This holiday season, Galveston's "Winter Wonder Island" event will include a trip to the North Pole on the beloved Polar Express Train. The one hour trip brought to you by the Galveston Railroad Museum, will include hot chocolate, Christmas goodies and of course a reading of the classic "Polar Express" book by Chris Van Allsburg that inspired it all.
Santa Claus and his elves will distribute gifts to the children onboard the train, and everyone will be encouraged to sing along with Christmas carols on the ride back. The round-trip train ride will be available from Nov 15 - Dec 29. For more information on how to purchase tickets, check out their website.
"The Polar Express" was published in 1985 and turned into one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time. The story follows a little boy who wakes up on Christmas Eve to find a train waiting for him outside. The conductor tells him that the train is going to the North Pole and he's got a first class ticket. The train is full of children and when they arrive at the North Pole, elves tell them that Santa will select a special child to receive the first gift of Christmas.
The boy is selected and chooses a silver sleigh bell from one of the reindeer as his keepsake. The story is so simple, but has touched so many hearts over the years, even inspiring a major motion picture starring the voice of Tom Hanks. The beloved book inspired the movement of the Polar Express Train rides which are not popping up throughout the country.
These train excursions have become the perfect holiday tradition for the whole family. Generally each train ride features elements from the book like the hot cocoa and cookies as well as sounds of the motion picture soundtrack. The entire experience really brings the Christmas season to life which is why it's alway such a hit. If you haven't experienced this yet, go visit the new Galveston train this year or look for this experience near you. It's truly a once in a lifetime holiday outing.
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