Our 2023 season is now over!

Have a happy holiday and we’ll see you in 2024!

Climb Aboard!

This holiday season put on your favorite pajamas or 1940s/50s attire and join us for a nostalgic journey to the Christmas of yesteryear when you climb aboard the North Pole Express, pulled by the world-famous Pere Marquette 1225! Depart from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso for a 4 1/2-hour, round trip excursion to the Village of Ashley’s Country Christmas.

Dates

2024 Dates and Times to be announced!

Departures Times

2024 Dates and Times to be announced!

Boarding Location

405 S Washington St, Owosso, MI 48867

Class Options

Enjoy a 1 hour and 15-minute train ride each way to and from Ashley, choosing one of our different classes of service. From vintage coaches to historic cabooses, each offers a different type of comfortable accommodation and Christmas ambiance as the North Pole Express races northward!

Decide your class option now to expedite your booking experience! All classes receive complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell!

Please note that entrance onto and departure off all trains require climbing up and down stairs.

Frank Thomson Private Car

$5500 Per Party of 26 Passengers – No Individual Seating

  • All Ages! Adults and Children!
  • Our most luxurious first-class private car reserved exclusively for your family or company party
  • High-end seating
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Holiday hors d’oeuvres
  • Complimentary champagne (21+, present IDs upon request)
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Unlimited hot cocoa
  • $1000 is required to hold the car in your name, the remaining $4500 will be automatically charged the week of your trip

Please note the entire car must be booked by a single party. We cannot book individual seats on the Frank Thomson.

Pere Marquette Parlour Private Car

$5000 Per Party of 28-36 Passengers

  • All Ages! Adults and Children!
  • A first-class private car reserved exclusively for your family or company party
  • High-end seating with panoramic views
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Holiday hors d’oeuvres
  • Seasonal cocktails available for purchase
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Unlimited hot cocoa
  • $1000 is required to hold the car in your name, $5000 must be paid in full by October 1st at 5:00pm. After that, our regular cancellation policy applies to amount paid.

Please note that these upper-level cars are not accessible for anyone with walking disabilities or are unable to climb stairs. Entrance onto and departure off the trains all require climbing up and down stairs.

Caboose

$1900 Per Party of 12 Passengers

  • ​​​A historic caboose reserved exclusively for your party
  • Upper and lower-level seating
  • Private Conductor
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Unlimited hot cocoa

Adult Only Pere Marquette Parlour

$150 Per Sofa Seat

$150 Per Swivel Chair

$300 Per Table of 2 Passengers

  • Ages 18 or older – ID required upon request
  • Assigned seating in a vintage 1950s Hi-Level dome lounge car
  • High-end seating with panoramic views
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Holiday hors d’oeuvres
  • Seasonal cocktails available for purchase
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Unlimited hot cocoa

Please note that these upper-level cars are not accessible for anyone with walking disabilities or are unable to climb stairs. Entrance onto and departure off the trains all require climbing up and down stairs.

Claus Club

$460 Per Table of 4 Passengers

  • Assigned seating in a vintage 1950s dining car
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Sweet treats and unlimited hot cocoa

Cocoa

$95 Per Passenger

  • Assigned seating in a deluxe, vintage 1950s coach car
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Unlimited hot cocoa

Coach Deluxe

$80 Per Passenger

  • Assigned seating in a deluxe, vintage 1960s Hi-Level coach car
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Cup of hot cocoa

Please note that this upper-level car is not accessible for anyone with walking disabilities or are unable to climb stairs. Entrance onto and departure off the train all require climbing up and down stairs.

Coach

$70 Per Passenger

  • Assigned seating in a coach car
  • Car host service and entertainment
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Cup of hot cocoa

Next Stop!

Upon arrival at the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, disembark for a two-hour Christmas party straight out of the past! Participate in the numerous activities the village has to offer, including live entertainment, and meeting Santa Claus himself!

If you were unable to purchase train tickets, you can still attend the Village of Ashley Country Christmas of the North Pole Express without one! Seeing the 1225 arrive in town is a one-of-a-kind experience and with the purchase of an admission pin, you will be able to return multiple times!

Each excursion is approximately a four-and-a-half-hour experience, with a one hour and fifteen-minute train ride each way and a two-hour layover at the Village of Ashley Country Christmas. While every effort is made to operate on time, the North Pole Express operates over a busy freight railroad that is not controlled by the Steam Railroading Institute. Departure times are subject to delays due to freight traffic or mechanical issues.

Pere Marquette 1225 is scheduled to pulled the North Pole Express from the Steam Railroading Institute to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas. However, due to the lack of a nearby turning facility in Ashley, a diesel locomotive on the rear of the train will be used for the return trip.

Running of the Pere Marquette 1225 and other historic steam locomotives are not guaranteed. All our events and excursions include the disclaimer that we reserve the right to change out motive power or rolling stock at any time, including substituting diesel power for steam. We will do everything possible to run the 1225, but historic steam locomotives can be unpredictable.

Mask mandate by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is no longer in effect. Masks will not be required in the Steam Railroading Institute’s Welcome Center or onboard the train at this time.

The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings. We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation as it develops and follow the guidelines laid out by the TSA, state and local health departments.

Children 25 months and older require a ticket to ride the North Pole Express. Infants 14 months and under may sit on a parent’s lap without purchasing a ticket.

Our Pere Marquette Parlours are an adult only class, ages 18 or older. The rest of our class options are available for all ages. The Parlours are also not handicap accessible. Due to the staircase to the upper-level seating, this option is not recommended for anyone with any walking difficulties.

No, but feel free to bring along two more friends! Each ticket in Claus Club includes a table with four seats. If you have less than four in your group, the other seats will remain empty.

strollers must meet the following qualifications:

  • Strollers need to be portable, small, and easily loaded on to a rail car.
  • Only “Umbrella”-type folding strollers will be allowed.
  • Passengers will be asked to store the strollers in the overhead luggage racks above their seats.
  • Double and Triple strollers are not permitted.

Strollers that do not meet the qualifications will be denied access to the train.

Please visit our FAQ, otherwise contact us and we’ll get back to you soon.

Latest Updates

Rebuilding a Michigan Icon

October 7, 2022|

Rebuilding a Michigan Icon Pere Marquette steam locomotive No. 1225 is undergoing some of the most extensive mechanical restoration work in over 70 years. Visit with the Steam Railroading Institute and [...]

A Christmas Movie Star!

Pere Marquette 1225, the largest and most impressive piece in the Steam Railroading Institute’s collection, is one of the largest operating steam locomotives in Michigan. The 1225 was built in October of 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Pere Marquette Railway. It’s part of the National Register of Historic Structures and is renowned for its role in the 2004 Warner Brothers Christmas Classic, THE POLAR EXPRESS™. 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image as well as its sounds to bring the train in the animated film to life!

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