If you’re traveling to Washington, DC this holiday season, you might consider getting you and your family in the holiday spirit by taking in the sights and sounds of Union Station’s well-decorated halls and holiday events. This train station and upscale shopping center offer season-long entertainment to appeal to all ages, as well as a special holiday train display in West Hall that is sure to delight the whole family.
Union Station is one of the best places for Christmas shopping in Washington, DC, not only for its variety of goods, but the historic building is also festively decorated each year with its large wreaths and thousands of twinkling lights, as well as the unique Christmas tree. The tree located in the center is a gift to the people of Washington of Norway and a symbol of the friendship between the two countries; The tree symbolizes Norway’s gratitude for the help received during and after World War II. In addition, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony has been in Washington DC
tradition every holiday season since 1997.
There are also a plethora of great dining options ranging from casual food court dining to fine dining at restaurants like Thunder Grill and Legal Seafoods, making Union Station a place you can easily spend your entire day at these holidays.
Union Station Holiday Special Events
There are a variety of ways to get in the holiday spirit at Union Station this December, including a Toys for Tots drive, a Holiday Model Railroad exhibit, and the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Events will kick off on December 2, 2018, with the 22nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, taking place at 6 pm outside the Main Hall. Norway’s Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strommen will light the 32-foot Christmas tree while the Washington Children’s Choir, representing more than 100 schools in the region, will perform Christmas songs. The tree will be decorated with hundreds of custom-made polar bear ornaments, and visits from Santa Claus will also be part of the event.
The United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign delivers a new toy and provides a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas, which was founded in 1947 when the commander of the US Marine Corps the United States, Bill Hendricks, and a group of marine reservists in Los Angeles. collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children in need for Christmas. In 1948, the program expanded and became a national campaign, and Union Station is now one of the main collection sites for the program in the nation’s capital.
Collections will begin on November 23, 2018 and will last until Christmas Eve.
The Norwegian Giant Model Train exhibit will be on display in the West Hall at Union Station, delighting visitors of all ages. The trains are handcrafted replicas of real Norwegian trains, which have been designed by an expert model builder and set in a Norwegian landscape of mountains and fjords. You can see this special exhibit every day in December except for Christmas Day when the venue will be closed, from 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 pm on Sundays.
Important information about Union Station
Union Station is a transportation depot and one of the largest shopping centers in the nation’s capital. It is located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue Northeast in Washington, DC and has a Metro stop on the Red Line. The historic building sits north of the Capitol Building and northeast of the National Mall, and is within walking distance of many of the most visited landmarks in the nation’s capital.
Union Station is the train station for Amtrak, MARC Train (Maryland Rail Commuter Service) and VRE (Virginia Railway Express). Sales hours are Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and on Sundays from noon to 6:00 pm The station will be closed to the general public every night from midnight to 5 am But travelers can still access the station with their Transportation Tickets.
Parking is available on-site in a parking lot with more than 2,000 spaces, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additional parking can be found near other famous landmarks, as well as a limited number of metered street parking spots.
