dvaughan@heraldsun.com; 419-6563
DURHAM -- If you aren't among the 8,000 ticket holders for the Santa Train at the Museum of Life and Science, time to plan for next year. Tickets for the train ride to the North Pole sold in record time this year -- within 72 hours -- even though the museum added extra runs to provide 400 more rides.
"A lot of people have made it an annual tradition and like to return year to year," said Taneka Bennett, the museum's marketing director. It sells out every year, just usually not so fast. They added another train car, too, she said, to seat more passengers. Those who climb aboard -- after paying $12 per ride for those age 3 and up -- are treated to a "festive holiday wonderland" of lights and displays as the train winds its way through the woods to the North Pole. Once they arrive, Santa Claus comes out of his house to pass out candy canes and greet each child passenger. Then the train finishes its route back at the station, where there is hot chocolate, Christmas music and crafts for kids.
The Santa Train brings in about $90,000 annually for the museum, and is its biggest fundraiser. Laura Hayden, Santa Train organizer and director of the annual fund, said they are always amazed at the popularity of the event.
"It's a nice and quiet way to celebrate the holidays and it supports the museum," she said. This is the 32nd year of the Santa Train. The narrative story -- of Santa looking for Rudolph, who ran away -- remains popular as well year after year, Hayden said. "A member told me that her son said, 'Rudolph ran away again?' Apparently it does not get old."
Hayden said they haven't counted the number of lights used, but the museum campus is decorated from the Butterfly House to the North Pole with more than 100 different decorations.
The museum has added so many nights and runs that it is at capacity for the number of Santa Train rides it can provide annually, Hayden said. Some nights are kept open for rain dates. Museum members get first dibs when train tickets go on sale. This year's waiting list is already full.
Last year the museum's creative services director, Wendy Aldwyn, wrote the Santa Train song. To hear her sing it and gear up for your train ride, visit www.ncmls.org/santatrain.
One of Aldwyn's lyrics sums up the popularity of the Christmas tradition: "There's a lot of just plain fun on Santa Train!"
