Hobo Railroad — Attraction in Lincoln

The Santa express needs significant improvement. We were so excited about the idea of riding the train and seeing Santa.

What we experienced fell short of even a basic effort.

The staff (Santa included) were kind and welcoming, This is not their fault.

We splurged on 1st class for our group. We were seated in a freezing car right by the door. Our foldout table and metal chairs were uncomfortable. Our part of the train was not decorated.

The staff handed out wish lists for the kids to fill out for Santa. That was a highlight.

95% of the ride families sat in silence in the freezing car waiting for something to happen. There was no magic or atmosphere in our section.

Towards the end Santa came and was a terrific Santa. He was wonderful with the kids. Each family had maybe 2 minutes w him .

Then we turned around and came back. Our tickets were approx $35 each. I don’t know how they justify that. The best part of the experience was the 2.5 hour drive there as we listened to carols in the car and imagined how magical the train ride would be.

The 2.5 hour drive home consisted of the adults looking at each other and asking “is it me or was that a total letdown?” There was no Mrs. Claus or hot chocolate/cider.

I love the IDEA of the Santa train ride and if you’re reading this you probably do too. I feel like these guys are aware of that and figure they can coast on goodwill and store bought sugar cookies. I hope they read this and make it magical...

It's a total ripoff for the route we did. The route takes you from the station to the golf course in town then turns around. Along the way, you'll see fine views such as the back of a contractor's warehouse, roads, behind people's houses, and loads of trash. Our train car had no lights, no ventilation, and zero amenities which would have been fine if there were sweeping views of the white mountains. There are NO concessions, which again is fine albeit a huge missed opportunity on their part to make some money... Sure, we did the cheapest route at $22 but I've seen better views on a commuter in NY. People are forced to take trains every day to work and here we are paying for it for leisure. They even had the nerve to stick a plaster dilapidated fake moose on the route. I bought these tickets as a birthday present for my fiancee and I was honestly embarrassed. It's called the hobo railroad for a reason I guess! I gave it 2* because what was offered went relatively smoothly and there is a lot of potential, but they need to reconsider that route they offer and perhaps offer some hot apple cider or something at...

I hate leaving bad reviews, I would rather just assume a place was having an off day and not complain about it publicly, but the Santa Express was definitely NOT worth the cost or energy and was way more than just an off day. We spent $200 for 4 "Premier" tickets and it took us 2 hours to drive up there. The "Premier" train car was actually quite comfortable, but unfortunately there was no heat so it was freezing. Staff members were very polite and apologetic, and told us when the train stopped we would be moving back to a first class car that had heat. Before the move, "Santa" came around. Santa was wearing a leather suit and had an awkward short dark grey beard...literally no resemblance of Santa. Even my 5 year old said "that looks like a man in a costume." Mrs. Clause was incredible though.

When the train stopped, we were moved to a first class car. It was cramped, had little to no heat as well, and must have been attached to the bathrooms because it smelled AWFUL. We honestly could not get out of there...