SPENCER, N.C. — At the North Carolina Transportation Museum, history becomes holiday magic.
Christmas came to life this month in the town of Spencer as the museum’s trains took thousands on a Polar Express ride to the North Pole.
"There are skits that take place on the train, skits that take place outside of the train, it’s about a 3-mile train ride the families get to experience," Tyler Kent, the museum's public information officer, said.
Christmas may be over, but the journey continues with winter holiday train rides from Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Dec. 31.
"The train cars are still decorated for Christmas and families can come and spend their, you know, the kids' vacation out of school," Kent said. "Coming here just to take a train ride out with their family, it’s just turned into a tradition that people have come to love."
The trains will run three to four times a day on the tracks around the museum grounds. Families are encouraged to take a ride and then go inside and see everything else the museum has to offer.
"It’s far more than just trains," Kent explained.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with Kent about the origins of the train. It was once an Army hospital car and was transformed into a passenger train in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
"That’s a neat little bit of history about this beautiful car we’re in," he said.
NC Transportation Museum
In fact, the whole museum has a fascinating history.
"In 1894, J.P. Morgan created the Southern Railway and he hired a friend of his, Samuel Spencer, to be president of the Southern Railway," Kent said. "And in 1896, Samuel Spencer decided that there needed to be a maintenance facility halfway between Washington D.C. and Atlanta."
Every generation of the family can step into that history when they board the train.
"There’s a certain romance and nostalgia to the railroad and most people growing up just have a fascination with railroads and it’s something that stays with them their whole life," Kent said.
You can enjoy the winter train rides with your family this week through New Year’s Eve.
Just pick a time and buy your tickets here on the museum website.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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