CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) and Duke Energy are pleased to announce the opening of the Holiday Junction exhibit featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains as of Saturday, November 5.
The priceless holiday trains are now on display inside the Cincinnati History Museum and help expand Museum Center’s annual tradition of the Holiday Junction exhibit.
“It is a wonderful partnership that gives our historic trains a permanent home at Cincinnati Museum Center,” said Johnna Reeder, vice president of Community Relations for Duke Energy. “We know this will be a great place for people of all ages to see them for many holiday seasons to come.”
The trains in Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains will be a favorite must see of the season. Visitors will experience a collection of model trains, including the timeless Duke Trains, zipping around a winter wonderland.
The Duke Energy Holiday Trains have been on display since 1946 and are one of the largest portable models in the world, measuring 36 ½ by 47 ½ feet long. The trains are authentic “O” gauge, meaning that a quarter inch on the model is equivalent to one foot on a real train. The rail cars, tracks and buildings are 1/48 actual size. During the holiday season, the trains will travel more than 100,000 scale miles!
Also check out examples of popular “N” and “Z” scale layouts, a collection of Lionel trains and see an exact reproduction of the Lionel dealer display layout of the Super “O” Track, complete with interactive push buttons.
While grownups and kids enjoy the model trains together, children can escape to their own holiday wonderland as they ride through a magnificent winter scene on a special kid-size train. Tickets to climb aboard are $1 per child, per ride. CMC Members receive one free ride per visit for each Member child listed on the Membership.
Santa Claus will take time from his busy schedule at the North Pole to visit with children at Holiday Junction, while Pogie and Patter, the reindeer from the former Pogue’s Department Store, will be part of the exhibit.
Kids can play with Brio trains, tracks and houses to create their own train display. The gift shop will be filled with trains and other toys for gifts and stocking stuffers.
Duke Energy Customer Vouchers
Through the partnership with CMC, all Ohio and Kentucky Duke Energy customers were sent an insert in their October bill statements good for four free admissions (two adults max) to visit the Cincinnati Museum Center Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains from Saturday, Nov. 5 – Saturday, Dec. 24.
Paperless billing customers were sent a special email to redeem for a confirmation code.
Visitors will have to present the bill insert or confirmation code to the box office at the time of arrival. Additional tickets can be purchased online at www.cincymuseum.org, through the CMC ticket office, or by phone at (513) 287-7001.
Duke Energy contracted with METRO to provide a “Holiday Train Express” bus every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 5 – Dec. 24 to provide free roundtrip rides every 20 minutes between CMC and Fountain Square.
“Our goal was to tie together the holiday functions and activities in the center city with the Museum Center featuring our trains,” Reeder said. “Visitors can travel between events and locations without ever having to move their car.”
An All-Inclusive Holiday Experience
“We are privileged to welcome the Duke Energy Holiday Trains to Cincinnati Museum Center and Union Terminal,” said Douglass W. McDonald, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “This display is a vital part of Cincinnati’s history and one that delights families across the generations. It is an honor for Museum Center to be the guardians and care takers of this key Cincinnati tradition. What makes this tradition that much stronger is that we can add to it our display of historic trains, the breathtaking OMNIMAX film Rocky Mountain Express and the palpable magic of Union Terminal.”
From the moment you step foot into Union Terminal, the magic of the holidays and the history of trains in our community will surround you – families, out-of-town guests and railroad enthusiasts alike. Not only will you experience the Duke Energy Holiday Trains and CMC’s trains, you’ll also see Toys Through Time and The Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Series paintings as part of the exhibit. Exciting programming and energizing performances will contribute to the overall cheer of the holidays.
Toys Through Time
Upon entrance to the gallery space you’ll feel just like a kid again with your favorite games, toys and dolls on display in Toys Through Time. Recall your childhood holiday wish list with items such as a first edition Monopoly set, original Star Wars toys and the historic Goldsmith dolls. Cincinnati’s own Carlisle and Finch trains are also on display and are considered the first true electric model trains. Adults will relive their childhood memories and children will make new ones with this exploration of fun from yesteryear.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Series Paintings
Another highlight of the exhibit are historic paintings from the Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Series. Between 1928 and 1958, five different artists were commissioned by the Pennsylvania Railroad to work on the calendar series. Two of those artists are represented here. One Hundred Years 1846 – 1946 was painted by Frank Reilly (born 1906), a well known editorial and advertising illustrator of the period, to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Pennsylvania Railroad. But, the majority of the paintings in the series are the work of one man – Grif Teller (born 1899). His paintings for the Pennsylvania Railroad calendars helped foster the company’s image as one of the nation’s most powerful, efficient and modern railroads. The paintings are on loan from the American Financial Group.
Additional Holiday Tradition Activities at CMC
Rocky Mountain Express showing in the OMNIMAX Theater
Beautiful landscapes. Breathtaking vistas. Jaw-dropping chasms. Roaring river gorges. Our new OMNIMAX film, Rocky Mountain Express, takes you back to the Age of Steam and highlights the adventure of building North America’s first transcontinental railway.
November 25: Santa’s Arrival & Tree Lighting
Be here when Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Holly Claus arrive at Cincinnati Museum Center, their home away from the North Pole! A lucky boy or girl will help Santa light our Christmas Tree in the Rotunda. Then, Santa will head to Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains!
Santa’s Arrival at 11:55 a.m.
Tree Lighting at Noon
Grandparents’ Weekend: December 10&11
Grandparents’ Weekend sponsored by The Joseph J. Schott Foundation
Join us as families share stories, learn about different generations and have fun together with great activities. Visit www.cincymuseum.org for a full list of museum programming.
December 10: Pancakes with Santa!
A celebration for Grandparents and Grandchildren. Join us as we kick-off Grandparents’ Weekend with a special brunch featuring a decorate-your-own pancake buffet and photo opportunities with Santa!
Call (513) 287-7021 for reservations.
$12 Adult, $6 Child, Children under 5 are free.
Losantiville Dining Room: 10 a.m. to Noon
December 11: HoliDate
Celebrate the holidays with the special young person in your life at HoliDate Night! Enjoy baked goods from Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, hot cocoa, and selections from Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy’s production of The Nutcracker! Festivities start at 6 p.m.
Call (513) 287-7021 to reserve your spot with payment.
Reservation for two people
$20 Member, $30 Non-Member
Additional Person
$8 Member, $12 Non-Member
December 18: North Pole Pajama Party
Our North Pole Pajama Party is back and better than ever! Join us in your pajamas for hot cocoa, cookies, and of course, Santa. Visit Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains, and enjoy a performance of The Gift of the Magi from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. The party starts at 6 p.m.
Call (513) 287-7021 to reserve your spot with payment.
$12 Member Child, $16 Member Adult
$18 Non-Member Child, $22 Non-Member Adult
While you make your way to the exhibit through the Cincinnati History Museum, take your time and experience everything the History Museum has to offer! Learn about Cincinnati’s past and early life in Ohio, explore a recreation of the Cincinnati Public Landing of the late 1850s and step aboard a replica of the 94-foot side-wheel steamboat, the Queen of the West. Experience Cincinnati during World War II, see a model of the city of Cincinnati from 1900-40s with working trains and inclines, and engage with costumed interpreters. Ask them questions about their lives to connect with history. It’s like going back in time!
Exhibit Hours
Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 24: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CMC is closed Nov. 24 and Dec. 25 for the holidays.
Don’t wait too long to experience the magic of the trains, last day for free exhibit entry with your Duke Energy voucher is Saturday, December 24!
While the exhibit is also open to the public from Monday, Dec. 26 – Sunday, Jan. 1, only CMC Members can enter at no cost. Admission to the CMC “All-Museums” ($12.50 adult/$8.50 child) or the Cincinnati History Museum ($8.50 adult/$6.50 child) includes free entry to Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains.
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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution as well as national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, Museum Center was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Our Union Terminal has been voted the nation’s 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within Cincinnati Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, Cincinnati Museum Center welcomes one million plus visitors annually. Cincinnati Museum Center gratefully acknowledges operating and capital support from the taxpayers of Hamilton County and the State of Ohio. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky’s operations provide electric service to approximately 820,000 customers and natural gas service to approximately 500,000 customers.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 4 million customers located in five states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 12 million people. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.