A Magical Ride to the North Pole on The Polar Express Train

by Laura Gustafson and Shannon Souaibou / New England Fall Events

The historic Blackstone Valley train
depot was renamed for the Polar Express

In November, we took our families to experience The Blackstone Valley’s Polar Express Train Ride first-hand. Celebrating its 17^th year, this is the longest running Polar Express train ride event anywhere in the world and it’s a gem to have it right here in New England. 

Written in 1985, The Polar Expressä is a Caldecott Award winning children’s book beloved by families and has been embraced as a holiday reading tradition.

Author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and continues to live in nearby Providence, RI so it is a natural fit that the very capable Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has produced this annual event for New England families, even developing it with the input of Mr. Van Allsburg. This memorable train ride is an annual outing for New Englanders and this special event precedes Academy Award nominated The Polar Express movie which came out in 2004.

At the train depot there were multiple Polar Express photo backgrounds and a place to write a letter to Santa

The Polar Express operates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the five weekends leading to Christmas.  We brought our two families on a Saturday afternoon for the 1:00pm train. There were seven of us--four adults and three children ages 2.9, 4.5 and 5 years old. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas on the trip and ours did so. We rode in the Comet car, which, after the Rudolph car, is the most affordable of the six train car/ticket options. This article will speak to our particular experience on the Comet car and it should be noted that each train car will have some variation and offer its own unique experience.

The depot was decorated inside and  offered a small concession stand. The train platform greeted us with (fake) snow! 

The website advised that we arrive at the station an hour prior to departure and mentioned there would be activities to enjoy while we waited. We managed to arrive a half hour prior, and once we’d parked and had our tickets scanned, we were in the station 20 minutes prior to the train departure. Wait times for everything were very quick and was quite appreciated!

Elves turned the pages while our
storyteller read fromThe Polar Express.

The Woonsocket Train Depot, which doubles as a gift shop, became very crowded as the passengers gathered inside so arriving a half hour before departure gives you more than enough time to enjoy the activities, especially considering the seats on the train are assigned. (But don’t cut your arrival too close because the train leaves promptly on time!)

The pre-ride “activities” consisted of taking your own photographs of your children with themed Polar Express backdrops and the opportunity to write a letter to Santa. As these are not time-consuming activities, we were able to complete them prior to boarding the train. The gift shop wares were reasonably priced as well and the indoor concessions stand sold popcorn, water and soda for $2.00.

Storyteller Jen was great at keeping
the kids engaged the whole ride through 

The train began boarding fifteen minutes prior to departure and was fully boarded in less than ten minutes. Fake snow drifted down to greet us on the train platform as we prepared to board our train car. Every passenger received a golden train ticket which would be punched by the conductor while on the train.

Each train car features their own storyteller/activity leader, a chef, an elf, and an engineer. Our storyteller on the Comet car was Jen who was very enthusiastic and made the trip a lot of fun. She kept the children well-engaged for the duration of the 90-minute train ride. It’s also nice that each train car includes music and provides microphones for their performing cast to make it easy for passengers to hear them.

L to R: The golden train ticket, the special gift from Santa, the kids stretched their legs by dancing in the aisles. 

The train cars are beautifully decorated with lace curtains, festive red and green seat covers, giant wrapped presents in the luggage racks above the seats, and garlands for atmosphere. All cars are heated and there are bathrooms on every other car (on Dancer, Comet and Cupid). The seats in the Comet car are very comfortable making it an enjoyable ride.

Getting our golden tickets punched

The train departed promptly on time. Storyteller Jen began reading the story of The Polar Express while Elf Mia and Chef Debbie moved through the car showing the pictures. Families may want to bring their own Polar Express book which would be easier for little ones to follow along in their seat.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, Storyteller Jen paused her reading of the book while hot chocolate and cookies were served throughout the car. The hot chocolate was dairy-free, came in a nice collectible travel mug, and was served at the perfect temperature for kids to sip right away. The cookies were completely nut/gluten free. 

The arrival of Santa Claus!

Once refreshments were passed out, Jen finished reading the book and the train conductor came into our car to punch our golden tickets. While the conductor punched tickets, Jen led the car in a sing-along, prompting Santa’s arrival. You could feel the excitement of the children when Santa arrived! 

The Comet car is the second to last car in line on the train and Santa arrived at our car about forty minutes into the trip which was about midway through. This Santa was very authentic and attentive to each child making for a personal experience. He took his time to talk to the children and happily paused with the families who wanted to take photos to capture the moment.

Santa happily paused for a photo

A recording of Josh Groban singing “Believe”, the Academy Award-nominated song from The Polar Express film, could be heard while Santa walked through the car presenting each child with their first gift of Christmas—a small gift that has an important relevance in the Polar Express story.

At one point the train even stopped at “The North Pole”—depicted by a candy stripe pole visible outside—which allowed for the engine to be switched for the return ride back. On the return ride there was more sing-along time and the children were invited to dance in the aisles. 

They were given crayons and a custom, commemorative coloring book complete with a pictures of the Woonsocket Train Depot and of our train conductor Bob! We were given Polar Express bingo cards to play on our way back to the station. At the end of the ride, Santa returned to our car to thank everyone for coming.

After the ride, Santa waits in his sleigh

inside the depot for family photos

Back at the station there are opportunities to take more pictures of your children with Santa in his sleigh against an attractive Polar Express backdrop. Though the pictures-with-Santa line was extremely long, the queue moved swiftly and we made it to our picture in ten minutes.

All in all, it was a great afternoon! Start to finish, (from our arrival at the station to heading home) the experience took us two and a half hours. To see the joy on our children’s faces and to hear my daughter say excitedly, “He knows me!” when she saw Santa is a memory I won’t soon forget.

Tips for Families Attending the Blackstone Valley Polar Express Train Ride

The train cars were decorated with red
and green seat covers, garlands, and more

• The Blackstone Valley Polar Express website has a ticket purchase section which offers different tiered pricing for the various train cars. From highest price to most affordable, you can choose from the premium cars Prancer, Dancer, and Dasher, and the coach cars include Comet, Cupid, and Rudolph which are all the same price. See pics of the (undecorated) cars. 

• Price tiers for each car will reflect a slightly different experience. The Prancer Car is the dining car so you’ll find tables with place settings and it’s a perk that your family can be seated facing each other. 

The kids played Polar Express Bingo
to pass the time on the train.

• For 2016, the Premium Cars will also include free gifts such as Polar Express teddy bears (Dasher), Polar Express Santa hats (Dancer), or the Polar Express ceramic mug (Prancer) included with your ticket purchase and have individual armchair seats and large observation windows. The premium cars also have fewer seats per car (and are always the first to sell out) so in addition to being roomier, they offer a more personal, more intimate experience with your family and the performers. 

• The Coach Cars are all very comfortable and festively decorated as well but they include conventional forward facing bench seating and will include more passengers. 

• Although every car will include the Santa visit, Polar Express Bingo, collectible coloring books, sing-alongs, storytelling, cocoa, cookies, collectible travel mug, and gift from Santa, the various performers will offer their own twist on their show. For example, the Dasher performer brings a guitar and leads a more musical show so your families’ experience may vary slightly.

The cookies on the train are nut-free
and gluten-free for everyone to enjoy.

• In 2016 they are offering 3 ticket price tiers--Adult, Children's tickets (13mos-12y), and an Adult with Baby lap-sit option (infants up to 12 mos).
  Adult tickets range $44-68 (Nov) and $52-82 (Dec).
  Children (13mos-12y) tickets range $42-67 (Nov) and $49-79 (Dec).
  Adult with Baby lap-sit tickets range $54-78 (Nov) and $62-92 (Dec).
  Prices on the train cars increase in price the closer get closer to Christmas.
  Knowing the ticket prices and how kid-focused the event is, we think kids who are at least 2-3 years of age are best suited to the experience. 2016 upgrade info.

• The Blackstone Valley Polar Express Train Ride operates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the five weekends leading to Christmas. Trains depart at 4:00pm and 7:00pm on Fridays, 1:00pm, 4:00pm, and 7:00pm on Saturdays, and 10:00am, 1:00pm, and 4:00pm on Sundays. 

We appreciated the time Santa took 
with each of the children on the train.

• Pictures can be taken at the train depot with Santa, Conductor, Chefs and Train Engineers and in front of the lovely Polar Express backdrops--all are all included with your ticket price! You should plan to use your own camera to take pictures as there is not a formal photographer (and therefore no extra photo purchase fees). Santa pics are only post-ride (to keep the anticipation for his arrival on the train ride) but the others are available before you board the train. Though the post-ride line to have photos with Santa was very long, it moved quickly and we made it through in 10 minutes.

• We traveled to the Blackstone Valley Polar Express Train Ride from the Framingham, MA area and it took us about 45 minutes to get to the station. The depot was easy to locate.  It took about seven minutes to park but only two minutes in line to have our tickets scanned to get into the station. Parking is free. 

Photos with Santa Claus after the ride

• Due to the crowds inside the station we would not recommend bringing a stroller.

• Pajamas are encouraged and welcome for this event—yes, for both kids and adults!

• The gift shop is located inside the depot and accepts cash and credit cards.

• Anyone needing to use the restroom before boarding the train would need to exit the station to visit Guest Services around the side of the building.

• The train is wheelchair accessible containing a lift for non-motorized wheelchairs.

• Tickets sell very fast for this beloved annual event and the tickets sell out every year. Believe it or not, certain tickets are already on sale for 2016 on select dates and select cars.

• New changes coming for 2016: Certain premium cars will include extra goodies such as a Polar Express Teddy Bear (Dasher car), a Polar Express Santa hat (Dancer car), and the exclusive Polar Express ceramic mug (Prancer car).

Note: The photography in this article was provided by I Love Olive Photography and may not be reproduced, shared, or borrowed without credit and permission. 

Our American Girl Doll Train Ride Adventure

by Shel Tscherne/New England Fall Events 

The Woonsocket Train Depot

In mid-September, with our two daughters in tow, we made a beeline for Woonsocket, RI where there was a weekend-long American Girl Doll celebration in honor of their 2015 Girl of the Year doll--Grace Thomas.

Save the Date: The American Girl Train Ride in the Blackstone Valley will take place Saturday, September 17th, 2016. Details.

Our family was thrilled to have the opportunity to cover this once-in-a-lifetime event first-hand on behalf of New England Fall Events. It was an especially fun event for us since my own daughter's name is Grace and she has a Grace Thomas doll. To top it off, the Grace Thomas character hails from from Massachusetts too so the event fit our family like a glove.

Posing with the dolls on the "red carpet"

Saturday was a gorgeous September day for our adventure. We arrived at the Woonsocket, RI Train Depot at 1:00pm for our 2:00pm departure. We planned to show up early because we had heard that there would be lots of extra fun activities to enjoy before the train left and we were not disappointed at all! 

When we arrived, we shared a glamorous moment on the American Girl Doll red carpet before heading inside the train depot to see what else we could discover. 

Imagine our surprise to find that the interior of the train station was decorated as if it we'd stepped into a place in Paris--lovely!

Treats by RI's own Sweet Indulgence

For those who are unfamiliar with Grace Thomas' story, though the Grace character is from Massachusetts, a good portion of her journey takes place in Paris where she travels to help her uncle in his Patissierie and learn from a French pastry chef. 

On this day, the train depot was decorated to the nines and there were endless pictures to capture! We took photos at Le Patisserie and another sweet photo with each girl inside a life-sized American Girl of the Year box.

There were cookies to decorate, sweet treats by Sweet Indulgence to purchase, a visit with Miss Rhode Island, as well as a raffle!

Parisian music added to the atmosphere giving everything an authentic feel. There were so many people in attendance that at times it could be challenging to know where each line began and ended but everyone was super nice, patient, and having so much fun that it made the whole experience that much sweeter.

At last, it was time to board our train! The musical trio had moved outside and we made our way down to our designated train car. Each adult was given a gift bag, and each girl in attendance was given one as well. The adult gift bag had everything in it that the children's gift bags did but the children's bags also included an extra treat for the dolls!

Blackstone Valley view from our train

Our train car was decorated to celebrate Grace Thomas’ birthday. The map inside our bags further explained that Grace Thomas lived in the historic Blackstone Valley and so we’d pass many of the types of places she would see in her travels.

Our train had a welcoming hostess who led us in songs, games, and even dancing! We each were given a cupcake (after all, what’s a birthday without cupcakes?!) made by Rhode Island's own Sweet Indulgence plus we received a souvenir travel mug of lemonade.

Playing "Bingo in Paris" on the train 

After a rousing game of "Bingo in Paris" each girl and mama was given a chocolate Eiffel Tower as the game prize (of course, everyone won!) and each doll was gifted a balloon and even some cookie cutters!
An hour later our train returned to the station. The hour had simply flown by and we were sad it see the adventure come to a close. 

While the American Girl Doll events can come with a hefty price tag, the organizers truly know how to put on a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience and you will absolutely get your money's worth for a special occasion. We had a fantastic time and our train ride is an adventure we will talk about for years to come!