Sorry folks, no food content this time (or is there?) – this post is all about a recent holiday excursion to the Santa Train in Snoqualmie. Old school trains! Santa! Children in fuzzy hats! What more could you want from a Christmas-y weekend in Seattle?

Asian mom and baby on the Yuletide Express train

Okay, technically, this holiday event is OUTSIDE of Seattle, but only by about 30 minutes east. If you’re unfamiliar with the Seattle Eastside, if you go east past Bellevue and Issaquah you hit Snoqualmie, which is where the famous Snoqualmie Falls are. Unbeknownst to some non-Eastsiders, Snoqualmie also has a vibrant historic downtown and a railway museum, which is where this Santa Train takes place.

All About the Yuletide Express!

Every winter, the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie puts on an event called the Santa Train. This year, they offered two options: the Yuletide Express and the Santa Limited. We went for the Yuletide Express – It’s a 20 minute train ride that goes to Snoqualmie Falls and back again. (The Santa Limited was 2 hours, which we thought was just too long for two squirmy kids.) While you’re on the train, Santa walks up and down the aisle, visiting every family with children. You can snap a photo, tell Santa what you want for Christmas, and receive a little toy. On our trip, the kids got little wooden train cars that fit with their train toys at home.

Crying baby with Santa on a train

And by you, I mean your children. I hope that was obvious.

A little photo tip: When you board the train, there are three different cars. Each seating area looks different. The prettiest car has old fashioned wood benches and velvety red walls, but because we have two squirmy toddlers, we went to the first car instead. That car is more modern, but it has cushy black leather seats. All the cars have garlands and Christmas presents lining the storage racks above the windows. There are no assigned seats, and no one directing you where to sit, so if you’re dying for a specific photo op, make sure you get in the boarding line early.

Oh, and while we’re speaking of being early. If you’re reading this and it’s December, it’s most likely too late to buy tickets already. They sell out FAST. Make sure to check the website around November each year if you want to have your pick of times.

What You See on the Santa Train

The Santa train ride is a total of 20 minutes. From the Snoqualmie train depot, it heads to Snoqualmie Falls. The tracks take you right behind the top of the falls, which is a view you can’t get from anyplace else. Just past the falls, the train stops. Then it goes back exactly the way it came. So 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back in.

For really little kids, the views are honestly not that interesting. The train goes slow and you see the same things in and out. But I think it’s really fun for parents! I love Snoqualmie Falls and all the gorgeous scenery around there. Sitting in a decorated old train car and looking out the window was relaxing. Or… as relaxing as anything can be when you’ve got two little kids.

How to Get to the Snoqualmie Train Depot

From Seattle, take i-90 East. You can take exit 25 and drive through the Ridge, taking a right into downtown Snoqualmie. Or you can take exit 27, drive past the casino, and take a left into Snoqualmie and another left onto 202 to hit the main drag. There’s plenty of free street parking in front of the train depot and all along the historic Snoqualmie area. If you’re unsure of the area, I would arrive early, as it can be kind of difficult to make a u-turn if you go too far.

Other Things to Do in Historic Snoqualmie

While you’re waiting for your train, make sure to explore the rest of the Northwest Railway Museum. There’s a waiting room that’s full of train toys for little kids to play with and historic artifacts for parents to read about. Around the back of the depot, there are some old steam engines and historic trains that you can read about and climb inside. If you’re interested in more train education, you can also drive to the North Bend train depot, where your train ticket will get you into the Train Shed Exhibition Hall free!

While you’re in Snoqualmie, you can take a walk down the historic Snoqualmie section of businesses. There’s only one street and it’s only about 2 blocks long, so it’s not a far walk. If you’re sticking around for food, I highly recommend Caadxi Oaxaca! And before you judge Mexican food in Snoqualmie, this restaurant was recommended to me by a friend who moved here from Mexico, so there you have it.

If you’d rather take a quick drive to see other parts of Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Falls and the Salish Lodge are just minutes away. The Lodge also has a GREAT breakfast/brunch in their hotel restaurant. It’s a little pricy, but the food is delicious and, if you’re lucky, they have seats by giant windows where you can see the falls. They also have a more casual dining option called The Attic, but I’m not sure how the views are from there.

Okay, I know I said this wasn’t a food post, but I guess I just can’t help myself. If you’re deciding to drive through the Snoqualmie Ridge neighborhood, I’m told that the Aahaar Indian Eatery there has amazing dosas. I haven’t been there yet myself, but it’s on my list!

If you liked this post, make sure to check out some of my other holiday and/or Seattle family activity posts:

Do you know of any other fun holiday events for families in the Seattle area? Or do you have any unique holiday activities where you live? Let me know in the comments!

xx, Kristen