2026North Pole Express™
North Pole Express™ 2026 Sales FAQS
Board our locomotive-powered sleigh for a magical nighttime journey to the North Pole. Celebrate the spirit of the season with Santa and Mrs. Claus, festive sing-a-longs, hot chocolate and sugar cookies.
Each child will receive a small gift from Santa. Children are invited to wear their favorite pajamas! Make sure those PJs are warm and cozy…it’s cold up at the North Pole!
All ticket sales for the 2026 North Pole Express™ will be conducted online.
All tickets are first come, first served and all sales are final. There are NO refunds, exchanges or credits.
Please email any questions or correspondence to northpole@essexsteamtrain.com and a customer care representative will respond at their earliest convenience.
Due to the volume of time sensitive calls we receive in our call center regarding our daily summer excursions and events, we cannot answer NPE questions by phone at this time. Thank you
2026 Operating Dates
Friday – Sunday: November 20 -November 22
Friday-Sunday: November 27 – November 29
Tuesday – Sunday: December 1 – December 20
Tuesday & Wednesday: December 22 & 23
2026 Operating Times
Friday November 20: 4pm, 4:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 8pm
Saturday & Sunday November 21-22: 2pm, 2:30 pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 8pm
Saturday & Sunday Dates November 28-December 20: 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm
Tuesday – Friday Dates December 1-December 22: 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm
Friday November 27 & Wednesday December 23: 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm
(Each Departure is approximately 90 minutes round-trip)
2026 Ticket Prices
Tuesday -Thursday: $60.00 per Coach Seat / $95.00 per First Class Seat
Friday – Sunday AND Tuesday & Wednesday December 22-23: $70.00 per Coach Seat / $105.00 per First Class Seat
Premium First Class Tickets (All dates): $120.00 per Seat – Available on select departures for Full and Half Car Purchases
(Coach is padded bench seat / First Class is individual seat with option of purchasing beverages / Premium First Class includes upgraded bar options, and gift for each passenger.)
NOTE: Children under the age of 1 sitting on a parent’s lap do not require a ticket.
On Sale Dates
Monday August 3 @ 9am: Full, Half, Quarter and Sections of Four Seats Sales (NO INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES)
Wednesday August 5 @ 9am: Individual Ticket Sales
(All Sales are ONLINE ONLY at www.essexsteamtrain.com / NO PHONE OR IN PERSON SALES)
August 3 Ticket Sale Options
16 Seat Half Premium First Class Cars Available at 2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm and 8pm excursion times
20, 34 & 36 Seat Full Premium First Class Cars Available at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm excursion times
4 Seat Section in First Class Car Available at 3:30pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm excursion times
36 Seat Full First Class Cars Available at 3:30pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm excursion times
38 Seat Full First Class Cars Available at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm
4 Seat Section in Coach Class Car Available at 2:30pm, 4:30pm and 6:30 pm excursion times
16 Seat Quarter of Coach Class Car Available at 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30 pm excursion times
64 Seat Full Coach Class Car Available at 2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 8pm excursion times