The Eiteljorg Museum’s annual Christmas tradition, “Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure,” returns to Indianapolis on Nov. 15, 2025 running until Jan. 29, 2026. The exhibit inaugurates the winter season by featuring G-scale electric trains traveling through miniature American landscapes.
The Jingle Rails exhibit entrance at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. (Photo credit: Cristina Bueno)
Jingle Rails is sponsored by Fifth Third Bank and brought to life by Applied Imagination, a studio based in Alexandria, Kentucky, that designs and fabricates architectural models from ecological materials. The studio has created multiple train and botanical garden displays across the U.S.
“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 exhibit pictures the city of Indianapolis with miniature model buildings of Lucas Oil Stadium, Monument Circle, Madam Walker Theater and the One America Tower. The exhibit models also include American landmarks such as Las Vegas, Route 66, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
Each scene is skillfully crafted from ecological material, like oak, bark and cedar and adorned with Christmas decorations. The exhibit offers panels where the ecological materials of the railway stations are made of and also provides background information about the sites.
Through the exhibit, visitors are transported into a real life railway experience. Locomotive sound and water feature effects are part of that immersive experience. The exhibit also includes two water features: Old Faithful and Half Dome Waterfall.
“There is a travel humidifier [in the Jingle Rails exhibit]. It’s a two minute cycle below ground level, and then vapor comes up,” said Mike Davis, a hobbyist train volunteer at Eiteljorg Museum.
Throughout the exhibit, train-expert volunteers walked around answering visitor questions and sharing their passion for trains.
“We are familiar with the construction, the process and how it is produced [motion and sound],” said Davis.
Visitors are welcome to participate in a scavenger hunt, finding 24 items in the Jingle Rails exhibit to win a prize.
“It is a Thanksgiving tradition, we come to the Jingle Rails [exhibit] first and then explore the museum. My son is Native American so this is a place we want to come and learn about Native American heritage” said Kimmie LaBarge, a third-time visitor at the Jingle Rails exhibit.
The Eiteljorg Museum also offers winter workshops and markets featuring local artisans. During Dec. 13 to Dec. 20 Eiteljorg Museum winter market will host local and Native American artisans with handcrafted artifacts.
Cristina Bueno, an undergraduate double majoring in anthropology and journalism, is a current copy editor for The Campus Citizen. In her free time, she likes to read, bake and hike.
GenAI review: a student's perspective
By Devin Bates | Dec. 9In the fall of 2025, IU enrolled all of its students in an online course called Gen AI 101, which earned students a microcredential that showed they had been trained to use artificial intelligence (AI) in an efficient way as a tool and thought partner. Some classes, including Foundations of Journalism and Mass Communications, have even asked students to complete this course.
Indy Art Scene: Affordable theater, music and gallery experiences on and off campus
By Sophie Barker | Dec. 8For those unfamiliar with Indianapolis, the city’s vibrant arts scene may not be easy to explore, and students are often at a loss for where to go for affordable local shows and galleries. However, there are many opportunities that students, and much of the Indy community, are simply unaware of.
REVIEW: ‘Wicked: For Good,’ the ending everyone deserves
By Citlali Sanchez | Dec. 5Jon M. Chu's “Wicked: For Good” concludes in a way that feels both unexpected and inevitable — at least from the perspective of someone who hasn't seen the stage musical or read the book. The film connects elements from “Wicked,” the book and “The Wizard of Oz,” leading to revelations that are emotional and shocking.
