Christmas 2020 will certainly be very different for all of us, but at Illinois Railway Museum, the “Museum In Motion” will keep on rolling with a modified Holiday event: Happy Holiday Railway: The Holiday Light Experience
Join us for a ride on a heated streetcar around the grounds, which will be festively decorated for the season. After taking in the sights around the campus, you can stroll the grounds, see the trains and take photos, but don’t forget to stop by our diner building to see the model trains and Christmas tree on display and pick up your souvenir mug filled with goodies you can enjoy at home.
Of course, you can’t have a Holiday event without the big guy himself, and Santa WILL be here, meeting and posing for photos, but in a socially-distant manner so as not to bring anything back to the North Pole…After all, he can’t afford to have the elves in the workshop get sick just as toy production hits high gear!
Our volunteer elves at the Museum will also be working hard to make sure the streetcars and facilities are not just sanitized, but Santa-tized for maximum enjoyment and peace of mind. Santa wants us to provide a safe, yet fun, event and he also wants us to remind everyone that face coverings and observing social distancing are mandatory if you want to stay off the naughty list!!
HHR: The Holiday Light Experience begins on Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29, then continues every Saturday and Sunday through at least December 19-20. Hours each day will be 4:00-8:00 PM, with the grounds opening at 3:30 PM and closing at 9:00 PM.
Tickets are $15 each for adults, $13 each for Seniors and $11 each for children and must be purchased in advance online at at www.irm.org or by calling 815-923-4391. Capacity is limited, so purchase early to avoid disappointment. No tickets will be available at the gate. The event will operate in all weather, so please dress accordingly for the conditions. No refunds will be granted unless travel warnings are issued due to hazardous road conditions or civil authorities prohibit the event under COVID-19 restrictions.
Tickets will grant admission to the grounds for the evening, but will have an assigned one-hour window (e.g. 5:00-6:00 PM) during which your streetcar ride must be taken. Additional streetcar rides are not guaranteed, but may be available on a first-come, first-serve basis as space permits. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets