Rail Festival

Aviation Trail
1 day ago
2 min read

Rolls into Carillon Historical Park June 21 & 22:

Saturday, June 21, 2025 • 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 22, 2025 • 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Dayton, Ohio—On Saturday, June 21 and 22, 2025, Carillon Park Rail Festival returns to Carillon Historical Park. Highlights include “the big train”—the nearly mile-long Carillon Park Railroad, which carries up to 120 passengers—and “the little train,” the 7.5-gauge miniature railroad operated by the Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society since 1984. The event also features numerous model train displays, each a painstakingly crafted miniature world. Picture a tiny train winding through a circus, a farm, or even a burning building where miniature firefighters battle the flames.

“So much time and care go into each of the displays,” says Alex Heckman, Vice President for Museum Operations at Carillon Historical Park. “The festival showcases model trains of all sizes—from Z-scale trains, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, to the G-scale trains, as large as a loaf of bread.”

Beyond train rides, visitors can enjoy live steam engines, historical exhibits, food vendors, Culp’s Café, Carillon Brewing Co., the Carousel of Dayton Innovation, a performance by the Carillon Concert Band, and so much more. And while Carillon Park Rail Festival unfolds during the dog days of summer, many attractions are in air-conditioned spaces, ensuring cool, comfortable fun for families and rail enthusiasts of all ages.

Where: Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd.

When: Saturday, June 21, 2025, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. • Sunday, June 22, 2025, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Rain or shine.

Admission: $14 per adult (18–59) | $12 per senior (60+) | $10 per child (3–17) | 2 and under are free

UPCOMING EVENTS

Father's Day with the Dayton Philharmonic: June 15, 2025

Carillon Park Concert Band: June 15, 21, 22, 29

Deeds Carillon Concerts: June 15, 21, 22, 29; July 6, 12, 13, 20

Band Organ Rally: July 12, 13

Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society Train Runs: June 21, 22; July 5, 26

Settler Survival Camps: July 7–11, 14–18, 21–25

Victorian Afternoon Etiquette Tea: August 17, 2025

Antique Fire Apparatus Show: August 30, 2025