Pullen Park Holiday Express Review

Pullen Park Holiday Express has become a December tradition for our family. We’ve gone multiple years now, including this season, and it’s one of those events that consistently works for us. It feels festive without being chaotic, busy without being overwhelming, and planned in a way that makes the whole evening feel manageable.

It’s definitely geared toward kids, but adults enjoy it too. There’s enough to do that it feels like a full night out, not something you rush through and leave wondering if it was worth it.

This post walks through what the experience is actually like, how tickets and parking work, and the things I think are most helpful to know before you go.

This guide lives inside my Trip Planning & Redemptions series, where I share practical ways to plan smoother family travel days, from big trips to smaller outings like this one.

Getting Tickets for Pullen Park Holiday Express

You can’t plan this one last minute.

If you want to go, you need to be ready when tickets go on sale. For the 2025 season, tickets were released on October 14 and sold out the same day.

This year, tickets were sold through Ticketmaster, and the process was much smoother than in previous years. I joined the digital waitline right when sales opened at 9 a.m. On a trip to Chicago at the time, I set an alarm an hour early because of the time difference. I bought our tickets from my hotel room while drinking a morning coffee. The entire process took about 20 minutes, and I was able to get the exact date and time we wanted.

That was a big improvement from 2024. That year, tickets were sold through a different platform, the site kept crashing, and it took hours to secure tickets. Even then, I didn’t get one of my top choices. In 2023, I learned my lesson about buying tickets right when they are released. I waited too long and missed out entirely.

If you want to go, watch for local articles announcing the ticket release date and plan to buy as soon as sales open. They usually sell out the same day.

Train-boarding-line-during-Pullen-Park-Holiday-Express — Train Boarding line at Pullen Park Holiday Express

Our Experience at Pullen Park Holiday Express

We went on Saturday, December 13, with a 7:30 p.m. train ride time.

We arrived at Pullen Park around 6:30 p.m. after eating dinner nearby at the Village District. This has worked really well for us. There are plenty of restaurants, it’s an easy place to meet if you have multiple cars, and it’s only about a five minute drive to the park. If needed, you can also safely leave an extra car there.

When we arrived, it felt busy but controlled. We weren’t stopping constantly to let people pass, and most activities didn’t have long waits. The Santa line was one of the longer ones earlier in the night, but overall things moved smoothly. As the evening went on, it actually started to feel less crowded.

Our train time was 7:30. We tried getting in line around 7:00 just to see if we could board early, but they asked us to come back closer to 7:15. When we did, we waited about 15 minutes and boarded right on time. The train left almost exactly at 7:30.

The train ride itself is the standard Pullen Park route if you’ve done it before. It lasts about six to eight minutes. During Holiday Express, you ride through the park at night with all of the Christmas lights on. It’s short, but it’s a nice break from walking and a fun way to see the displays.

One thing that stood out right away was how much there is to do. Between the lights, inflatable slides, games, crafts, and the playground, kids have plenty of options and don’t get bored.

Is Pullen Park Holiday Express Worth It?

For us, absolutely.

Between the lights, the train ride, the activities, and the playground, it ends up being about three full hours of entertainment. For the ticket price, the value feels more than fair, especially compared to other holiday activities that last an hour or less.

One thing that consistently stands out is the atmosphere. The staff genuinely seem happy to be there. Toward the end of the night, we went back to the giant gingerbread inflatable slide because my daughter loved it so much. The staff member running it was still cheerfully talking to each child, explaining how to go feet first, and making it feel special even after he’d probably said that same line 17,000 times that night.

That energy matters, especially at a kid-focused event.

Parking and Arrival Tips

The Pullen Park parking lot is far too small for the number of people who attend Holiday Express. During the event, that lot is reserved for accessible parking, guests with limited mobility, and sometimes early train ticket holders right when the event opens.

Depending on the night, parking works one of two ways.

Some nights, guests are directed to park at Dix Park and take a short shuttle ride to Pullen Park.

Other nights, including the night we went, parking was at the NC State University Coliseum Parking Deck. Parking is free with your ticket, but you need to follow the instructions in the City of Raleigh email you’ll get and enter your license plate number. Once parked, it’s an easy five minute walk into Pullen Park through a back entrance.

NC-state-colluseum-parking-deck-pullen-park-holiday-express-event

Food, Drinks, and Extras

Pullen Park’s main food stand is open during Holiday Express. They sell hot chocolate, coffee, soda, juice boxes, chocolate milk, and hot food like hot dogs, cheeseburgers, quesadillas, and a caprese sandwich.

I recommend eating dinner before you arrive, but there are enough options if you want something warm while you’re there.

I bought a souvenir ceramic mug with hot chocolate. The mug itself was cute and event specific, but the hot chocolate was standard packet style and very sweet. Neither my husband nor I finished it.

There is also a cotton candy stand near the carousel that sells cotton candy on light up wands. You’ll see kids carrying them all over the park. They’re a big hit. We have to get one every year.

Bathrooms are also available near the carousel and food stand.

Activities and Extras to Know About

The event includes much more than just the train ride. This year, we saw craft stations, games, inflatables, and a reindeer food making activity. Plus, there’s still the solid Pullen Park playground areas kids love.

There is also a reindeer tracker band experience that works with an app and encourages kids to visit different areas of the park. They ran out of bands just as we went through the line at 6:45. We had done it the previous year and enjoyed it, but had just as fun without it. Instead, we just did things in the order that made sense for us, which worked well. They usually give you a small prize for going through the band activities, but we asked in the gift shop and they gave us the prize anyway. This year, it was a Christmas rubber duck.

elf-reindeer-tracker-bands-pullen-park-holiday-express-2024 — 2024 Interactive band

The website mentioned a complimentary s’mores station, but we didn’t see it the night we went.

Christmas-rubber-ducky-prize-at-end-of-pullen-park-holiday-express — 2025 prize

Santa, Lights, and Photo Spots

Santa is part of the experience, and there is no assigned time to see him. It’s first come, first served, so when you go makes a big difference.

Earlier in the evening, the line can be pretty long. When we first arrived, it was one of the longer lines in the park. We went back closer to 9:00 and only waited about ten minutes. The Santa line closes at 9:30, so that last half hour is a great option if your kids can make it that long.

Santa meets kids inside a decorated train caboose, and it’s more than a quick photo setup. The space is filled with bright Christmas lights, decorated trees, and wrapped presents. It feels cozy and festive, like a scene from a Hallmark movie. The visit itself is short but not rushed, and each child gets a few minutes to talk with Santa.

The lights are spread throughout the park rather than concentrated in one area. As you walk, you keep coming across different displays, characters, and lighted scenes. It makes wandering around part of the experience and keeps things from feeling repetitive.

There are also several photo opportunities around the park. Our favorite is the sit in ornament photo area, which makes for an easy family photo without needing to wait in a long line. It’s well lit, festive, and simple, which is appreciated by the end of the night.

Sensory and Age Considerations

This event works best for kids up to about age twelve (mostly because of the inflatables), but adults enjoy it too. Toddlers have plenty to do, and we saw babies bundled up and tagging along.

Noise levels are manageable. The train can be a little louder, but the park is spread out enough that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. For kids who are especially sensitive to noise or crowds, there are designated sensory friendly times that are worth considering.

Lighting is festive without being intense. One thing I noticed is that the entrance and exit areas near the inflatable arches could use better lighting for walking. I almost bit it on a curb that came out of nowhere in a poorly lit little stretch. Once inside the park, it’s easy to navigate.

Weather and What to Wear

It’s December so it’s usually (I say usually because it is North Carolina) cold. We went on a clear but cold night, around forty one degrees. I wore fleece lined pants and a heavy winter coat and felt fine overall, but my feet got cold after being outside for several hours. Next time, I’ll wear warmer socks or boots.

The carousel building is a good place to warm up if you need a break.

Packing It Up

What stands out most about Pullen Park Holiday Express is how well everything is thought through. The games, activities, and different areas of the park are set up in a way that keeps kids engaged without things feeling chaotic or crowded. There’s always something nearby to do, and you don’t feel like you’re missing out if you skip an activity or spend extra time in one spot.

It’s also an event where adults can actually enjoy being there. The layout of the park, the lighting, and the overall flow make the night feel manageable, even when it’s busy. It fits well with the kinds of experiences we look for when planning family trips, whether they’re close to home or part of a longer drive.

If this sounds like something your family would enjoy, the main thing to know is that tickets sell out quickly. Keep an eye on when they’re released and plan to buy early if you want to go.

Pullen Park Holiday Express is one of several trips, events, and experiences we’ve planned from North Carolina, from local outings like this to bigger seasonal trips that are still easy to plan.