Galveston Railroad Museum — Attraction in Galveston

This review is for Polar Express.

Parking and Shuttle: It was raining and the parking attendant told us to wait for a shuttle that would bring us from the parking lot to the museum. This was a mistake. The entrance is not a far walk and the shuttle didn't show up for 10 minutes.

The Will-Call ticketing experience needs to change to digital tickets on the phone due to their speed and the lines. If they keep things the way they are, they should consider opening up at 4PM for Will Call to help avoid crowds in the main lobby.

The preshow could honestly be skipped entirely. I'd rather see some clips from the movie during the hour we had to wait versus the performances. Audio levels on microphones need to be adjusted to account for loud kiddos.

The walk to our car on the train from the station was really nice. They did a good job decorating the walkway with Christmas trees and lights. They had some actors hanging out on top of the train and nearby.

My wife and I got on train 6 (First Class) where someone at the museum had made an error and overbooked the train. 6 kids were crammed into each table on my train. A couple was awkwardly sitting in the back in chairs that didn't look like they were part of the experience and looked visibly angry. I estimate they crammed 32 people into a car meant for 24. Moneywise, I don't think this is fair to the families that paid full price for these tickets.

Note: Unless your kiddo is less than 1 years old, do NOT bring them on as a lap infant. There is not enough space. My kid was fussy the entire time since he did not fit comfortably in front of me on my lap.

Two actors in the train were great. There was a long haired scraggly guy and the conductor that really took their roles and ran with it. However, the other actors almost seemed like they were forced to be in this production.

I've seen in other reviews that their train didn't move. Our train did move which was nice. The lighting also changed throughout the experience.

I wouldn't have been so harsh in this review if I felt it was worth the cost. Honestly, the production level isn't there to charge $90/ticket for this and spend $360 for a family of four to go in first class. Kids

My family and I went here for the polar express experience. We started out waiting in line but the line goes pretty fast. Once you get checked in they have this beautifully decorated tree you can take pictures in front of. They have a store for the railroad museum with lots of interesting souvenirs. Then they have music and everyone dressed up from the 1940s era. They have a bar if you chose the package where you purchase the polar express hot coco mugs, you show them your ticket and they will give you that and a polar express bag to carry around. They have a few booths set up one for snacks like popcorn, pretzels, and soda. Then another for cookies, cake slices, and other deserts. Then another booth for the adults which is alcoholic beverages, some are cocktails they have, and others are beer, wine, and whatever you want, the bartender can try to make. You walk outside on the patio, and they have a two food trucks and their own outside restaurant set up. Prices are fair but I feel like it's best to bring a good amount of money to spend. No matter what your getting. Once the singing stops that's when the play starts and everyone who's sitting on the carpet or the chairs, watches and then it continues to where you walk out into the train and find which car is yours to sit in. The actual act goes on while inside you sit and it's just like the movie. It's a very magical experience, and we received hot coco and cookies and it was the best coco I've ever had. You also join in on the play at times. Then Santa comes and he is literally the best Santa. Once you get off the train you end up at the north pole and you see a show and then you get to see all the trains, music, and lights. It's nice, and they have chairs to sit to see it all or you can stand. My family and I enjoied every bit of it. And I definitely recommend anyone young or old, children or no children to come and experience the magical polar express. It's totally worth it, better than any other holiday lights show, or holiday show I've ever been...

Really very cheap for a fun and immersive experience. I'm sure that if I went to a place like this in California, they would charge twice or three times the amount that this railroad museum charged me. I love taking rapid transit, AMTRAK, etc, so I was very excited to see what they had in store. Along with trains, they have a number of old promotional posters for these various trains on display... antique items in general. (I saw a very suspicious looking glass bottle of cola, or some sort of drink like that called "Quench" ... looked like it might have been growing something odd inside, but it was still sealed and locked away in a display case where it can't be gotten to, so no worries on that front. It sat in the case alongside old photographs and also guide books that all looked fantastic and fun, I would have loved to page through...)

My favourite part: They have a number of old trains that you can walk through. It's fun to see close up what the amenities and atmosphere of old trains were like. And to smell the atmosphere, too... I can see why we removed carpet from most trains!

Lots of toy trains/shipping freight models that you can take a look at as well.

Overall fantastic time. There's even a food spot inside the courtyard, a little expensive and there was only one person running it (kudos!), but again the entry fee is very cheap and I'm sure you could bring your own snacks to enjoy in the sun.

And the gift shop... modelled like a little train station with a clock, benches, and statues of waiting passengers... excellent! Little phone booths where you can pick up the phone and listen to old recordings of conversations. I picked up some pins and would have gotten more things if I had the budget.

What a historic treat! Check it out and give them...