Train equipment and event elements vary by location. Inquire at your local venue for full details.
THE POLAR EXPRESS and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB SHIELD: TM & © WBEI. (s21)
Museum Hours
Tuesday – Thursday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Friday & Saturday the museum will re-open at 3 p.m. for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride customers only.
Currently Closed on Mondays & Sundays
We will open on Sundays at 3 p.m. for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride customers only.
Closed the Following Holidays:
Christmas Eve – December 24
Christmas Day – December 25
New Years Day – January 1
The museum and all exhibit
buildings are now open.
ADMISSION ONLY
Adults: $6
Seniors/Military: $5
Children 3-12: $4
Children 2 and under: FREE
ADMISSION + TRAIN RIDE
Adults: $12
Seniors/Military: $10
Children 3-12: $8
Children 2 and under: FREE
TRAIN RIDE SCHEDULE
There will be no available train rides
November 13-December 25
WINTER HOLIDAY TRAIN RIDES
December 26, 28-31
Ticket on sale now!
TURNTABLE RIDES
$1/person ages 3+
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. (Sat. only)
Sunday: 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
Online purchase is highly recommended.
North Carolina state employees and retirees, you can support the N.C. Transportation Museum through the State Employees Combined Campaign! It is time to make your SECC pledges for 2022. Your support helps us restore and preserve North Carolina’s transportation history, provide engaging learning experiences through educational programming and exhibits, and offer family friendly events. Our charity number is #3784. Thank you for your support!
Welcome to
North Carolina Transportation Museum
The museum will be closed to the public on Sundays beginning November 21, 2021, through December 19, 2021, due to THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride event. The museum will close at 2 p.m. on all other dates featuring THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride event. There will be no regular museum train rides scheduled on days THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride operates. Click here for a complete list of event dates for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride.
The N.C. Transportation Museum is a historic site, once home to Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility in the southeast, and a museum featuring all types of transportation history – railroading, automotive, aviation, and more.
Historic structures include Barber Junction Depot, an authentic train station built in 1898 that serves as the museum’s Visitor Center. The Bob Julian Roundhouse is the largest remaining roundhouse in North America, and is home to locomotives, passenger rail cars, and a full-size replica Wright Flyer. The massive Back Shop, where steam locomotives were once completely overhauled, now houses rail cars of the past, antique automobiles, fire trucks, and the restoration of the Piedmont Airlines’ Potomac Pacemaker DC-3. The Flue Shop houses the museum’s Bumper to Bumper automotive exhibit.
Plan your visit today for a trip into the past at the museum that moves you!
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test is required for all THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride events at the N.C. Transportation Museum for visitors age 12 and older.
For the 2021 season, all THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride ticket-holders age 12 and older must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 test completed within 72 hours prior to the event. Guests should present these documents with their ticket upon admission.
Given the continued threat of COVID-19 and variants of the virus, face masks are required for indoor areas of the N.C. Transportation Museum, including on trains. Masks must be worn at all times except while actively eating or drinking. Failure to comply may result in denial of boarding or removal. Children under the age of two and individuals with disabilities who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disability Act are exempt.
Your Support is Still Needed!
90% of the museum’s funding is drawn from donations and ticket receipts. When the time is right for you and your family, please support the museum that moves you with an online donation.
Tickets – Click Here
To purchase your no-contact online tickets