Jingle Rails Returns to the Eiteljorg Museum: Indianapolis’ Beloved Holiday Train Display

One of Indianapolis’ most-loved holiday attractions returns this season when the Eiteljorg Museum presents the 16^th annual Fifth Third Bank Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure. Running Nov. 15 through Jan. 19, the Jingle Rails model railroad is open late on certain dates so guests have more opportunities to experience it and the entire museum. Included this year: an enchanting scene recreating the landmarks of Route 66, and more Jingle Rails special events.

Since 2010, the Eiteljorg has been the home of Jingle Rails, a whimsical model railroad with more than 1,200 feet of track in which G-scale electric trains ramble through tunnels and over trestles, past scenes of the skyline of Indianapolis and the landmarks of the American West. The railroad backdrops — painstakingly created out of all-natural materials such as tree bark, pinecones, seed pods, acorns and other forest treasures — are designed and built by the botanical architecture team at Applied Imagination in Alexandria, Kentucky.

Jingle Rails’ Indianapolis scenes include creative replicas of Monument Circle, Lucas Oil Stadium, the OneAmerica Tower and the historic Madam Walker Theatre, which joined the layout last year. In the main hallway outside Jingle Rails are dioramas of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indiana State Fair, crafted out of logs, gourds, moss, soybeans and other woodsy components.

Model trains chugging along the tracks then lead visitors of all ages on a journey out West, past intricate representations of the national park sites Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier and Mesa Verde, as well as the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas Strip, the Golden Gate Bridge and more. The Route 66 scene with its delightful reimagining of America’s iconic highway returns for the first time since 2018; and it will permanently join the display. Eiteljorg volunteers, including model-train enthusiasts, interpret the railroad’s highlights as visitors of all ages enjoy a seek-and-find challenge.

“Each year, the Fifth Third Bank Jingle Rails exhibit at the Eiteljorg brings joy and wonder to visitors of all ages,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “It’s a beloved tradition that captures the magic of the season, sparks curiosity and invites families to make lasting memories together at the museum.”

The Eiteljorg Museum’s holiday model train attraction, the Fifth Third Bank Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure, is on view at the Eiteljorg from Nov. 15, 2025, to Jan. 19, 2026.

Dates, hours, tickets

During the holiday season, Jingle Rails and other Eiteljorg exhibits will be open for extended hours, until 7 p.m., on certain dates:

• Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13 and 14

• Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 18, 19 20 and 21

• Friday-Sunday, Dec. 26, 27 and 28.

Jingle Rails is included with regular museum admission; adults are $20, seniors ages 65+ are $16, youth ages 5-17 are $12. Children ages 4 and under have free admission. Museum members also get in free. Indiana college, university and trade school students receive free admission by showing campus ID. Order advance tickets at Eiteljorg.org/JingleRails.

Activities and events

During Jingle Rails, the popular life-size inflatable train returns to the museum’s front lawn where visitors can take selfies. This year, the museum offers special programs around the holiday timeframe:

• Winter Markets where guests can shop for handmade gifts from artists are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on three Saturdays: Nov. 29, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. A group of artists who participated in last June’s Eiteljorg Indian Market & Festival return and will have booths at the Nov. 29 winter market. On Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, the market features local Indiana artists.

• Jingle Rails Workshops offer make-and-take art activities at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on these dates: Dec. 13 for ages 10 and up, with holiday card foam printmaking; and Dec. 20 for all ages, with a clay train workshop. Registration required; all supplies are provided.

• Visitors with sensitivities to bright lights or loud sounds can enjoy Jingle Rails with those features reduced during a Sensory-Friendly Morning, 10 a.m. to noon Sunday Dec. 14.  

• More program details are at Eiteljorg.org/events.

In the Nina Mason Pulliam Education Center in the museum’s kid-friendly canal level, the R.B. Annis Western Family Experience features touchable exhibits and activities that visitors find irresistible.

During Jingle Rails, visitors can experience other Eiteljorg exhibitions; all are included with regular admission. Artist in Residence David Martin (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) will hold programs at the museum Nov. 22 to 29. Guests can take a lunch break in the Eiteljorg Museum Café or shop for holiday gifts in the Eiteljorg Museum Store.

Fifth Third Bank is presenting sponsor of the 16^th annual Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure. Additional support is provided by Katz, Sapper and Miller, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the Butler Family Foundation Endowed Jingle Rails Fund, and Stuart’s Household Furniture Moving and Storage, Inc.

File images of Jingle Rails are by Michael Durr. Train close-up image is by Zach Dobson Photography.