Each year around Christmas my father-in-law takes us all to Northpark Center in Dallas to see the The Trains at Northpark! The Trains at Northpark, which began in 1987, features the largest collection of miniature trains in Texas, and the tracks rolls around miniature locations such as Garden of the Gods, cities and mountains! We all enjoy the scavenger hunt that has you searching through the display for the likes of recognizable characters. The Trains at Northpark benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides for families a place to stay and meals while they are caring for a sick child far from home in a hospital. The kids still love the trains, as do I, but I also love Northpark Center, especially at Christmas!
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The exhibit is open for the 2022 Season from November 12th – January 6th.
Know Before You Go
To really LOVE and enjoy the Trains, you need to go when it’s least busy, so you can see and appreciate all the detail! Early in the season is best. Weekdays are better than weekends. Afternoons are better than mornings and evenings are better than afternoons.
We’ve never spent less than 45 minutes, and my youngest, who loves trains, would stay all day. I’d expect the average visit to be about a half hour.
Restrooms are in the mall, so make a potty stop before going, although they will let you back inside.
Food and drinks are not allowed inside the exhibit.
Railcars are available for sponsorship each year, and go on sale in the fall. Visit their website for more information!
The exhibit is on the 2nd floor across from Eataly, and next door to Cinemark’s Dreamscape VR Theater. We parked outside Eataly and walked through the store. There are also restrooms in Eataly.
We made a fun evening of it, and visited Eataly afterwards, with dinner reservations upstairs at Terra, one of three restaurants in the store. Terra was delicious, as is everything we’ve ever had at Eataly. I really love the store, and if you haven’t been, just go. For children 10 and older, Dreamscape VR Theater, located just next door to The Trains at Northpark, is fantastic. We loved Alien Zoo. It’s really an experience!
Northpark Duck and Turtle Pond is always fun for little kids! Although not meant as playground equipment, the large planters have been used for little children to slide down for generations!
Puppet Theater is a FREE puppet show that performs 7 days a week from Thanksgiving until Christmas! Children will delight at this funny rendition of Charles Dickens’ Scrooge and Santa and his elves working to finish for Christmas!
NorthPark Santa is the BEST! If you’re looking for a great Santa visit, you have to go see him! Carl Anderson, aka Santa, has portrayed Santa at NorthPark since 1988!
Click HERE for a full list of the Holiday Events at Northpark.
After a couple of decades of my Father-in-law treating our family to the Trains at NorthPark, I was able to treat him this year with complementary tickets, which makes this an Affiliated Post. Of course, I’ve been posting about the Trains since I first started writing HFitTS back in 2011, and we’d be there regardless.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy these from our visit this year and some from year’s past.
Big Tex is also there to represent the Texas State Fair! You can almost smell the corny dogs….
A few pictures from years back at the Trains at Northpark
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The Trains at Northpark
8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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