Thanksgiving Weekend Holiday Junction & Model Trains Preview for Families

About this adventure

Housed inside Cincinnati's monumental Art Deco masterpiece Union Terminal, Cincinnati Museum Center launches its beloved holiday season on Thanksgiving weekend with the opening of Holiday Junction featuring the historic Duke Energy Holiday Trains. First introduced in 1946, these classic miniature trains have enchanted four generations of Cincinnati families with more than 300 miniature rail cars and 50 locomotives chugging through intricate snowy villages, industrial hills, and bustling rail yards. Children can climb up elevated observation platforms, peer into interactive lighted windows, and hunt for hidden whimsical figures during the holiday brick scavenger hunt. A holiday visit to Union Terminal also gives families access to the Duke Energy Children's Museum and Museum of Natural History & Science. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Fully ADA accessible with elevators connecting all museum levels, wide level corridors throughout the rotunda and train exhibition halls, and convenient stroller parking areas. • Nursing & Rest Spots: Dedicated Mamava private nursing pods and spacious family restrooms with sanitary changing stations are available on both the concourse and lower museum levels. • Age Suitability: All ages. Low-profile observation glass, interactive push-buttons, and kid-height tunnels allow toddlers and preschoolers to see every engine up close. • Sensory Tips: Train exhibits feature gentle locomotive chugging sounds, whistling whistles, and ambient model lighting. Union Terminal's grand rotunda offers expansive spaces to step aside for quiet breaks.