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A Georgia Christmas Train Ride In Duluth!

Published; November 13, 2025

By: Adam Burns

The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia, bills itself as “Georgia’s Official Transportation History Museum,” and for railfans it lives up to that title in every way. Founded in 1970 by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the museum has grown from a modest collection into a 35-acre campus filled with historic locomotives, passenger cars, transit vehicles, and other artifacts that tell the story of railroading and transportation across the Southeast and the nation.

Background and history

The Southeastern Railway Museum opened in 1970 with the goal of preserving the region’s railroad heritage at a time when many classic steam and early diesel locomotives were being retired and scrapped.

Early efforts by NRHS volunteers focused on acquiring equipment from southeastern carriers such as Southern Railway, Seaboard Air Line, Central of Georgia, and Atlanta & West Point, along with smaller short lines. Over time, the museum expanded its scope to include equipment from outside the region if it helped tell broader national stories about passenger travel, freight, and technological change. 

In 1999, the museum relocated to its present 35-acre site on Buford Highway in Duluth, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta. The new campus provided more track, indoor display buildings, and room for future expansion. Today, visitors wander through a landscape of rails and sidings lined with preserved equipment while trains still shuttle guests around the grounds.

Recognizing the significance of the collection, the State of Georgia designated the Southeastern Railway Museum as the state’s official transportation history museum in May 2000.

That designation also reflects how the museum has diversified its holdings beyond rail—adding buses, vintage automobiles, fire and service trucks, and even rapid-transit cars—to interpret how people and goods move across the region.

Notable current collection

The heart of the museum remains its roughly 90 pieces of railroad rolling stock. On the locomotive side, visitors can see classic diesel switchers such as General Electric 44- and 50-ton center-cab units that once worked on short lines and industrial railways.

One GE 44-tonner, no. 104 from the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, is often highlighted in photos of the museum and represents the kind of versatile road-switcher that kept smaller lines running in the mid-20th century.

The passenger-car collection is particularly rich. Among the crown jewels are two famous Pullman cars with presidential ties:

• The Marco Polo – Used by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his years as governor of New York and early presidential campaigns, this Pullman car later joined SRM’s collection and helps tell the story of political travel during the 1930s.
• Pullman Superb – Built in 1911, Superb later served as the presidential car for Warren G. Harding and carried his body on the funeral train in 1923. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as one of the most historically significant pieces on the property. 

Beyond the presidential equipment, the museum houses heavyweight and lightweight passenger cars, baggage and express equipment, cabooses from several southeastern railroads, and maintenance-of-way gear.

Visitors also find freight cars that once carried everything from coal and lumber to automobiles and agricultural products, illustrating how the railroad network underpinned economic growth in Georgia and the wider Southeast. 

Because restoration resources are finite, some cars and locomotives gleam under cover while others await cosmetic work outdoors. This mix actually underscores the importance of preservation: recent recognition by the Georgia Trust’s “Places in Peril” program highlights that, while SRM’s collection is nationally significant, many pieces still need funding and volunteer labor to combat the effects of time and weather.

The visitor experience

A visit to the Southeastern Railway Museum is intentionally hands-on and family-friendly. Regular admission includes at least one train ride—typically behind one of the museum’s historic diesel switchers with a short train of coaches or open cars, giving guests the feel of riding a working railroad rather than simply viewing static displays. 

Guests can climb into cabs, walk through passenger coaches, and step aboard transit equipment, with interpretive signage and volunteers sharing the stories behind each artifact. The site’s size allows for wide-angle views of full trains and excellent photo opportunities, and an on-site gift shop and picnic areas round out the experience for families spending a half-day or more on the grounds.

Christmas Adventures

“Santa Arrives by Train!!”

The museum’s holiday season really kicks off with its annual “Santa Arrives by Train!!” event, when Mr. and Mrs. Claus literally roll into the museum by rail. The museum’s timetable has Santa arriving on a special train—often described in publicity as the #3 Local—around 1 p.m. on a Saturday in mid-November, using the current passenger loading area in Building 2.

Families and railfans gather along the platform to watch the caboose or coach bring in Santa and Mrs. Claus, usually behind a historic locomotive such as one of the Norfolk & Western or Southern units preserved on site. Past events have featured the Claus entourage stepping off a Norfolk & Western caboose, greeted by cheering children and plenty of bells, whistles, and photo opportunities. 

Once Santa has arrived, the day turns into a full holiday celebration. Typical activities have included:

• Time for children to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus for photos with an on-site photographer.
• Train rides around the museum grounds, often with a festive feel thanks to decorations and seasonal music.
• Crafts or simple activities geared toward younger visitors, run by museum volunteers.

Because the event is popular and schedules can shift year to year, it’s wise for potential visitors to check the museum’s online event calendar for specific dates, times, and ticket details before planning a trip.

Festival of Trees

Running alongside and beyond Santa’s arrival is the museum’s charming Festival of Trees, presented in partnership with the Duluth Fine Arts League. Each holiday season, local businesses, civic groups, schools, and families sponsor and decorate Christmas trees that are displayed throughout one of the indoor exhibit buildings. The result is a forest of lights and ornaments set amid vintage railcars and locomotives.

Recent schedules have seen the Festival of Trees opening in mid-November and continuing through late December or early January—often from about November 15 to early January—giving visitors several weeks to enjoy the display. Exhibits are generally open during regular museum hours: Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. 

For the museum, the Festival of Trees is both a community outreach program and a fundraiser. Sponsoring a tree provides local organizations with promotional visibility in an unusual setting, and their creativity helps transform the train halls into a festive winter scene.

For visitors, it means they can stroll past dozens of themed trees—often 60 to 70 or more—set against the backdrop of Pullman sleepers, cabooses, and diesel locomotives. The contrast between evergreen branches and weathered steel makes for striking photos and a memorable holiday atmosphere.

Why it matters

Together, “Santa Arrives by Train!!” and the Festival of Trees show how the Southeastern Railway Museum uses seasonal events to connect its historic collection with today’s families. Children who come to see Santa end up climbing through real passenger cars and locomotives; adults who arrive for a festive tree display find themselves face-to-face with presidential railcars and classic diesel power.

For Georgia and the wider region, SRM preserves a tangible link to eras when railroads were the backbone of travel and commerce. The museum’s combination of significant artifacts, hands-on experiences, and community-minded holiday traditions makes it an ideal destination for anyone interested in trains, transportation, or simply a unique way to celebrate the season.  To learn more about the museum's holiday events please click here to visit their website.