INDIANAPOLIS — Advance tickets are available now for the Eiteljorg Museum’s popular annual holiday model train display, Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure, open from Nov. 21 to Jan. 18. Because of social distancing requirements, Jingle Rails tickets are timed to allow for limited capacity, and visitors must reserve tickets online at Eiteljorg.org/Jingle Rails.
Now in its 11th year, Jingle Rails features nine G-scale model trains that ramble past whimsical reproductions of the landmarks of the American West and the skyline of downtown Indianapolis. And for fans who missed visiting the Indiana State Fair or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in person in 2020, both are recreated as scenes in this year’s Jingle Rails.
For the safety of visitors, each group visiting Jingle Rails must reserve their entrance time slot in advance when ordering tickets online. Timed tickets are available in 15-minute increments, with the last entrance at 4:45 p.m. each day. So that families and groups can maintain social distancing while inside Jingle Rails, a one-way path is marked to guide visitors to and through the attraction.
Jingle Rails is $15 for adults and $8 for youth ages 5 to 17. Children ages 4 and under are free. Eiteljorg Museum members automatically have free admission but also must reserve their visit times in advance at Eiteljorg.org/JingleRails. Those with free passes or corporate passes should call ahead to 317-636-9378 or e-mail mhincks@eiteljorg.com to schedule their time slots. Access Pass holders can purchase their regular $2 tickets on the museum Web site, but they must present a valid Access Pass in person at the museum’s Guest Services desk for those tickets to be accepted.
Admission to Jingle Rails between Nov. 21 and Jan. 18 also provides admission to the rest of the museum at no additional charge. The Eiteljorg’s other exhibition galleries do not have timed entry, and visitors can experience them at their leisure before or after seeing Jingle Rails. Exhibitions open during the holiday season include Quilts: Uncovering Women’s Stories, through Jan. 3, Please Touch: The Sculptures of Michael Naranjo, through Feb. 9, and Powerful Women: Contemporary Art from the Eiteljorg Collection, through March 21. The Eiteljorg’s Western art galleries and Native American galleries also are open.
The Eiteljorg Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and free parking is available in the White River State Park underground garage. Upon entering, all visitors must receive a non-invasive temperature check, sanitize their hands, wear face masks and socially distance inside the building, per state and local health requirements. For details, visit Eiteljorg.org/ReOpen. Since there is not a coatroom or coat check and Eiteljorg staff cannot hold items for visitors, the museum suggests visitors leave coats in their locked vehicles or carry their coats with them during their visit.
