All 12,480 tickets to National Railroad Museum Polar Express sold out in 24 hours last year. Here's how to prep this year
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ASHWAUBENON – Think of it as Christmas in July.
If you want to be in your flannel candy cane pajamas headed to the North Pole on the Polar Express during the holidays, you’ll need to sweat the details during the heat of summer.
Tickets for The Polar Express Train Ride at the National Railroad Museum go on sale Tuesday, and if demand is anything like previous years, they’ll sell out long before the popular family Christmas tradition opens Nov. 17 for four weekends. Last year, all 12,480 tickets for 40 performances were gone in less than 24 hours.
All aboard for a quick rundown of what to know about getting a seat at this year’s event.
When and where do tickets go on sale?
They go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Ticket Star at ticketstaronline.com, 800-895-0071 and the Resch Center box office, 840 Armed Forces Drive. No tickets are sold at the National Railroad Museum. All ages require a ticket, including children sitting on a lap.
How fast does it sell out?
In the past, 96% of premium tickets were gone in the first 90 minutes. Most standard and first-class tickets sell within the first 24 hours, so the sooner the better on making your purchase. There is room for 312 people at each show. There is no waiting list once the event is sold out.
How much are tickets?
Prices vary by the train car. They range from $35 for Glacier Gulch (a 1920s single-level coach) to $48 for Arctic Circle (1920s dining car) and $55 for Spirit of the Season table seating (1939 dinette/observation car).
Tickets are only sold in blocks of four on some cars. For a list of which amenities are included with each ticket class, visit nationalrrmuseum.org.
When is The Polar Express Train Ride?
It runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 17 through Dec. 10. Performances are at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Fridays and Sundays and 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Saturdays.
What is the experience like?
Families, often wearing matching holiday pajamas, snuggle in for a dramatic reading of “The Polar Express” children’s book by Chris Van Allsurg among the museum’s rolling stock and decorated trees inside the Lenfestey Center, as images from the story show on a big screen. During the Hot Chocolate Dance, the audience is served hot chocolate and a cookie. Then it’s outside to board a vintage train car for a ride to the North Pole with actors portraying characters from the beloved 2004 movie of the same name and passengers playing an interactive role in familiar scenes. Photos with the conductor are a favorite with returning patrons. Santa Claus is there, too.
The entire experience lasts about 90 minutes, including a half-hour of preshow activities.
Why is it so popular?
The National Railroad Museum is one of just 38 sites in the United States and Canada licensed by Colorado-based Rail Events Inc. to host The Polar Express Train Ride. As the only location in Wisconsin, it draws people from as far away as Milwaukee, Madison, Wausau and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It has become a holiday tradition for many families who return year after year.
It’s also the National Railroad Museum’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
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Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Tickets for Polar Express at National Railroad Museum on sale Tuesday
