After hearing or reading masterpieces like Kevin Lewis’ “Chugga Chugga Choo Choo” and Chris Van Allsberg’s “The Polar Express,” and ogling trains passing by here and there across our region, your kids may be more than ready for a holiday ride on the Northwest Railway Museum’s Yuletide Express or North Pole Limited round-trip train trips.
Here’s the schedule for 2026
The Yuletude Express is a short, festive round-trip ride from the Snoqualmie Depot to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, a 40-minute scenic journey. Santa walks through to visit; each child receives a small gift and all passengers get a peppermint stick at the end of the journey. The Yuletide Express will run on Fridays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, departing hourly beginning at 9 a.m. The cost is $30 per person above age 2.
North Pole Limited is a two-hour trip between North Bend depot and the Railway History Campus (RHC), including a stop at RHC for exhibits, cookies, hot chocolate, seasonal crafts, and photo ops. During the ride, children can meet Santa in the restored Chapel Car, and receive a gift. The Limited chugs out of North Bend at three times — 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. — every Saturday and Sunday between Nov. 28 and Dec. 20, at a cost of $42 per person above age 1.
Tickets for either trip must be purchased online in advance at trainmuseum.org.
Yuletide Express boards at Snoqualmie Depot: 38625 SE King St., Snoqualmie.
North Pole Limited boards at North Depot: 205 E. McClellan St., North Bend.
“All aboard” for family fun on the Yuletide Express : A parent review
Aboard the train, we adults enjoyed seeing the old train cars parked along the rails and peekaboo views of Snoqualmie Falls, but the kids started to get a little restless and I was grateful to have our train book along for entertainment.
Then, I turned around to glance through the window at the back of our beautifully decorated car and spotted Jolly Old Saint Nick making his way toward us. My highly practical daughter, then 4, reminded me loudly with a roll of her eyes, “Santa Claus is just for pretend, Mommy!” Thank goodness for the distance from believers!
Despite her lack of faith, when I asked her later about her favorite part of the ride, she replied without hesitation that it was seeing Santa Claus. My oldest doesn’t normally open up to strangers, but she happily told Santa her age and even managed to squeak out a “thank you” for her gift (a beautiful little wooden top). It’s a miracle!
On the return trip, we compared features of the train cars to the ones in our book and hopped down at the depot to pick up our snickerdoodles. We spent 10 to 15 minutes admiring the antique train cars and climbing stairs before heading home.
Since my young kids have short attention spans, the Yuletide Express was the perfect length outing with just the right amount of holiday magic.
