.10 as listed on the 2026 event page. The quieter companion is the Night Before Christmas Train. Steam is typical on Strasburg main-line trains; read the ticket. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is across the parking lot.

2026: Confirm the live Christmas calendar on strasburgrailroad.com (typically late November through December). Full product page: Strasburg Christmas 2026.

New Hope Railroad

(New Hope): Two products on the old Reading New Hope Branch, about 60 minutes New Hope to Lahaska. Santa’s Steam Train Ride is the steam listing when Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 40 is advertised. Santa’s North Pole Express is the cocoa-and-carolers ride on the same corridor (diesel as scheduled). Fares are dynamic. Steam is not a blanket promise on every date.

2026: Confirm calendars on newhoperailroad.com. Full product page: New Hope Santa 2026.

Colebrookdale Railroad

(Boyertown): The Secret Valley Line. Family Christmas products include Santa’s Polar Bear Express (about an hour; from $55 as listed) and ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (about 90 minutes; pajamas; from $65). Santa visits; children get a gift. A Winter Wonderland dinner train is a different ticket. The name Polar Bear Express is the railroad’s own—not Polar Express.

2026: Confirm the live grid on colebrookdalerailroad.com. Recent seasons ran Saturdays, Sundays, and select weekdays after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve.

Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad

(Middletown): The Milk & Honey Line along Swatara Creek. Holiday listings have included Santa and Polar Bear Express-style family trains. Confirm what 2026 actually sells and whether steam is on the ticket. Book on mhrailroad.com.

Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad

(Titusville): Santa trains on the old Pennsylvania Railroad through Oil Creek State Park. Typical pattern is weekends after Thanksgiving: Santa, carols, a small gift for children, cocoa and cookies back at the station. Confirm 2026 dates on octrr.org.

Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern Railroad

(Kempton): A short Reading remnant. Holiday listings have included a Santa Claus Special and Story Time with Mrs. Claus. Steam when the engines are in ticket. Confirm 2026 on kemptontrain.com.

Planning tips

Strasburg and New Hope sell out first. Buy the class you actually want; dining and private rooms are different tickets.
Lancaster County and New Hope parking is tight on December Saturdays. Arrive as the railroad directs.
Steam is common at Strasburg and possible at New Hope. It is not a guarantee at every Pennsylvania host.
Pajamas are welcome on most family Santa trains; bring a coat for the platform.
Licensed Polar Express rides are listed on the Polar Express hub, not here.