Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon)
North Pole Express Ticket Sale
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NOTE: Tickets are only available on this website. We DO NOT partner with third party-ticket vendors. Please be aware of scams.

Experience the North Pole Express This Holiday Season

Slip into your favorite pajamas or 1940s/50s attire for a nostalgic journey aboard the North Pole Express, pulled by the Pere Marquette 1225! Departing from the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, this four-and-a-half-hour round trip takes you to the Village of Ashley’s Country Christmas, featuring two hours of festivities with entertainment, photo opportunities, and a chance to meet Santa Claus.

Whether you’re a train enthusiast, a holiday festivities lover, or simply looking to create magical memories with family and friends, the North Pole Express promises a journey filled with joy and wonder. Don’t miss out on this magical experience, as it’s a cherished tradition that often sells out quickly.

For a smoother ticket purchasing experience, we recommend reviewing all detailed descriptions, pricing, and frequently asked questions before starting the ticket buying process. The “Book Now” link will open on Tuesday, June 24th, at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

Helpful Information

Tickets will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, June 24th, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon).

Tickets sell out extremely fast. Once tickets are sold out, we do NOT keep a waiting list. If you experience any difficulty during the ticket purchasing process, we are unable to accommodate for this.

When tickets are returned, they will go back on sale to the public. Please keep an eye on our website and social media platforms to take advantage of the opportunity to buy a trip on the North Pole Express.

Trip Protection policy:

With Trip Protection
-Trip Protection is 9% of your total purchase and is offered at checkout 
– Full refund, excluding fees, will be granted up to 48 hours prior to trip

Without Trip Protection
– Trips cancelled 60+ days or more before departure will receive a 90% refund (10% penalty)
– Trips cancelled between 30 and 60 days prior to departure will receive a 75% refund (25% penalty)
– No refunds will be granted within 30 days of the trip

If your plans change, please leave a voicemail at: (989) 720-3957, and the SRI office staff will process the cancellation.

NOTE: Tickets are only available on this website.
We DO NOT partner with third-party ticket vendors. Please be aware of scams.

Review class options below to expedite your booking experience!

Choose from four different classes of service. From vintage coaches to historic cabooses, each offers a different type of comfortable accommodation and Christmas ambiance! All classes receive complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell.

Please note that due to the historic nature of our passenger car fleet, they cannot be made ADA accessible. By booking, you agree that all guests in your party are able to climb up and down stairs.

*We no longer offer the Adult-Only Parlour class.

November 21 – 5:00pm (Friday)
November 22 – 10am & 5pm
November 23 – 10am & 5pm
November 28 – 5:00pm (Friday)
November 29 – 10am & 5pm
November 30 – 10am & 5pm

December 5 – 5:00pm (Friday)
December 6 – 10am & 5pm
December 7 – 10am & 5pm
December 12 -5:00pm (Friday)
December 13 – 10am & 5pm
December 14 – 10am & 5pm
December 19 – 5:00pm (Friday)
December 20 – 10am & 5pm
December 21 – 10am & 5pm

10:00am Excursions
9:00am Gates open and tickets can be claimed
9:30am Boarding begins
10:00am Train departs Owosso
11:15am Train arrives in Ashley
Two Hour Layover: Enjoy your visit at the Village of Ashley Country Christmas!
1:15pm Boarding begins
2:30pm Train arrives back in Owosso
Thank you for riding with us!
_______________________
5:00pm Excursions

4:00pm Gates open and tickets can be claimed
4:30pm Boarding begins
5:00pm Train departs Owosso
6:15pm Train arrives in Ashley
Two Hour Layover: Enjoy your visit at the Village of Ashley Country Christmas!
8:15pm Boarding begins
9:30pm Train arrives back in Owosso
Thank you for riding with us!

Each trip will duration will be 4.5hours.
If there is a delay of departure, you will still be given a 2 hour layover to enjoy all the festivities in the Village.

 

Children 24 months or younger that can sit on a parent’s lap for the entire trip do not need to purchase a ticket.

Unless otherwise noted on an excursion description, all ages are welcome aboard our trains.

All seats are assigned. Our volunteers and staff take great care in seating all parties aboard the train. Seat will be assigned per booking. Example: If a booking has 12 tickets, we will seat all 12 passengers near each other.

Boarding begins approximately 30 minutes prior to departure.

Ticket sales are online only through our website, www.michigansteamtrain.com. We cannot sell tickets over the phone.

Tickets are only available on this website.
We DO NOT partner with third-party ticket vendors. Please be aware of scams.

Upon entering the Steam Railroading Institute or participating in any events or excursions operated by SRI and by your presence here, you are giving consent to be photographed, filmed, and recorded.

Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming and recording, and to be used in all media. You hereby authorize the use of your appearance, voice and name for any purpose whatsoever in connection with SRI. You understand that all photography, filming and recording will be done in reliance on this consent given by you when entering the museum property including but not limited to grounds and train excursions.

Your support and participation are greatly appreciated!

Each trip will duration for North Pole Express will be 4.5hours.

If there is a delay of departure, you will still have a 2 hour time window to enjoy all the festivities in the Village.

We do not offer refunds when there is a delay. 

SRI’s rolling stock, including the fleet of passenger cars, is in original historic condition and is not ADA accessible. Our organization falls under exemption from ADA regulations (Sec. 12142, Sec. 12148). Please contact us for more information before ordering tickets.

The Steam Railroading Institute reserves the right to change out motive power or rolling stock at any time, including substituting diesel power for steam. Departure times are subject to delays due to freight traffic or mechanical issues.

All firearms (Concealed or Open Carried) are prohibited on the property or on any locomotive, car, or equipment of the Steam Railroading Institute.

Smoking, vaping, or alcohol use of any kind on the train or in the SRI Welcome Center is prohibited. We may refuse passage to, or remove any passenger who appears intoxicated or whose behavior becomes unsafe or objectionable to fellow passengers or railroad representatives at any time.

By purchasing tickets from the Steam Railroading Institute or by entering our property, all guests agree to Steam Railroading Institute’s hold harmless policy.

Dress for the weather. We strongly encourage that visitors and passengers wear comfortable, closed toed walking shoes. Sandals, heels, or open toed shoes are not recommended and may make it unsafe for you to ride.

During the North Pole Express event, numerous families choose to wear matching pajamas to enrich their experience and create lasting memories.

Unless otherwise noted, light snacks and beverages are allowed on the train. Coolers are not permitted. There is food and beverages available at end destinations but there is no concession car on the train.

Alcohol: *ABSOLUTELY NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE BROUGHT ONTO THE STEAM RAILROADING INSTITUTE GROUNDS AND ON THE TRAIN! IF ALCOHOL IS FOUND, IT WILL BE CONFISCATED.

Select excursions will have adult beverages available for purchase in designated passenger cars.

 Please be aware that food and drinks offered during excursions may contain gluten, dairy, and other common allergens.  We do not have the capacity to accommodate food allergies.

Currently, the Steam Railroading Institute is not offering gift cards for sale.

No group discounts are offered. However, entire passenger cars and cabooses are available for reservation by large groups far in advance.

Please provide prior notification to the Steam Railroading Institute staff of any special physical needs that are required by a patron visiting the Institute or riding our trains. The museum grounds and excursion cars are not fully handicap accessible due to the historical preservation nature of the property and equipment.

Handicap parking is available on the north side of the Welcome Center with a ramp leading up to the door. Everywhere else throughout the Institute is on one level. Please note that the Welcome Center, outdoor displays, hobo camp, 7.5” gauge miniature railroad and backshop/turntable are spread out with some uneven surfaces. Transportation is available to easily move our guests throughout SRI.

There are NO wheelchairs for rent.

Due to our rolling stock being in original historical condition, our fleet of passenger cars is not ADA accessible, and fall under exemption from ADA regulations (Sec. 12142, Sec. 12148). We sometimes have a limited number of seats available for passengers with limited mobility, but passengers will still need to climb several stair steps. Please contact us for more information before ordering tickets.

The Steam Railroading Institute’s Welcome Center and excursion cars are heated and cooled accordingly.

Contact us to ask about lost and found: (989) 725-9464.

When visiting, free parking is available at the Steam Railroading Institute. Handicap parking is also available.

 

During North Pole Express, or any large event, free parking is available in the public lot located directly north of the museum grounds just across the river. There is a privately-owned lot directly across the street from SRI that offers paid parking. SRI is in no way associated with this paid lot. We ask visitors and passengers to be considerate of designated business/residential lots around Downtown Owosso and keep them clear for their customers/residents. Handicap parking is available on the Institute grounds.

For offsite excursions away from our home in Owosso, passengers will receive email communication with recommendations to designated parking nearby.

We accept cash and all major credit cards (except American Express) for Membership or merchandise. For ticket purchases, we only accept credit card payments through our website.

Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support (ESA Animals) do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. For more information regarding ADA Service Animals, please visit: www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

All Service Animals must be leashed and wearing proper Service Animal identifiers (Vest, Jacket, etc.) always. Please call ahead if you will be bringing a service animal onboard.

*Other than the animals defined above, no pets allowed under any circumstances*

All firearms (Concealed or Open Carried) are prohibited on the property or on any locomotive, car, or equipment of the Steam Railroading Institute.

With Trip Protection:
– Full refund, excluding fees, will be granted up to 48 hours prior to trip

Without Trip Protection:
– Trips cancelled 60+ days or more before departure will receive a 90% refund (10% penalty)
– Trips cancelled between 30 and 60 days prior to departure will receive a 75% refund (25% penalty)
– No refunds will be granted within 30 days of the trip

To request a refund call (989) 720-3957, and a cancellation will be processed according to our policy.

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There are restrooms located within the Steam Railroading Institute’s Welcome Center. On board the train, there are restrooms in our coaches but not in our diners. For caboose riders, there are NO traditional restrooms in the cabooses. The Ann Arbor and Chesapeake & Ohio 3674 cabooses are vintage and each have an old fashioned (Out-House Style) restroom that are only used in case of an emergency. During the North Pole Express season, there are additional heated restroom units available on site.

All events and excursions take place at a working railroad facility, whether at the Steam Railroading Institute or offsite.

Please be mindful of your safety and the safety of your fellow visitors and passengers. Watch your step, be mindful of moving railroad equipment, uneven surfaces or bad footing, and pinch points for fingers, arms and limbs. Please don’t walk on railroad tracks and keep back at a safe distance of 25 feet. Always follow the instructions from SRI staff and volunteers.

Your presence and participation indicate that you as a visitor or passenger accept the limits of liability from inherent risks of all activities and operations.

Be aware of scams! Tickets are ONLY available on our website. We DO NOT partner with third-party vendors. Please don’t purchase tickets from unknown sources. If you feel like you are experiencing a scam, please contact us right away. We do not allow ticket resale on our social media pages, nor monitor ticket reselling of any kind.

If you purchase scammed tickets, we will not reimburse you for the purchase.

Coach Cars: Seats are generally grouped in fours with two seats facing opposite of two seats. Some of our cars do have a small table in between the grouping. Each of our coaches hold 70 passengers. Entrance onto and departure off the trains all require climbing up and down stairs. Diner Cars: Vintage dining cars hold up to 40 people. Seats are restaurant-style booths around a table. Each table seats 4 passengers. Caboose: Vintage cabooses hold up to 12 people. The upper-level cupula to view the top of the train holds two seats facing each other to each side. The cupula is only accessible by climbing a ladder type stairway on each side. Passengers can walk between cars except for the caboose. Caboose riders may not leave the caboose until the train is at a complete stop.

If an event or excursion says sold out online, we CANNOT sell any more tickets. If someone cancels their reservation and returns their tickets, their tickets will automatically open online. We DO NOT maintain a waiting list.

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.

For excursion trains, including the North Pole Express, strollers must meet the following qualifications:

  • Only umbrella strollers are allowed on the train.
  • Folded dimensions must be less than 12” L x 18” W x 36” H.
  • Strollers must be stored in the overhead luggage racks above the passenger seats.
  • Strollers that do not meet the specifications will be denied access to the train.

Double and triple strollers, as well as jogging stollers and stroller wagons (Wonderfold, Radioflyer, etc) are NOT permitted on any class or car, including private cars. 

Strollers are allowed when visiting the Steam Railroading Institute for tours and special events. There are no restrictions on strollers while on our grounds.

 

During the North Pole Express, tickets can only be picked up at our Welcome Center. Our volunteer hosts will guided you tot he ticket pick up table.

During offsite excursions, such as the Fall Color Tours, a mobile box office will be located at the front of the train for ticket pick-up.

All times are approximate. Because track conditions can change, excursion duration can fluctuate.

 

All patrons, invitees, guests and volunteers (“Patron”) entering onto any Steam Railroading Institute (“SRI”) property or equipment or participating in any SRI event (“SRI Activities”) is considered voluntary participation and may subject a Patron to the possibility of physical injury, loss of life and loss of or damage to a Patron’s property (collectively, “Risks”) and the Patron agrees to the following waiver of liability of any Risks or Claims at SRI Activities:

  1. The Patron agrees, to fullest extent permitted by law, to release and hold harmless Great Lakes Central Railroad, Inc., State of Michigan, Department of Transportation, its commissioners officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, and contractors (collectively, “Releasees”) from any claim, demand, loss, liability, damages, and attorney fees and costs whatsoever arising from, related to, or resulting from these Risks (“Claims”), except those caused totally by the negligent acts or omissions of any or all of the Releasees: and,
  2. The Patron agrees, to fullest extent permitted by law, to release and hold harmless SRI, its officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, and contractors (collectively, “SRI Releasees”) from any claim, demand, loss, liability, damages, and attorney fees and costs whatsoever arising from, related to, or resulting from these Risks and Claims; and,
  3. The Patron agrees without exception to rely on SRI insurance liability coverage limits if the Patron asserts any Claims against SRI related to the Risks resulting from and during SRI Activities. For clarity, the Patron waives all rights of Claims or Damages against the Releasees and SRI Releasees except insurance coverage limits of SRI for such Claims or Damages.
  4. This Agreement shall be binding on any Patron’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns, as well as any other party asserting a Claim on behalf or on behalf of a Patron’s estate.
  5. I hereby expressly agree that (1) this Agreement shall be governed and construed according to the laws of the state of Michigan without regard to its conflict of laws provisions and I expressly submit to the jurisdiction of such courts.
  6. This Agreement contains the entire understanding between and among the parties concerning these matters.

Events and excursions operate regardless of the weather, visitors and passengers should plan accordingly. Unless there is a State of Emergency declared by local or state government forbidding us from operating, we will run. We will do our best to contact you in the case of an emergency. If your event or excursion is unable to run due to an emergency, your tickets will be fully refunded.

Coach Class

$85per passenger
  • Assigned seating in a coach car
  • Car host service
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas
  • Souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Cup of hot cocoa

Cocoa Class

$125per passenger
  • Assigned seating in a deluxe, vintage 1950s coach car
  • Car host service
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas
  • Souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Unlimited hot cocoa

Claus Club

$550per table of 4 passenger. No single seats are sold on this car
  • Assigned seating in a vintage 1950s dining car
  • Car host service
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas
  • Souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Unlimited hot cocoa
  • A special sweet treat

Caboose Class and Private Car MSTX 473

$3200No single seats are sold on these cars
  • A historic caboose reserved exclusively for your party of 12 , or a private car for your party of 16
  • Private Conductor
  • Upper and lower-level seating (Caboose Only)
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas
  • Souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • A special sweet treat and unlimited hot cocoa

Frank Thomson Private Class

$6500Private car. Up to 26 passengers. No single seats are sold on this car
  • Our most luxurious first-class private car with high end seating reserved exclusively for your family or company party
  • Complimentary champagne and Baileys! (21+, ID upon request)
  • Complimentary admission to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, a souvenir ticket and “Believe” bell
  • Souvenir “North Pole Express” mug
  • Complimentary sweet treats and unlimited hot cocoa
  • No-mess food brought by guests is permitted on this car. Food items subject to approval before the day of your trip
  • $1000 is required to hold the car and date in your name; the remaining $5500 will be automatically charged August 1st
  • This car only is booked by phone reservation.

Ticket Purchasing Tutorial:

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!

If you are unable to purchase train tickets, you can still attend the Village of Ashley Country Christmas by purchasing an admission button. Click link below to learn more.

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