The Indiana Railway Museum is not your conventional museum. Operating as the French Lick Scenic Railway, the tourist train ride takes passengers on a nostalgic journey, spanning some of Indiana’s most stunning landscapes.
Once a year, the route becomes a magical holiday adventure as the train transforms into a Polar Express-themed experience, transporting passengers into the world of the beloved animated film.
With a rich history, the Indiana Railway Museum invites visitors to enjoy year-round fun on this nostalgic train ride.
See more: 11 Things to Do in Jeffersonville, Indiana, This Winter
Laying the Groundwork
Starting in 1961, decades before the success of the Polar Express Train Ride, the Indiana Railway Museum operated a humble ½-mile tourist track in Westport. Railroad abandonments throughout the years led the museum to seek a new home, landing in Greensburg in 1971.
“They were moving from one place to the next to try to secure a better future that would stay accessible to them, keeping accessibility to equipment, track and visitors,” says Logan Day, Indiana Railway Museum general manager and executive director.
If You Go ...
French Lick Scenic Railway
Location: 8594 W. State Road 56, French Lick
Website: frenchlickscenicrailway.org
Phone: 800-74-TRAIN
Unique excursions are offered throughout the year. Visit the website to learn more and purchase tickets.
In 1978, the museum finally settled in French Lick, where it exists to this day. When the museum purchased the track in French Lick from the Southern Railway Company, the company donated an additional 16 miles of track spanning the distance from French Lick to Dubois, Indiana.
Today, the Indiana Railway Museum owns 31 miles of track between French Lick and Huntingburg, the most active of which is a 10-mile stretch operated by the French Lick Scenic Railway.
The train glides through the Hoosier National Forest and over rolling farmland, finally emerging from Burton Tunnel on its way to Gradman Station in Cuzco.
Throughout the year, the railway hosts many different experiences, from the Dinosaur Adventure Train and Summer Splash Bash to bourbon or wine tastings for adult passengers.
“We have something that is suitable for all different participation levels, whether it’s families with young kids, older couples that just want to enjoy a scenic ride or younger couples that want to do one of these tasting experiences,” Day says. “We’re trying to capture all those audiences.”
See more: Brown County Offers Festive Fun During Your Holiday Vacation
Next Stop North Pole
In November and December, Burton Tunnel becomes a magical portal transporting passengers to the North Pole. The Polar Express Train Ride is the major event of the year for the French Lick Scenic Railway.
“We spend all year preparing for it,” Day says. “It’s a high-energy theatrical production.”
Throughout the ride, visitors interact with characters from The Polar Express, the 2004 film based on the children’s book of the same name. Characters include the Hero Child, the mysterious Hobo, numerous elves and, of course, Santa. Passengers can enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while rolling down the tracks for the journey, which lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.
“It’s a completely immersive experience that taps on all of your senses: sight, sound, taste and smell,” Day says.
The Polar Express drew 43,000 people in 2023, and Day expects that number to grow. Staffing at the railway goes from 15 or 20 part-time and full-time employees to nearly 200 people in preparation for the event.
The Polar Express has sold out every year since it started in 2010, but an additional 250 seats in 2024 will allow even more passengers to experience the journey.
When the train finally emerges from Burton Tunnel and disembarks at Cuzco, passengers emerging into the chilly night air can imagine they have actually stepped onto the platform at the North Pole.
“The closer we can get to this feeling that you really just got transported into the movie, the better it is,” Day says.
Echoes of the Past
In a country where cars have become the main mode of transportation for many years, train travel has become something of a nostalgic experience. Yet, trains used to dominate the area. In the 1800s and early 1900s, trains at Indianapolis Union Station could carry passengers anywhere in the state.
Today, the Indiana Railway Museum still houses historic engines and cars that hearken back to an era when train travel was prevalent, such as the FLWB&S No. 208 steam locomotive and the slick Indianapolis 500 private car.
The French Lick Scenic Railway allows people to once again experience train travel, where people from across Indiana and beyond can strike up a conversation with fellow passengers or simply enjoy the view of the rolling countryside.
“It’s a melting pot of its own when you can put people together on a train,” Day says.
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