Holiday Reflections

Name: Holiday Reflections
Item: Union Station
Author: Kristina Light

November 20, 2020

3:55 p.m.

Union Station, Kansas City's Home, is celebrating the 2020 holiday season with a brand-new installation entitled, "Holiday Reflections." Over a dozen people put in over 1,800 hours to construct the winter wonderland boasting nearly 75 unique Christmas trees, thousands of feet of lights, and over fifty mirrored ornaments including giant orbs that float overhead creating a magical holiday experience for Kansas Citians.

Union Station is ensuring the safety of visitors with limited capacity for this holiday attraction. Tickets may be purchased online at UnionStation.org/events/holiday-reflections-walk-thru-village. Advance tickets are recommended to ensure you'll be able to visit on the day you have planned. Tickets frequently sell out, so buying tickets in advance is highly recommended.

Jerry Barber, Executive Vice President and COO of Union Station, said, "We hope families can keep Union Station as part of their holiday traditions this year and to feel safe while experiencing it. We wanted to bring a new magical holiday experience to the families of Kansas City and we hope we have with this new display."

I took my daughters to Union Station for a sneak preview of this magical holiday experience, and we were all amazed at the grandeur and magic of the exhibit. From start to finish, Holiday Reflections beautifully blends the traditional decorations you've come to know and love at Union Station with all-new captivating, eye-popping displays that take your breath away!

Union Station Holiday Reflections Entrance

Visitors begin their experience in the Grand Plaza where they enter the magical world via an aptly styled old-fashioned train entrance. Upon entering, guests are immediately captivated by the holiday magic! The hall is bedazzled with colossal reflective ornaments, sparkling lights, snowflake lighting, and holiday vignettes for your Christmas selfies!

From the first step into Holiday Reflections, guests are wowed by the splendor of the displays.

First up, the star of the show, the floating mirrored ornaments and giant twinkling tree:

1 of 6

Kristina Light

2 of 6

Kristina Light

3 of 6

Kristina Light

4 of 6

Kristina Light

5 of 6

Kristina Light

6 of 6

Kristina Light

The delightful selfie stations and photo ops are perfect settings for your holiday cards. You'll see familiar pieces including Santa's Sleigh selfie station, iconic clock photo op, and mini-train settings from past years recreating the whimsy, warmth, and tradition the Station is known for. This year's attraction also welcomes the new with the delightful I <3 Santa sign (perfect for your 2020 photo collection.... a year that started with similarly styled backdrops celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl Victory), and Santa's fireplace selfie station.

Visitors will enjoy the many selfie stations (a few do offer seats which are cleaned regularly):

1 of 3

Kristina Light

2 of 3

Kristina Light

3 of 3

Kristina Light

One of the favorite sites is Santa's Workshop featuring Santa and his elves busily building toys for children:

1 of 4

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4

We were all delighted by Rudy's Wonderland, now bigger and better than ever, where children can ride the historic Jones Store Train (Mini Holiday Express Train). Rides aboard the train are FREE for Science City Members and $5 for Non-Members.

1 of 14

2 of 14

3 of 14

4 of 14

5 of 14

6 of 14

7 of 14

8 of 14

9 of 14

10 of 14

11 of 14

12 of 14

13 of 14

14 of 14

MINI HOLIDAY RIDE-ON TRAIN

Take your little ones on a magical journey through giant nutcrackers, busy toy-making elves, and a massive Rudy train steaming along a life-sized overhead track. Only accessible with a paid ticket to Holiday Reflections Walk–Thru Village.

Price: $5 General Admission / Free for Members. Monday - Sunday 10 AM to 7 PM.

The Model Train Gallery has been expanded and is fully decked out in holiday splendor.

1 of 7

2 of 7

3 of 7

4 of 7

5 of 7

6 of 7

7 of 7

HOLIDAY MODEL TRAIN GALLERY

The Model Train Gallery you know and love has expanded into Grand Plaza. With over 800 feet of track, this family favorite has grown even larger this year! The display features eighteen consecutive running trains and a 15-foot, 3-D, lighted Kansas City Southern Rudy train engine plus dozens of new scenic elements.

FREE with Holiday Reflections ticket. Monday - Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Know Before You Go:

Holiday Reflections opens to the public Saturday, November 21 at 10 AM and will be open Monday thru Sunday, 10 AM -3 PM, 4 PM– 8 PM thru the end of the year. Tickets are now on sale at unionstation.org. This ticketed experience also allows access to the Mini Holiday Express ride-on train ($5 Train Ticket required to ride) plus free entry into our award-winning Model Train Gallery. On Wednesdays, Science City Members enjoy half-price admission!

Tips:

Save with a Union Station Membership! And, buy your membership by 11/30/2020 and save $20 on membership with the promo code: SAVE20. Members enjoy FREE train rides, half-priced admission to Holiday Reflections on Wednesdays, FREE admission to Science City, additional membership perks.
Buy tickets in advance! Tickets may be purchased online at UnionStation.org/events/holiday-reflections-walk-thru-village. Advance tickets are recommended to ensure you'll be able to visit on the day you have planned. Price is $5/per person, under 3-years-old is free.
Members pay half price on Wednesdays.
The attraction is closed from 3-4 PM for cleaning.
Plan to spend 30-60 minutes exploring the attraction.
Plan to take a lot of photos!
ALL guests to Union Station are required to wear face masks at ALL TIMES unless seated and dining at one of our restaurants where social distancing is possible. If guests are not able or unwilling to wear a mask – covering both nose and mouth – they should postpone their visits. Our priority is to provide a comfortable and confident guest experience by adhering to the latest guidance from National, State, City, and County officials. Toward that end, Union Station has also set attendance capacities in all of our venues to 50% or less.

MORE Events to Enjoy as part of Union Station's Home for the Holidays Season:

Plan to attend additional events including Planetarium Laser Shows and more.

CLASSIC HOLIDAY MOVIES

Price: $3 per ticket • Showtimes: 11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, and 8:30pm

Nov 13 - 19 NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION
Nov 20 - 25 THE SANTA CLAUSE
Nov 27 - Dec 3 FROZEN
Dec 4 - 10 ELF
Dec 11 - 24 POLAR EXPRESS

HOLIDAY CLOCKTAIL CONCERTS

JOIN FOR FREE ON OUR FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM

Dec 5th Casi Joy
Dec 12th Millie Edwards Trio
Dec 19th The Snow Globes

THE STRAWBERRY SWING’S HOLIDAY MARKET IN HAVERTY FAMILY YARDS

Kansas City’s first European-inspired, open-air Holiday Market, featuring artisans, food trucks & more at historic Union Station! Tickets starting at $7.50