Carillon Park Rail Festival

The Carillon Park Rail Festival returns to Carillon Historical Park, where guests can ride not one, but two trains. On “the little train,” the small-scale trains operated by the Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society since 1988, riders sit atop the train cars, while “the big train,” the nearly mile-long Carillon Park Railroad, carries up to 120 passengers in open-air coaches. > Enter for a chance to win tickets “This year marks the 175th anniversary of the 1851 Cincinnati, one of the earliest passenger trains to arrive in Dayton and the locomotive that inspired the Carillon Park Railroad,” said Alex Heckman, Vice President of Museum Operations. “The railroad builds on founder Edward Deeds’ original vision for Carillon Historical Park while giving guests a new way to explore the campus. It also complements the miniature trains that Rail & Steam Society volunteers have operated and maintained since 1988.” Rail Festival also features numerous model train displays, each a painstakingly crafted miniature world. Guests can watch tiny trains wind through circuses, farms and even scenes of miniature firefighters battling a burning building. Beyond train rides and displays, visitors can enjoy live steam engines, historical exhibits, food vendors, train vendors, Culp’s Café, Carillon Brewing Co., the Carousel of Dayton Innovation, performances by the Carillon Concert Band and more. While the festival takes place during the height of summer, many attractions are located in air-conditioned spaces, offering comfortable fun for families and rail enthusiasts of all ages.