For many, trains prompt a sentimental feeling easily associated with the Holiday Season. Christmas is when many families travel long distances to reach loved ones, and before automobiles or planes, most would journey home via train. Even after the advent of air travel, the tradition of using toy trains around the Christmas tree symbolized the journey and connection associated with holiday travel long ago. Today, trains still evoke nostalgic feelings for many people and wonder for children.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway brought its holiday train to Mississippi to spread seasonal cheer. But if you missed that, there are still festive ways to enjoy the magic of trains this Christmas season.
Traintastic Interactive Model Railroad Museum in Gulfport is considered the largest miniature train exhibit worldwide. Year-round, you can walk through the 50,000 square feet exhibit space with interactive train displays, outdoor train rides, and physically engaging exhibits. But, during the Christmas season, they transform it with Holiday Lights.
Holiday Lights at TrainTastic happens Thursdays-Saturdays 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in December! Tickets are $25 per person and include multiple crafts, Santa, a train ride, hot chocolate, full access to the museum, and MORE. TrainTastic is located at 615 Pass Rd, Gulfport, MS 39501.
Now through December 31, 2024, families can visit the Possum Ridge model train exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums free of charge.
For more than 40 years, the model trains and the town of Possum Ridge have been a holiday tradition delighting both children and adults. The site depicts a typical Mississippi railroad town of the 1940s. Its first year consisted of a single block of an electrified Main Street with ten buildings, including a bank, dry goods store, newspaper office, and restaurant.
Today, the trains circle a town that has grown to include a depot, church, bakery, barbershop, icehouse, sawmill, cotton gin, train yard, and much more. There are houses off Main Street, farmsteads, a small airport, and a river baptism scene.
In addition to the exhibit, visitors can view a toy collection from the state Historic Objects Collection that spans over 150 years. The oldest toy in the collection is a toy stable with horses and a wagon – dates from the 1840s.
The Two Mississippi Museums opened on December 9, 2017, to celebrate the state’s bicentennial. Museum hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 99 a.m. 55 p.m. and Sunday, 111 a.m. 55 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson, and free parking is alongside North Street or in the visitor garage of the Two Mississippi Museums on Jefferson Street.
For Mississippi’s small towns, trains historically represented a vital lifeline, providing access to larger cities, goods, and services. Train Depots were a critical connection point that influenced a town’s growth and economic development, especially in rural communities. Be sure to visit some of Mississippi’s neatest train museums any time of the year.
The Old Depot Museum – Vicksburg
Martin & Sue King Railroad Museum – Cleveland
Meridian Railroad Museum – Meridian
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum – Jackson
