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Polar Express in Colorado: These 4 scenic train rides will get you in the holiday spirit

In the storybook adapted into a movie, kids board a train bound for the North Pole, delighting in music and hot chocolate and whimsical characters along the way. “The Polar Express” plays in our living rooms every holiday season. But the real adventure is found along some of Colorado’s historic railroads.

Let the imagination run with these scenic, festive trips for the whole family:

Royal Gorge Route Railroad

One option is the Holiday Train, an option well-suited for couples and friends who enjoy a meal and a cocktail through the snow-streaked, Arkansas River-cut canyon of southern Colorado. Then there’s the newer Santa Express. The kids won’t soon forget the decorations, carols, cookies and cocoa. Santa has a gift for each of them.

Georgetown Loop Railroad

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Groups of two to four can reserve a table for food and drink or grab a seat in the coach cars, where Santa will be coming around to check his list. Most popular is the nighttime train through Santa’s Lighted Forest — a magical journey through the trees aglow. After Christmas through New Year’s Day, the Georgetown train shifts to its Victorian Holiday Celebration.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

“The Polar Express” is re-created on this venture through the winter wonderland that is the San Juan Mountains. Golden tickets are punched, hot chocolate is served, the book is read between holiday jingles, and lights twinkle in the eyes of passengers young and old. The destination, of course, is the North Pole, where Santa steps aboard with the first gift of Christmas.

Colorado Railroad Museum

Here’s a “Polar Express” option closer to families on the Front Range. The Golden museum transforms its pavilion into a jolly gathering place complete with hot cocoa and sweets. The pavilion is a stage, too, for a cabaret-style performance straight out of the movie. The singing and dancing elves continue on the train, all culminating with a visit from Santa.

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