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Essex North Pole Express Train Tickets on Sale for 2022

9/8/22 - By Rose Gordon Sala

The ever-popular Essex North Pole Express train ride is back for the 2022 holiday season! It's arguably one of the most popular Polar Express holiday train rides in the country and certainly in the Northeast, so we expect tickets to sell out fast.

Tickets are for sale online only this year, with no phone or in-person sales. Partial and full car tickets are available starting Tuesday, September 13 at 9am and all remaining tickets go on sale Thursday, September 15 at 9am—so set your alarms now.

Essex North Pole Express Train: Kids Can Meet Santa! 
Kids can wear their Christmas PJs and bring along a favorite stuffed animal. Photo courtesy Diana Paladino Christopher

This famed Christmas train runs about 90 minutes, departing from the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat station in Essex, Connecticut, not far from New London and Old Saybrook.

Expect a live musical performance of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to dance down the aisle of every car. There will be a visit from Santa on the Essex North Pole Express, a small gift for each child passenger, cookies, sing-alongs, and plenty more seasonal merriment. Kids usually wear their Christmas PJs and bring along a favorite stuffed animal.

 
Enjoy a holiday setting at the Polar Express station. Photo courtesy of Bob Gunderson

Rides begin November 19 and run through December 23, 2022. Kids ages 1 and up must have a ticket to board, and infants on laps under the age of one do not require tickets. Coach seating starts at $45 per person.

Read our review of the Essex Polar Express train ride for more info, too!

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