November 19, 2022 – January 16, 2023
Enter a locomotive wonderland at this one-of-a-kind holiday adventure!
Experience The Tradition
Get into the holiday spirit at Jingle Rails
What is it: Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure is a G-scale model train wonderland containing nine working model trains that wind through a stunning miniature landscape, creatively built out of all-natural materials and decorated with holiday lighting. The exhibit features miniature versions of local treasures of downtown Indianapolis, including the Eiteljorg Museum, Monument Circle, Union Station, and Lucas Oil Stadium. The trains then head through the national parks of the American West, passing legendary sites, including grand railway lodges, Northwest Coast Native villages, and wonders both natural and human-made—Mt. Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Yosemite Falls, Old Faithful, the Las Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, and much more.
Members enjoy free admission! Ask us about becoming a member today.
Highlights
Come experience:
- Family photo op with a near-life-size train engine model, made of all-natural materials
- Nine ultra-sized G-scale model electric trains
- Nearly 1,200 feet of track
- New family activities area in our newly expanded Allen Whitehill Clowes Sculpture Court
More than 30 scenes, including:
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Indianapolis’ Soldiers and Sailors Monument
- Lucas Oil Stadium
- OneAmerica Tower
- Mt. Rushmore
- The Grand Canyon
- Old Faithful geyser (it actually erupts!)
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Las Vegas Strip
- Hoover Dam
Plus, access bonus content and videos about your favorite features with your smartphones via QR coding placed on the labels!
Take a closer look at the miniature model of Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium with Director of Marketing and Communications, Bert Beiswanger.
Volunteer Tom Bromstrup speaks about how volunteers handle maintenance for the G-scale model trains.
Join Volunteer Mike Davis as he demonstrates some of the fine details of the displays, as well as how the artists create the models out of natural materials.
Acorns and Elm Bark and Fungus, Oh My!
As you explore Jingle Rails and take in the different scenes, see what materials you can find within the backdrops. You may find miniature buildings made of twigs, sycamore leaves, pinecone scales, walnut shells or cinnamon sticks.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is made of: slate, elm bark, mahogany pods, Brazilian mushroom, winged euonymus, eucalyptus seeds, forsythia, beech seeds, horse chestnut, pine cone scales, cinnamon, barley, acorn caps, crepe myrtle, hemlock cones, magnolia stems, beech, oak, elm, birch barks, eucalyptus, gourd, alder, poppy seeds, acorns, lichen, raffia, corn silk, grape vine, pepper corn, bamboo, pistachio shells, cloves, walnut, cinnamon, reeds and fungus.
While you’re visiting, view our featured exhibition, Snow Days.
Snow Days features works from the museum’s permanent collection that highlight winter and snowy environs. With objects ranging from delicate carved ivory miniatures of sled dogs to snowy Western landscapes to exquisitely beaded mittens designed to protect the wearer from the cold, the exhibit highlights works that embrace the beauty of the season and the ingenuity it takes to survive it.
Sponsored By:
The Sunrise Foundation, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation
Butler Family Foundation Endowed Jingle Rails Fund
Designed and built by:
