One of Indianapolis’ favorite holiday traditions returns this season when the Eiteljorg Museum presents the 15th annual Fifth Third Bank Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure. Running Nov. 16 through Jan. 20, the Jingle Rails model railroad will be open late on certain dates so families have more opportunities to experience it and the entire museum. New this year: A miniature of the Madam Walker Theatre joins the railroad backdrop, and the event lineup is filled with more Jingle Rails programs.
Since 2010, the Eiteljorg has hosted 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 are painstakingly created out of all-natural materials such as tree bark, pinecones, seed pods, acorns and other woodsy components, and are designed and built by the botanical architecture team at Applied Imagination in Alexandria, Kentucky.
Jingle Rails’ Indianapolis scenes include dioramas of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indiana State Fair and models of Monument Circle, Lucas Oil Stadium and the OneAmerica tower, among others. The Eiteljorg worked with Applied Imagination to build a miniature of the Walker Theatre to add to the layout, highlighting the city’s African American cultural history and contributions of businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker, the early 20th century entrepreneur, social activist and philanthropist.
From there, model trains lead visitors on a journey out West, past iconic scenes – hewn out of plant material – depicting the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, the Golden Gate Bridge and more. Eiteljorg volunteers, including model-train enthusiasts, interpret the railroad’s highlights for visitors.
“Visiting Jingle Rails during the holiday season has become a cherished tradition for many Hoosier families. The stunning backdrops inspired by our Western national parks, along with the circling model trains and miniatures of iconic Indianapolis landmarks, promise to delight visitors of all ages,” Eiteljorg Museum President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “For those experiencing Jingle Rails for the first time, the incredible creativity and artistry of this beloved attraction are sure to leave a lasting impression. There truly is nothing else quite like it in Indiana.”
Kristian Little Stricklen, president of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, added: “The historic Madam C.J. Walker Building is more than just a cultural landmark; it’s a beacon of our community’s heritage. We are truly honored to see it featured alongside other iconic Downtown landmarks in Jingle Rails. Being part of this cherished holiday tradition is a gift that we deeply value.”
Expanded family activities
During Jingle Rails, to the museum will be festively decorated with updated holiday lighting and trimming. The popular life-size inflatable train returns to the museum’s front lawn for selfies. This year, the museum offers new special programs:
On four Saturdays – Nov. 23, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 – visitors can shop at a new Winter Market featuring Indiana artists at booths offering handmade pieces and products.
Visitors can experience Jingle Rails with sound and light features reduced during a Sensory-Friendly Morning program, 10 a.m. to noon Sunday Dec. 8.
On Dec. 14 and 21, the museum holds family-friendly art-making activity workshops at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
More program details are at Eiteljorg.org/events.
Hours and discounts
The museum normally closes at 5 p.m. daily, but Jingle Rails and other exhibits will be open later hours, until 7 p.m., on certain dates during the holiday season:
Saturday Dec. 14 and Sunday Dec. 15
Thursday Dec. 19 through Sunday Dec. 22
Thursday Dec. 26 through Sunday Dec. 29.
Jingle Rails is included with regular museum admission. For a discount, order advance tickets online at Eiteljorg.org/JingleRails. Museum members have free admission, as do all children ages 4 and under. Indiana college, university and trade school students also receive free admission by showing campus ID.
A full-day holiday experience
In addition to the holiday model railroad, visitors can enjoy all the other Eiteljorg exhibitions open during the season. After Promontory looks at the impact of railroads on the American West through historic photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries; it runs Nov. 23-Jan. 20. The astounding new Native glass sculpture exhibition, Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight, runs Nov. 8 through March 9. On the museum’s canal level is the children’s discovery area, the Nina Mason Pulliam Education Center, with touchable exhibits and activities that kids find irresistible.
Fifth Third Bank is presenting sponsor of the 15th annual Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure. Sponsors are OneAmerica Financial, Katz, Sapper and Miller, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Indiana Soybean Alliance and The Hagerman Group.
The museum is pleased to welcome a new sponsor, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, which during Jingle Rails is supporting a new event Dec. 6-8 for members of the Eiteljorg Kids program and children referred by the hospital.
Photo credit: Alec Gray
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