Our Santa Express Train takes families through the Christmas lights at Santa’s Magical Kingdom in Eureka. Tickets cost $18 per person, and booking a train or wagon ride for two or more people waives your vehicle admission. Four paid seats on a public ride total $72 at the rate, with a drive through the lights included.
If you’re considering the Polar Express in St. Louis, our Santa Express offers a separate Christmas outing nearby. The Union Station event and Santa’s Magical Kingdom are independently operated; our train and wagons travel through our light displays in Eureka.
Your evening can also include Santa photos, hot cocoa, freshly baked cookies, shopping at Kringle’s General Store, and dropping a letter in Santa’s North Pole mailbox. You can choose a personalized letter from Santa to bring the experience home, too.
See Santa Express Train and Holiday Wagon Availability
Choose Your Christmas Train or Wagon Ride
Start with your preferred night and the people coming with you. Our Santa Express runs early in the season on weekdays; public and private wagons offer more dates, with specific blackout nights.
| Ride | Price | Seating | Schedule |
| Santa Express Train | $18 per person | 24 riders, three per row | Monday to Thursday, November 23 to December 10; 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. |
| Old Fashioned Holiday Wagon | $18 per person | Up to 36 riders across two tandem wagons | November 20 to January 3, excluding blackout dates |
| Private Holiday Wagon | $75 for the first two riders, then $18 each | Up to 12 people in your own wagon | November 20 to January 3, excluding its separate blackout dates |
Children age 2 and under ride free on an adult’s lap. January dates fall in 2027.
Santa Express Train: Early Weeknight Departures
The Santa Express is a Christmas train ride through the lights, with row seating for smaller groups. Its 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. departures let you book an early evening ride and leave time for the rest of your visit.
Train rides end on December 10. For a later December visit or a weekend outing, choose an operating wagon date.
Old Fashioned Holiday Wagon: Open-Air Views
Our public wagon ride gives you open-air views of the light displays. Blankets are provided, and you may bring your own. Dress for the outdoor temperature, including warm layers for children.
Public wagons start at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday through December 10. After December 10, and on operating Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, they start at 5:30 p.m. Departures continue every half hour until 10:00 p.m.
There are no public wagon rides on December 5, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 23, or 24. Check the current ride calendar before planning your evening.
Private Wagon: A Ride for Your Group
A private wagon reserves the ride for your family or group and seats up to 12. At the price, four paid riders total $111; eight total $183.
Private wagons have their own blackout dates: December 5, 12, 19, 20, 23, and 24. They otherwise operate every half hour from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. during the season. Select the private wagon option when checking availability.
Your Ride Includes a Drive Through the Lights
When you book a train or wagon ride for two or more people, your vehicle admission fee is waived. After the ride, you can drive back through the Kingdom before leaving.
That gives you two ways to experience the show: riding through the displays together, then seeing the full driving route from your car. The train and wagons skip the newer half-mile section; the drive afterward lets you see that section as well.
Here is the price for four paid riders:
| Booking | Ride-price subtotal | Vehicle admission |
| Four Santa Express seats | $72 | Waived |
| Four public wagon seats | $72 | Waived |
| Private wagon for four | $111 | Waived |
Confirm the final checkout total for your booking. Santa photos, food, ornaments, and other purchases are separate from the ride price. Letter orders are also separate.
Explore the Christmas Lights Around the Kingdom
The Kingdom’s 35 acres feature animated scenes, light tunnels, and oversized holiday displays. Along the route, look for the four-story entrance, the 300-foot shimmering waterfall, Elfland, Candy Cane Village, Toy Land, and our illuminated version of the Gateway Arch.
Our guide to the Kingdom shows the scenes to watch for. Let each child pick a favorite display to find during the visit.
You can also enjoy the show entirely from your vehicle. Drive-through admission is $35 per family vehicle on nights other than Saturday and $40 on Saturdays, including tax. Payment at the exit booth is cash only.
The light show is open every night from November 20 through January 3, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The attraction’s opening dates and the ride calendars are different, so a wagon blackout does not mean the drive-through show is closed.
Meet Santa and Add Professional Photos
Santa visits Kringle’s General Store every night from November 20 through December 23. Pairing your ride with a Santa visit keeps the evening’s activities in one place.
Professional photos are delivered digitally by text; printed photos are not offered. Outside cameras and phone photography are not permitted during the Santa visit.
Review the Santa photo details for current arrangements and pricing before you go. Photos are a separate purchase, and Santa’s visit schedule ends before the light show’s season does.
Stop at Kringle’s for Treats and Personalized Ornaments
The rides board at Kringle’s General Store, which is also your check-in point. Leave some time to browse the gifts, toys, apparel, and holiday decorations while you’re there.
Handwritten personalized ornaments are listed at $18.95 each, with hundreds of styles, including family ornaments. Choose one for your own tree or a gift to mark the year’s visit.
The snack shack serves chocolate chip cookies baked fresh each evening, hot cocoa, coffee, pretzels, popcorn, and hot dogs. A warm drink is easy to pick up near the boarding area before your outdoor ride.
Kringle’s General Store is accessible to Kingdom guests; it has no separate entrance for a shopping-only visit.
Bring a Letter for Santa’s North Pole Mailbox
Before leaving home, have the children write or draw a letter for Santa. Bring it along for the North Pole mailbox on the driving route after your ride.
It gives children something to prepare for the outing and a stop to look forward to as you drive through the displays. Keep the letter somewhere easy to reach in the car.
For a reply to enjoy at home, our personalized letters from Santa can include your child’s name, accomplishments, and Christmas wishes. Review the available delivery options when ordering. Letters are ordered separately from admission and rides.
Plan a Family Gathering or Overnight Visit
For an outing with grandparents, cousins, or friends, choose between the public wagon’s larger capacity and a private wagon for your own group. Train seating is three per row, so consider how your group would like to sit together.
Santa’s Magical Kingdom is located at Jellystone Park St. Louis Eureka. For a larger gathering, the property’s Party and Meeting Center offers indoor event space; check availability for your holiday date.
You can also explore camping cabins for an overnight visit. Cabins have heat and air conditioning. Check seasonal lodging availability and booking terms separately from your Kingdom admission or ride reservation.
Plan Your Evening in Eureka
A ride reservation gives you a fixed point around which to plan the visit:
- Arrive 30 minutes before your ride, except for a 5:30 p.m. booking, when arrival is 5:15 p.m.
- Enter through the light show and tell the team member at the Gingerbread House, after the first tunnel, that you have a reservation.
- Follow directions to parking and check in at Kringle’s General Store.
- Take your ride, allowing time around it for shopping, treats, or Santa photos when Santa is visiting.
- Drive through the Kingdom afterward to see the full route and drop off the children’s letters.
Rides leave on schedule and cannot wait for late arrivals. Call 636-938-5925 if you are running behind. They operate in rain; refunds apply only if we cancel for snow, ice, or other unforeseen circumstances.
We are off I-44 at Exit 261 in Eureka, beside Six Flags. The light show opens at 5:30 p.m., closing at 10:30 p.m. through December 24 and 10:00 p.m. from December 25 through January 3.
Our visitor information has directions, admission details, and hours. Weekdays outside Christmas week generally have fewer visitors than weekends.
Christmas Train and Wagon Ride Questions
Is the Santa Express the same as the Polar Express?
The Santa Express is Santa’s Magical Kingdom’s own ride through Christmas lights in Eureka. It is separate from the licensed Polar Express event at Union Station, with no affiliation between the attractions.
How much is the Santa Express Train?
The price is $18 per person. Four paid seats total $72, and vehicle admission is waived when you book a train or wagon ride for two or more people.
Can we ride after December 10?
The Santa Express Train ends on December 10. Public and private wagons continue through January 3 on their scheduled operating nights, with different blackout calendars.
Do young children need a ride ticket?
Children age 2 and under ride free on an adult’s lap. Older children need a paid place on the train or wagon.
Are Santa photos and snacks included?
Photos, snacks, and ornaments are separate purchases, and letters are ordered separately. The vehicle admission waiver applies to train or wagon bookings for two or more people.
Can we visit on Christmas Eve?
The drive-through light show is open on Christmas Eve. Public and private wagon rides do not operate that night, and Santa’s in-person visits end on December 23.
Where can we find ride availability?
Our train and wagon page links to reservations and lists each ride’s schedule. Choose the ride type and date before planning the rest of your evening.
Book a Christmas Ride at Santa’s Magical Kingdom
Choose an early-season Santa Express departure or a holiday wagon on an operating date. Add time for the store, treats, and a drive through the full show, with Santa photos available through December 23.