The Polar Express Train Excursion- Standard

Put on your favorite pair of pajamas and hop aboard the Polar Express for a magical journey to the North Pole!

Description:

Join us for this family reenactment of the award-winning book, “The Polar Express”, written by Chris Van Allsburg. Your adventure begins on board our decorated train as Storytellers read the story aloud. As the train heads north toward the North Pole, festive elves will entertain you with songs and activities. Delicious hot chocolate and a cookie specially made by Mrs. Claus just for you are served on board.

When the train arrives at the North Pole you will see Santa and his workshop out your train window. (Passengers do not get off the train.) The train stops long enough to pick up Santa, who will visit with children on the way back and gift them all with a special jingle bell taken from the reindeer’s harness. If you can hear the bell ring…you truly believe!

Before or after the trip, enjoy the holiday decorations in our 1873 Depot, now a National Historic Landmark for its important role during WWII. Take the kids for a tour the Museum and enjoy the Bing Scavenger Hunt that will take you through the new wing at our museum composed of a train attached to the Depot! Enjoy dinner in one of our local restaurants. Don’t leave without picking up your Polar Express souvenirs in the Museum’s Whistle Stop Railway Gift Shop.

Don’t forget to purchase a copy of The Polar Express Book written by Chris Van Allsburg. Follow along as the Storyteller is reading it and get it signed by various characters on board.

Note: purchase of a book is NOT a purchase of a ticket to the train ride. We do not mail books out to passengers. You will receive a ticket voucher inside your ticket packet that you will take to the ticket window inside the Depot PRIOR to your trip.

Coach Seating- $65 per person. Everyone over the age of 1 must have a purchased ticket. Any under the age of 1 must be a lap seat. Note this price is for the Standard seating. Coach is general admission to the event and passengers in coach will be waiting outside on the platform

Deluxe Seating- $74 per person. Perks of Deluxe seating are more room, waiting inside the Depot, and children who ride get an engineer's hat and train whistle. Note: WE CAN NOT ACCOMODATE WHEELCHAIRS IN DELUXE.

This event is for Polar Express Rides: Fridays at 6PM, Saturdays at 6&8PM, and Sundays at 6PM

*By purchasing Tickets, All riders agree to the following:

Please Read ALL of the Information Below!

• You CAN NOT print off tickets from Eventbrite, we will mail them to you starting in October. The Depot is located at 400 Center Street Dennison, OH 44621. Please check your tickets when you receive them in the mail. If there is a mistake please contact the Depot as soon as possible. Changes may not be made 72 hours before the trip.
• There are NO cancellations and NO cash refunds, once the order has been processed you can not change the date or time or add tickets to the order.
• Seating is assigned. If you have 5 or more in your party, one or more seats will be across the aisle from you. If 2 or more Parties want to sit together then there must be one order form for all parties. The Depot will not take special requests to put parties together.
• All elves on board and at the North Pole are local children who donate their time and costumes. They are not professional actors. All Storytellers on board are also volunteers.
• The Dennison Depot reserves the right to change the seats or the cars and designate which cars are First Class, Deluxe and Coach. You can purchase tickets on Eventbrite for Deluxe and Coach seating. If you would like to purchase First Class you must call the Depot at 740-922-6776.
• Please Arrive 60 minutes before your departure time and dress for the weather. You CAN NOT wear flip-flops, open toed shoes or slippers. We encourage everyone to wear their favorite pajamas! Keep in mind that boarding will begin 30 minutes prior to departure and finish boarding 5 minutes prior to departure time. Folks arriving exactly at departure time will miss the train! Once the doors are shut, you CANNOT get on the train! If you need to pick up tickets at will call, we suggest at least 75 minutes prior to departure.
• Please DOUBLE Check the time and date of the ride you are choosing. Dates, Times and Class of Tickets CAN NOT be changed once ordered.
• Train rides last approximately 90 minutes. Please call 740-922-6776 for more information.
• Getting sick with COVID-19, Influenza or any other infectious diseases is not considered an extenuating circumstance for cancellation.

Cancellation Policy

• Tickets are non-refundable. Once tickets are purchased, we cannot change the date, time, quantity or class of your tickets.

• Please arrive early! In order to depart on time, train doors must be shut five minutes prior to departure. For departure, we strongly encourage you to arrive a minimum of one-hour early to find parking and to be ready to board on time. No refunds will be issued if you miss your train.
• Weather Statement: All rides will resume as scheduled with no cancellations or refunds; passengers should dress for winter conditions, allow extra travel time, and note that all ticket sales are final unless the event is officially canceled by the Dennison Depot or the Railroad, in which case refunds will be issued.

Acessibility Statement

Due to the historic nature of vintage rail equipment, the trains are not handicapped accessible. Historic and antiquated rail passenger equipment are exempt from ADA regulations under U.S. Code: Title 42: Section 12184. The passenger cars and most boarding facilities used on these excursions were constructed before disability accessibility laws were adopted. Platforms, boarding areas, stairs, step-boxes, seating, and especially doorways, passageways, aisles, and onboard restrooms may not accommodate all passengers. We will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate differently abled passengers who desire to ride the train. Motorized wheelchairs and/or scooters cannot be accommodated onboard any of our trains at any time.

Train Information

All trains will be round trip and run rain or shine. The Polar Express is operated by trained professionals on the Ohio Central Railroad, a division of the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad. Safety is a top priority, and all coaches are FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) approved with a qualified mechanic on board. Priority is given to maintaining planned schedules, but the railroad reserves the right to adjust schedules. For this reason, no refunds will be given for late train arrivals. We are also not responsible for passengers missing scheduled departure times. Any passenger missing a departing train will be responsible for their own travel arrangements.

Passengers will be expected to follow all safety rules as written here and announced on the train. Trained Car Hosts will assist passengers in boarding and step boxes will be used for the passengers’ convenience.

**If you or anyone in your party needs any special assistance ie. wheelchairs, walkers, difficulty walking, please call the Depot to ensure proper arrangements are available.