We always love a good Santa Train and to be honest, there are not many close to Savannah Georgia. So we were stoked to learn that there was one offered less than two hours from our home! Upon my research, I could not find many photos on the Georgia Coastal Railway Santa Train to pair with the website information so I am about to lay it all out there for you... Read on!
Let's set the scene...
Once you have arrived (in your best and most festive Christmas pj's) and have checked in at the ticket booth, you will want to take your letters to the Santa mailbox to send to the north pole. Have these letters with you before you arrive. I was able to print a fun "fill in the blank" template from google but of course these letters can also be hand written as well. After that, you will see a small stage just outside the theater and railway building. This is where carolers will begin to sing and dancers will perform a couple of short numbers.
Though this is far from a broadway production, these performers are locals who really love Christmas and it shows! Next, the host or hostess will announce that your letters to Santa have been stolen by mischievous mice! The mice have taken the letters to the train! Once this short opening show has concluded, you will find multiple guides holding up signs with the different types of car names that have been purchased. Follow the guide that is holding up the sign to which car you purchased and get ready to board the locomotive.
The sleeper car (also called the Noel suite) really does give that old nostalgic Christmas feel. If you purchased the open air car, you may need to bundle up depending on the weather. However the indoor cars are very comfortable no matter what the weather conditions are. We reserved the 5 person Noel suite car and it was spacious (as far as train cars go) with large windows to look out of. Shortly after settling in, we were asked if we would like to purchase any snacks. The kids ordered chocolate chip cookies and chocolate milk. These are pre-packaged goods but the kids enjoyed them, none the less.
Once the train begins to move, those pesky mice will pop their heads into your car and briefly interact with your group.
Next up is Mason and Molly. These two are going to be on the hunt for Santa's letters so that Christmas can prevail! They will come to your group and ask if you can point them in the direction of where the mice were headed with the letters.
After this, your group will be visited by different members of the show. This will include carolers, elves, and a snow queen. Mason and Molly will return once more to inform you on whether or not they were able to retrieve the letters from the mice. And then a visit from the big man, himself... SANTA!
Before or after the show, there are concessions and an art vender back at the station with items to purchase. There are also a few fun photo ops as well.
This is definitely something the entire family will enjoy together. If you are trying to decide if this is right for your own children, I would say that children under 8 would enjoy it the most. That is based off of my own childrens' experience, of course. Roman is 8 and a half and did say that it was "SO MUCH FUN". Fallon is 5 and fully believed that she had saved Christmas.
Click here for ticket prices and information. As of today, November 29th, 2021, the following dates are still available:
Friday, November 26th – 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 27th – 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 28th – 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Friday, December 3rd – 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 4th – 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 5th – 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Friday, December 10th – 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 11th – 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Rates per person:
Adult Open Air Car: $18.00
Child Open Air Car: $15.00
Holly Dining Car: $29.50
Noel Suite: $35.00
Passenger Coach: $29.50
I hope that you will venture to Saint Marys island this holiday season to enjoy this fun and unique experience. If you are looking to stay the night, I highly encourage you to stay at the Riverview Hotel just minutes away. It is directly across from Cumberland Island (the island is an all day excursion that also requires a ferry for a fee, so plan accordingly). The hotel is also connected to a fantastic restaurant as well as an outdoor patio area that offers live music in the evenings that our kids thoroughly enjoyed! Shoutout to the performer "Big Jeff" that my kids absolutely adored, especially after performing his rendition of Elsa's hit "Let it go". Be aware that beyond the Santa Train and the Cumberland Island walking trails and such, there is not much more available for kids to do in this area. One night will suffice for the kiddos.
See images below from our hotel stay:
Happy Holidays!
The Adventurous Alfords