A new study led by a University of Maryland researcher has found that the Atlantic Ocean currents are slowing down.

Melting sea ice slows Atlantic Ocean currents; warmer water stays offshore to raise storm risk for the Carolinas

EARNHARDT-1 Ocean

WRAL 5 On Your Side's Keely Arthur obtained an email from an associate dean that showed the administration had concerns about what employees were being exposed to more than a decade ago.

Records reveal concerns over NC State's Poe Hall go back decades

NC State University's Poe Hall

All assets associated with the tag: Polar Express

Polar Express Coverage

Take a trip on The Polar Express with WRAL contributor Tara Lynn and her family! 

Take a trip The Polar Express

Polar Express

Tara Lynn and her family recently enjoyed a special Polar Express train ride in the mountains of North Carolina. Check out her experience and find out how early you need to buy tickets.

Take the Kids: Polar Express ride along the Great Smoky Mountains Railway

Polar Express 

Families can take a day-trip to the North Pole in the North Carolina mountains. Photojournalist Chip Baysden takes us on a trip on the Polar Express.

a lot of people coming down, the word will be unity, You got copy rusting, getting back to a sense of normalcy, everybody on the ground. Now, I think it's all aboard, a better way to do that than than hop on a train. It's very different from an Amtrak or sort of a commuter train. It's very, very different than that. It's a different experience. This is our Polar Express trip, it is traditionally known as Article Cg River route. We are going about 35 minutes to our North Pole location stride is about an hour and 15 minutes long. Part of our operations departs from bryson city north Carolina. So we're in a really great position as far as travel, day trips and then we also do the Nantahala gorge route, which is a day ride as well. So polar really takes over the last two months of our calendar year. Welcome aboard 21 Polar Express is what I think is a classic christmas story. It's written by chris van Allsburg. It just tells the story of a boy, I think he's struggling with belief, struggling with that magic, with that hope and that magical christmas eve journey on the train, test his beliefs and test what he really thinks. The christmas spirit is, it really is one of those timeless stories and we believe that it reaches all age levels. It's not just kids, it's not just people who are christmas enthusiast, it really speaks to every age level. Our chefs and waiters are based off of the movie and they have about an hour worth of dialogue, You have a musical show that goes along with that. Then obviously the climatic moment is when they reach the North Pole and the kids see santa, It's really something I think that speaks to anybody whether you are, you know, believe it or not, the kids just light up. It's really cute because they're through the windows. So normally they're right up against it, they're breathing on it, They're fogging it. They're trying to, you know, get santa's attention. This is Lucas, Cameron and Nolan 75 and three really is a magical moment because they've been building up. I think since the moment their parents booked their tickets, they've been probably reading and watching the movie and then as soon as they get here, it all comes to life for them. Let me introduce you. This is Miss Sugarplum. What would you like for christmas and the trumpet? That's what it's all about. Always Keeping the magic alive for kids is very important. You guys are going to be good now it's an intense belief and that gives us really a sense of purpose that we're here to facilitate that belief and make that belief come to life in those early years are fundamentally important. Later there are some very intense believers out there and we support it 100% by the time you throw a chocolate bar chocolate and hot chocolate, they're like, they're loaded, very nice. But we're staying here all weekend. Absolutely wonderful. We'll do it again next year, definitely worth it. I think it's definitely, we average anywhere from 2 50 to 300,000 year and are polar ridership is number two in the nation will average anywhere from 90 to 110,000. So Reston City definitely has a lot of visitors coming through in two months. That's mm hmm, mm hmm. One of the main things we want to really focus on is is combining a unique product and putting it with the train ride. Not a lot of people are exposed to trains. So this is really an important part of our history that we get to put a really cool and fresh product with to make people discover that they probably like riding trains either. They haven't good.

All aboard: Take a ride on NC's Polar Express

The event features an actual train ride at the museum, a reading of the classic storybook, a visit with Santa and actors who recreate portions of the story.



Polar Express returns to N.C. Transportation Museum for Christmas 2021

The Polar Express at the NC Transportation Museum

Starting this week, Marbles Kids Museum's IMAX theater will screen multiple viewings of that beloved Christmas classic -- "The Polar Express" in 3D.

Marbles plans multiple viewings of Polar Express 3D; Alamo offers Secret Santa Cinema

Christmas bell

The N.C. Transportation Museum has announced that its popular Polar Express is canceled for 2020. In a press release, the museum called it a "difficult decision." 


N.C. Transportation Museum cancels its Polar Express ride for 2020

Five years ago, the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer started offering The Polar Express train ride, a festive celebration of the season that's inspired by the classic picture book and animated movie.


Hot chocolate? They've got it and more at NC transportation museum's Polar Express

Every year, local theaters bring back the 2004 movie, starring Tom Hanks, to the big screen. Here are a few places where you can find it. 

Here's where to catch 'The Polar Express' on the big screen this Christmas season

Illustration from the book that inspired "The Polar Express" movie

At Christmas, I love curling up with my kids to read "The Polar Express" or watching Tom Hanks tell the story in the animated version of the now classic book. But, here in North Carolina, you have opportunities to actually experience The Polar Express, including at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, about two hours from Raleigh.