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Christmas at the Museum
All Aboard! The North Pole Express and Santa Claus Special will be departing this December from the Parrish train station!
Go to the Santa Claus Special for information on our day-time Christmas train.
The North Pole Express is Sold Out for 2011. We are not able to offer a waitlist for cancellations.
Standby is available each evening for no-show tickets. No-show tickets are processed at 5:50 PM and made available to standby guests on a first-come, first-served basis. The number of tickets and seating locations will vary.
Limited tickets are still available on the Santa Claus Special!
North Pole Express |
Santa Claus Special |
The Party
Caboose |
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Tickets
1. Dates and Times
The North Pole Express departs at 6:00 PM on the following Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays:
December 1, 2, 3, 4
December 8, 9, 10, 11
December 15, 16, 17, 18
Boarding begins at 5:00 PM each evening and all guests are requested to be aboard by 5:40 PM. The train will depart promptly at 6:00 PM and return to Parrish between 9:00 and 9:30 PM.
Be sure to allow extra travel time for traffic, parking, ticket pickup and boarding.
2. Ticket Prices
Tickets are valid for round-trip travel from Parrish to the North Pole. Children under 1 traveling without a ticket must ride on a lap.
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Coach Class
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Excursion Class
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First Class
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Adults
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$22.00
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$30.00
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$40.00
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Children
1-11
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$18.00
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$26.00
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$36.00
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Under 1
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FREE
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FREE
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FREE
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The Party Caboose is available for exclusive charter and accommodates up to 16 guests with one flat charge. Find out more about the caboose.
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Party Caboose
for 16 Guests
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$475.00
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Group and reciprocal program discounts are not valid during special events.
A ticketing fee applies to online and telephone purchases. The fee is based on the ticket price and ranges from $2.00 to $2.50, per ticket.
3. Children
All children ages one and up must have a ticket for the North Pole Express.
Children under the age of one ride ride with our compliments, no ticket is required. Children traveling without a ticket must ride on a lap. If you wish to secure a seat for a child under the age of one, simply purchase a child ticket.
4. Classes of Service
The North Pole Express features three classes of service and the Party Caboose.
First Class - NEW!
- Location: Car 2002
- Individually assigned seats at time of reservation.
- Enclosed coach with air conditioning and heating.
- Large, comfortable, upholstered seats that recline.
- Lots of leg room and a foot rest.
- Cookies and hot beverage service in a souvenir mug onboard the train.
Excursion Class
- Location: Car 821
- Individually assigned seats at time of reservation.
- Comfortable, upholstered seats.
- Open-window coach.
- Hot beverage service onboard the train.
Coach Class
- Location: Cars 3518, 3572, 86902 & 91982
- Tickets assigned by coach car at time of reservation.
- First come, first served seating at boarding.
- Cars 3518 & 3572: Open-window coaches.
- Cars 86902 & 91982: Open-air gondolas with roof.
Party Caboose
- Private caboose for your exclusive use.
- 16 passenger capacity, including adults and children.
- Bring your own food, drink and decorations.
- Caboose has tables, restroom and running water.
- Open windows, doors and fans for ventilation.
- Museum host provided for safety and to assist in boarding/detraining.
- Flat rate of $475 for the entire evening.
5. Wheelchairs and Special Needs
Step-free boarding is available via ramp into Car 86902. Guests with difficulty walking long distances should choose Coach Class seating in Car 3518 or Car 86902 to minimize walking through the train.
Wheelchairs can only be accommodated in the open-air Car 86902. Space is extremely limited and reservations for wheelchairs are only available by calling the Ticket Office.
Please contact us if anyone in your party has other special needs. We will do our best to ensure everyone has a great journey to the North Pole.
6. Buying Tickets
This website is the fastest and easiest way to make reservations with an American Express, MasterCard or Visa credit/debit card. Reservations may also be made over the phone and on weekends at the Museum’s Parrish Ticket Office.
Wheelchair space is available in very limited quantities and may only be reserved by calling the Ticket Office.
The Ticket Office telephone number is 941-776-0906.
If you choose to call on September 5th, please expect hold times as our volunteers will be handling many calls that day.
7. Wait Lists
The Museum is not able to offer a wait list for reservations before tickets go on sale or for sold out trains.
8. Ticket Exchanges
The Museum is happy to exchange tickets to another date and time at no charge. Ticket exchanges are subject to inventory availability.
If you are no longer able to use your tickets for the time purchased please contact the Museum immediately by telephone or in person at the Parrish Ticket Office to preserve the value of your tickets. Exchanges must be completed at least 48 hours prior to the ticketed departure time. Within 48 hours of departure, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.
If the tickets have been picked up, please bring them to the Ticket Office to complete the exchange. Tickets reserved but not picked up may be exchanged over the phone.
When exchanging tickets, the value of each original ticket will be applied towards each new ticket. The difference in fare will be collected if the new ticket has a higher fare; no refund or credit will be issued when the new ticket has a lower fare.
9. Ticket Refunds
Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. Ticketing fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.
10. Getting Your Tickets
All tickets are held at the Parrish Ticket Office for Will-Call pickup on the day of departure. The Ticket Office opens two hours prior to train departure.
The Ticket Office closes for Will-Call pick up 20 minutes prior to departure. Tickets not picked up by this time are subject to cancellation.
At the Station
1. Arrive Early
Plan to arrive at the station at least ONE HOUR before departure. This will allow time for unexpected traffic, parking, ticket pick up and boarding. The train will depart on-time and cannot be held for late arriving guests.
2. Parking
Parking is free. Please do not leave valuables in your vehicle. The Museum is not responsible for theft, damage, or loss from any parked vehicle.
3. Boarding
Boarding for the North Pole Express begins at 5 PM.
Coach Class seating is first come, first served within your assigned car. First and Excursion Class guests have reserved seat assignments in Cars 821 and 2002.
4. Accessibility and Wheelchairs
Accessible parking and restrooms are available at the station. The boarding ramp to Car 86902 is adjacent to accessible parking.
The entire station area is a fairly level grass field. Please use extra caution with wheelchair and mobility impaired guests in your party.
We regret the Ticket Office and Gift Shop is not accessible at this time.
5. Restrooms
There are accessible restrooms available at the Parrish station. Due to very limited facilities on the train, please use the station restrooms prior to boarding.
Onboard the Train
1. Safety
Your safety is our first and foremost responsibility. Please take a few moments to pay special attention to the safety announcements at the beginning of your journey.
Keep the following in mind while riding our trains:
- Use both hands and provided hand holds when boarding, walking between cars and leaving the train.
- Accompany children at all times.
- Wear shoes at all times.
- No running on the train.
- Keep all parts of your body inside open windows and do not extend hands, arms, feet, legs or heads over the edge of open-air cars.
- Do not stand on seats or sit on ledges.
2. Dress Appropriately
In addition to the North Pole being outdoors, the open-air and open-window coaches are not climate controlled. The open-air cars (Cars 86902 and 91982) are directly exposed to weather and wind from the train’s movement. The windows in the open-window coaches (Cars 821, 3518 and 3572) will be adjusted according to the weather, but these cars are not heated or cooled. Car 2002, the New Georgia Coach, is fully enclosed with heating and air conditioning. Please check the weather and dress accordingly.
3. Food and Drink
With the exception of baby, special dietary and allergy requirements, outside food, beverages and coolers are not permitted onboard the train.
Light snacks and cold soda, juices and water are available in the gift shop and onboard the train.
4. Strollers, Bags and Coolers
Due to limited space, strollers and coolers are not permitted on the train. Small soft-sided coolers are permitted in conjunction with the food exceptions listed above.
If you need to bring a bag, please pack a reasonable size that will comfortably fit on your lap. The train will be full and not all cars have sufficient overhead or underseat storage. The Museum reserves the right to deny boarding of oversized items.
5. Restrooms
Please use the restrooms available at the station and the North Pole prior to boarding the train. There are two restrooms available on the train and they shoud be considered for priority use only if unable to wait for arrival at the North Pole or Parrish. The trip to and from the North Pole lasts 30 minutes.
6. Smoking
Smoking is prohibited onboard the train including the restrooms and vestibules.
7. Carolers
Throughout the trip to and from the North Pole, Carolers will be making their way through each car singing your favorite Christmas songs. Please make requests and join in!
At the North Pole
1. Accessibility
Car 86902 will unload and load via ramp at the North Pole. Accessible restrooms are available. Please note, the North Pole is located on a large grassy field.
2. Personal Belongings
While stopped at the North Pole, guests may store their belongings onboard the train. Please do not leave valuables. The Museum is not responsible for theft, loss or damage to items onboard the train.
3. Restrooms
Accessible restroom facilities are available at the North Pole.
4. Food and Drink
Complimentary hot chocolate and cookies are available at the North Pole for all guests.
Family size s’mores kits are available for purchase by the campfires.
Several dinner options will also be available for purchase each evening.
5. Activities
The following activities at the North Pole are included with your ticket:
- Arts & Crafts
- Making Reindeer Food to take Home
- Toy Activity Tent
- Campfires
- Model Railroad Display
- Lighted North Pole & Christmas Tree Display
- Visit with Santa Claus
6. Visiting Santa
The train will not depart until all children have seen Santa Claus. If a long line forms, please take some time to enjoy all the other activities and return later when the line is shorter.
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Five Golden Rings!
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
Santa visiting with children on his sleigh
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
Marshmallows roasting on an open fire
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
A Christmas Train
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
Making reindeer food
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
Santa’s Train Crew!
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
Steamed Up for the Holidays
Photo - Gary W. Sweetman Photography
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