From historic railcars to miniature Christmas villages, here’s where to find holiday train traditions across Kentucky.
Some Christmas traditions are passed down around the dinner table. Others begin at a train station, where children wait in their pajamas for a conductor to call “All aboard!”
Across Kentucky, families have made holiday trains part of their celebrations for generations. At Bowling Green’s Historic RailPark, children who once attended the Polar Express storytime now return with kids of their own. In Covington, the Behringer-Crawford Museum is celebrating 35 years of its holiday model train display.
The attractions range from passenger trains traveling through Appalachian coal country and Bluegrass horse farms to miniature railroads winding through Christmas villages. Some offer visits with Santa, while others feature holiday lights or dinner aboard a vintage train.
Here are nine Kentucky holiday train rides and displays to visit in 2026.
1. Watch Lionel trains come to life in Covington
Eight Lionel trains travel along 250 feet of track at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, where the annual Holiday Toy Trains exhibit celebrates its 35th year in 2026.
The O-gauge trains wind through miniature scenes that include a carnival with bumper cars, spinning teacups, and hot air balloons. Visitors can push buttons to operate more than 30 moving accessories.
The display is part of Holly Jolly Days, which adds two new attractions this year. One follows animated dogs through miniature versions of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky landmarks, inspired by local author Diana Grady’s children’s book, “The Holiday Adventures of Wiley Wahoo and Me!” The other, “Think Small: Anything Can Be a Miniature,” features Robert Haven’s detailed miniature rooms.
For families who remember the elaborate model train displays that once filled Cincinnati department stores, the Covington museum offers another chance to share the tradition with children and grandchildren.
Plan your visit
Dates: Nov. 14, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, with special holiday hours and closures
Admission: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60 and older, and $5 for children ages 3-17. Children younger than 3 are free. On Wednesdays, one grandchild enters free with each paying grandparent.
Location: 1600 Montague Road, Devou Park, Covington
Website: https://bcm.site-ym.com/page/HollyJollyDays
2. Ride with Santa through Kentucky horse country in Versailles
The Bluegrass Railroad Museum’s Santa’s Holiday Express offers a view of Woodford County from the windows of vintage passenger cars.
The train travels through the rolling countryside near Versailles, where horse farms and limestone fences line the route. Inside, Santa visits children in their seats while railroad volunteers lead Christmas carols. Passengers receive candy canes at the end of the excursion.
The museum also lets visitors explore Kentucky’s railroad history. Its collection includes historic locomotives, passenger cars, and other railroad equipment.
Volunteers have helped to keep the museum’s holiday train operating since 1987. Today, the holiday train carries families through the same Bluegrass countryside that has drawn railroad passengers for decades.
Plan your visit
Dates: Select dates in November and December. Check the museum’s calendar for the schedule.
Hours: Departure times vary. The museum’s standard excursions last about 90 minutes. Plan to arrive 45 minutes early.
Tickets: Holiday fares vary by excursion. Check the booking calendar for prices and availability.
Location: 175 Beasley Road, Versailles
Website: https://www.bluegrassrailroad.com/santas-holiday-express
3. Explore miniature trains and Christmas lights in Lexington
At the Kentucky Horse Park, a miniature train ride is part of a much larger celebration featuring more than 1 million lights.
Southern Lights begins with a 3-mile drive through the illuminated displays. Afterward, visitors can park and explore the Holiday Village, where a miniature train ride and the Bluegrass Miniature Train Exhibit are among the attractions.
Families can also meet Santa, visit animals, and enjoy seasonal food and drinks. The train attractions give visitors another reason to explore the Holiday Village after driving through the lights.
Southern Lights celebrates its 33rd year in 2026. Proceeds support the Kentucky Horse Park.
Plan your visit
Dates: Nov. 27 through Dec. 31. Closed Christmas Day
Hours: 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly
Admission: $35 per vehicle, including admission to the Holiday Village. Some activities cost extra.
Good to know: Enter through the Kentucky Horse Park campground entrance. Visitors must drive through the light display to reach the Holiday Village. Weekend lines can be long.
Location: 3785 Campground Road, Lexington
Website: https://www.khpfoundation.org/southern-lights/
4. Find a Christmas train village in the gardens near Louisville
Holiday trains wind through a miniature village at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, where the annual Yuletide celebration fills the gardens with Christmas lights and decorations.
The model train village is one of the highlights of the evening event. Visitors can follow paths through the decorated gardens, explore seasonal displays, and enjoy hot chocolate while children make crafts or visit Santa.
This year’s celebration includes themed costume weekends. Families can wear matching pajamas over Thanksgiving weekend, ugly Christmas sweaters in early December, or costumes inspired by holiday characters. The final weekend features Victorian ghostly characters.
The miniature railroad is part of a holiday walk through the former estate of Kentucky horticulturalist Theodore Klein.
Plan your visit
Dates: Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 4-5, 11-12, and 18-19
Hours: Timed admission sessions run from 5 to 7 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: General admission costs $15 for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children ages 6-17, and $5 for children ages 2-5. Children younger than 2 enter for free but still need a ticket. Member discounts are available.
Good to know: Advance tickets are required, and sales are final. Yuletide takes place rain or shine. The model train village is available only during event hours.
Location: 6220 Old LaGrange Road, Crestwood
Website: https://yewdellgardens.org/yuletide/
5. Choose between two Christmas train rides in New Haven
The Kentucky Railway Museum offers two holiday excursions, each with a different way to meet Santa.
On the Santa Claus Express, he rides along with passengers on a 90-minute journey through the Rolling Fork River Valley. Families can listen to Christmas music, visit with Santa, and enjoy the scenery along a former Louisville & Nashville Railroad branch line.
The North Pole Express adds a stop to the story. Passengers travel to a fictional North Pole station, where Santa boards for the return trip. Back in New Haven, children can visit with him and take photographs at the depot.
Both excursions begin at the museum, where families can visit Claus’s Kitchen Caboose for hot chocolate and cookies before boarding. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas, and premium seating offers roomier seats in cars with fewer passengers.
Plan your visit
Dates: Dec. 5-6, 12-13, and 19-20 for the Santa Claus Express. Check the booking calendar for North Pole Express dates.
Hours: Both excursions last about 90 minutes. The North Pole Express departs at 5:30 p.m. Check the calendar for Santa Claus Express departure times. Arrive one hour early.
Tickets: $28 per person for standard seating and $33 for premium seating on either excursion
Good to know: Only bottled water is permitted aboard. The museum has limited wheelchair-accessible seating that must be booked in advance.
Location: 136 S. Main St., New Haven
Website: https://kyrail.org/train-rides
6. Have a holiday dinner aboard a vintage train in Bardstown
Christmas dinner comes with a change of scenery aboard My Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown.
The North Pole Express takes families through the Kentucky countryside aboard restored 1940s dining cars. Passengers sit down to a three-course meal while Santa makes his way through the train to visit children, sing carols, and pose for photographs.
The experience begins at the historic depot, where families can meet Santa and enjoy holiday activities before boarding. Young passengers receive activity materials and souvenir tickets.
After dinner, hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie round out the meal. When the train returns, children can collect a sleigh bell from Santa.
With dinner and Christmas activities included in the ticket price, this is one of Kentucky’s more elaborate holiday train experiences.
Plan your visit
Dates: Select dates during the 2026 holiday season
Hours: Departure times vary. The train ride lasts one hour and 45 minutes. Arrive an hour early for activities at the depot.
Tickets: $89 for adults ages 13 and older, $69 for children, and $158 per person for a private table for two.
Good to know: Check the operator’s booking calendar or call 502-348-7300 for current availability. Children younger than 2 may ride on an adult’s lap without a separate seat or meal.
Location: 602 N. Third St., Bardstown
Website: https://www.kydinnertrain.com/train-rides/north-pole-express/
7. Take the Polar Express through Appalachian coal country in Stearns
In Stearns, a McCreary County town built around the coal industry, the Big South Fork Scenic Railway turns its historic railroad into a Christmas journey to the North Pole.
The railway’s licensed “The Polar Express” Train Ride brings Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book to life. Families board at the Stearns Depot, where a conductor reads the story as the train travels toward its fictional destination.
Costumed chefs serve hot chocolate and a sweet treat along the way. Santa joins passengers for the return trip, visiting each coach and handing out a Christmas gift. Christmas carols accompany the journey back to Stearns.
Children are encouraged to wear pajamas, and families can choose between coach and first-class seating.
The railroad has a history beyond its Christmas excursions. Its tracks are tied to the Stearns coal operation, which began producing coal in the early 1900s. Today, the railway also carries visitors through the Appalachian countryside on scenic excursions.
Plan your visit
Dates: Select dates during the 2026 holiday season
Hours: The excursion lasts about an hour. Check with the booking calendar for departure times, and arrive about 45 minutes early.
Tickets: Coach fares start at $25, with higher-priced departures and upgraded seating available.
Good to know: Reservations are recommended. Children ages 2 and younger may ride on an adult’s lap. Contact the railway at 606-376-5330 to confirm ticket pickup and instructions before traveling.
Location: 66 Henderson St., Stearns
Website: https://stearnsthepolarexpressride.com/
8. Ride through more than 800,000 Christmas lights in Ashland
For $4 a person, families can ride through Ashland’s Central Park during the city’s annual Winter Wonderland of Lights. The Winter Wonderland Express travels through the 52-acre park, where more than 800,000 lights illuminate 60 holiday displays. Visitors can also explore the decorations on foot before or after their train ride.
The 2026 celebration has a patriotic theme, “Stars, Stripes and Christmas Lights,” and includes visits with Santa at the park’s log house on select evenings.
Unlike the full-size railroad excursions elsewhere in Kentucky, the Winter Wonderland Express is a small park train. Its short ride and $4 ticket price make it one of the more affordable holiday train experiences in the state.
Plan your visit
Dates: Train rides operate Nov. 20-22 and 27-29, and Dec. 4-6, 11-13, and 18-20. The light displays run through Jan. 4.
Hours: Train rides begin at 6 p.m. Santa visits from 6 to 9 p.m. on the same evenings. The light displays remain on until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Tickets: $4 per person for the train. Admission to the light displays is free.
Location: Central Park at 22nd Street, Ashland
Website: https://www.winterwonderlandoflights.org
9. Hear The Polar Express aboard a vintage railcar in Bowling Green
At Bowling Green’s Historic RailPark & Train Museum, the holiday train doesn’t leave the station. That hasn’t stopped families from returning each holiday season for more than two decades.
The museum’s Polar Express Storytime invites children aboard the Duncan Hines Diner Railcar for a reading of the Christmas story.
Before storytime, families gather in the former Louisville & Nashville Railroad depot for hot chocolate and cookies. Afterward, children pass through the Presidential Railcar, where they can meet Santa and take photographs.
This year marks the museum’s 24th year hosting Polar Express Storytime. The museum says some adults who attended as children now bring their own families.
The event is free, thanks to community sponsors who help support the museum and its collection of historic railcars.
Plan your visit
Dates: Dec. 1-3 and 7-10
Hours: Storytimes begin every half hour from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Central Time
Tickets: Free, but registration is required. Reservations are limited to six tickets, subject to change.
Good to know: The railcar remains stationary. Families are encouraged to wear Christmas clothing or pajamas. Seating is first-come, first-served during each session.
Location: 401 Kentucky St., Bowling Green
Website: https://www.historicrailpark.com/event/polar-express-storytime/
What to know before planning a holiday train outing
Popular holiday train rides can sell out weeks before Christmas, especially on weekends. Check each attraction’s website for current schedules, prices, and availability. Some railroads ask passengers to arrive up to an hour before departure. If you’re bringing a stroller or need accessible seating, check with the operator before booking.
