If someone in your family has a passion for trains, this is an excellent time of year for you. In November and December, there’s a bounty of holiday train fun and events celebrating the glories of railroad travel. We’ve got something for everyone, from riding the train with Santa to viewing miniature train villages. All aboard!
Seattle
Model Trains
Swansons Nursery Holiday Model Train Village | November 8 – January 1 | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily (check website for extended holiday hours) | 9701 15th Ave NW | Free | All ages | Come to Swanson’s annual model train village for your family train outing! At the train you’ll find a holiday activity booklet filled with fun games and activities for the whole family. Don’t miss Santa’s Yurt, an interactive kids’ space. Plus, enjoy all of the usual holiday fun, including professional Santa photos by appointment, holiday décor and ornaments, Christmas trees, and a café.
Winterfest Train and Village | November 28 – December 31, 2025 (Closed December 25) | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily | Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle | Free ($2 suggested donation to control the model trains) | All ages | See a giant layout of a turn-of-the-century village at the Seattle Center Armory. This display has been a holiday mainstay for nearly 50 years. Participate in the Winterfest train scavenger hunt and try to find all of the hidden pieces within the train village. Donations are welcome to help keep the train running.
Holiday Train Rides
Seattle Monorail Christmas Market Express | November 20, 2025 – December 24, 2025 | Round-trip travel between the Westlake Center and Seattle Center Monorail Stations | $4-$8 per person as an add-on to Seattle Christmas Market Admission | All ages | Travel to the Seattle Christmas Market in festive style on the Seattle Monorail! Purchase the Christmas Market Express add-on to your Seattle Christmas Market admission, and you will receive a round-trip ticket to ride the Seattle Monorail between Westlake Center and Seattle Center, plus a limited edition Seattle Christmas Market puzzle. Puzzle pick-up will be located at the Info & Merch Hut just inside the Seattle Christmas Market entrance.
Eastside
Holiday Train Rides
Santa Train Limited, North Bend Depot | Weekends, November 29 – December 21, 2025 | North Bend Depot: 205 E McClellan Street, North Bend, WA | Advanced Tickets Required, $40 per person (Ages 2 and under free) | All ages | You will begin your 2-hour, round-trip experience at North Bend Depot, where you will see Santa and his elves as you board the train’s seasonally decorated coaches and ride to the Railway History Campus! After the train ride, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the inside, where you’ll find music, refreshments, and various exhibits. Lastly, there will be a visit with Santa, where each child will receive a small gift and participate in seasonal crafting activities. Tickets are limited; please book as soon as possible.
Northwest Railway Museum Santa Train, photo by Chris Neir
Yuletide Express Train Ride, Snoqualmie Depot  | November 29, December 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 2025 | Snoqualmie Depot, 38625 SE King St, Snoqualmie |Advanced tickets required, $30 per person (Ages 2 and under free) | All ages | Depart the Historic Snoqualmie Depot for an excursion with Santa and his elves aboard seasonally decorated antique coaches and travel west to Snoqualmie Falls and back. Friday excursions are 40 minutes round-trip, while Saturday excursions are 25 minutes round-trip. Enjoy a small gift from Santa and a peppermint stick to enjoy on your ride home.
South of Seattle
Model Trains
Washington State History Museum Model Train Festival | December 19, 2025 – January 1, 2026 (Closed December 24 and 25) | 10 AM – 5 PM daily | Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma | Included with museum admission, children five and younger FREE | All ages | Join the 29th annual Model Train Festival at Tacoma’s Washington State History Museum! This museum has become a paradise for model train enthusiasts from around the state, who create elaborate train layouts on each floor, each featuring intricate diorama scenes of the Pacific Northwest. Kids can also see railroad artifacts in the Great Hall of Washington History. Enjoy trains on the big screen in their auditorium, where I Love Toy Trains and I Love Big Trains, from filmmaker Tom McComas, will screen throughout the festival. The auditorium lobby will serve as a family room with toy trains, Legos, and more. Special appearances from the museum’s mascot, Seymour History, will take place on December 19 and December 26. The museum will be closed on December 24 and 25, 2025.
Washington State History Museum Model Train Festival, photo provided by the Washington State History Museum
Holiday Train Rides
Polar Express Train Ride, Chehalis | Weekends November 15 – December 21, 2025 (SOME DATES SOLD OUT) | Chehalis Centralia Railroad, 1101 SW Sylvenus St, Chehalis | Tickets starting at $66 per person, kids under two ride free on an adult’s lap | All ages | Passengers are invited to ride comfortably on a 75-minute round trip to the North Pole in a vintage railcar. While on board, hot chocolate and delicious treats will be served. Each child will be given a sleigh bell to keep.
Polar Express Train photo provided by Chehalis Centralia Railroad
Regional
Holiday Train Rides
Christmas With The Clauses on Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad | November 21 – December 23, 2025 | Departures between 1:30 and 7:30 PM | Elbe Depot, 54124 Mountain Highway E, Elbe | Tickets starting at $38 per person, kids under two ride free on an adult’s lap | All ages | Enjoy the warmth and fun of the Christmas season as you depart for a trip to the North Pole. This is a 75-minute round-trip immersive theatrical experience. Chefs will entertain passengers, enjoy Hot Chocolate and Cookies, and listen to a reading of The Polar Express. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa will board the train and give each child the first gift of Christmas (a silver bell). Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride!
Working Trains
Ride a real, working train! There are many ways to do that around Seattle, although these are different from the steam-powered variety. Link light rail has expanded and now takes you north to Lynnwood or south to Sea-Tac Airport and beyond. The vintage Monorail is super cool and connects Seattle Center and Westlake Center, two Seattle-area holiday hubs. In downtown Tacoma, you could hop on a light-rail train for a short, scenic ride to the Tacoma Dome and back. If you’re feeling more ambitious, hop on an Amtrak Cascades train from King Street Station and travel to Canada or Oregon (or points between!)
