Where do you take a houseful of visiting relatives on the Friday after Thanksgiving when the leftovers are gone, nobody wants to shop and the budget is spent on the turkey? In Warner Robins, the answer is just south of Russell Gate on Highway 247. It's open seven of the eight days your guests are likely to be in town, and it costs nothing.
The Museum of Aviation runs two holiday exhibits this season, and their calendars overlap for exactly one week. Planes and Trains, the model railroad display, runs November 22 through November 29, 2026. The Festival of Trees opens the same day and runs through December 29. After the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the trains are packed up and only the trees remain. If your family is arriving for the holiday, this is the week that gives them both.
Two Free Exhibits, One Shared Week
The trains and the trees are in different buildings on the same campus, and both are free. Admission and parking are free year-round.
| Planes and Trains | Festival of Trees | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Nov. 22 to Nov. 29, 2026 | Nov. 22 to Dec. 29, 2026 |
| Where | Century of Flight Hangar | Eagle Building rotunda, second and third floors |
| Cost | Free | Free during normal museum hours |
| Extras | Santa's reindeer sleigh visits Nov. 27 to 29 | Vote for your favorite tree |
The trees fill the Eagle Building's rotunda and continue up to the second and third floors. The museum's Festival of Trees page points out that the view from above is the reason to climb the stairs, and it encourages ugly Christmas sweaters and photos by your favorite tree. A Festival of Trees reception is also listed for December 10.
Planes and Trains is the bigger production, and it's the one with an end date. The Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club fills the Century of Flight Hangar with displays in seven scales. Up to nine trains run continuously on three main lines through miniature towns, bridges, rivers and even an airport. The full rundown is on the museum's Planes and Trains page, and it's a long list:
- T, Z, N, HO, S, O and G-scale layouts, from the tiny to the garden-size
- A Christmas Village and Thomas the Tank Engine
- Exhibits from the Southeastern Railroad Museum and area Welcome Centers
- A vendor selling train-related items
- Raffle tickets for a chance to win a model train starter set
The club says it adds new modules every year to keep the displays fresh, so anyone who saw it last November will still find something new.
The Week, Day by Day
The museum's regular hours apply all week. That means a shorter Sunday on both ends and a full closure on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, so the week lays out like this:
| Day | Date | Museum hours | What's happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Nov. 22 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Opening day for both exhibits |
| Monday | Nov. 23 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Trains and trees |
| Tuesday | Nov. 24 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Trains and trees |
| Wednesday | Nov. 25 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Trains and trees |
| Thursday | Nov. 26 | Closed | Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday | Nov. 27 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Santa's first appearance, 10 a.m. |
| Saturday | Nov. 28 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Santa returns |
| Sunday | Nov. 29 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Santa returns; last day for trains |
Two things stand out on that grid. The full days are Monday through Wednesday, when relatives who fly in early are looking for something to do while the cooks take over the kitchen. And the last day for the trains is also the shortest, just four hours on a Sunday afternoon when many guests are already heading to the airport or onto I-75.
Thursday Morning Belongs to Kathleen
With the museum closed on Thanksgiving Day, the morning's free outing moves a few miles southwest. The Woodlands Turkey Trot starts and finishes at the Woodlands Playground and Pavilion, at Woodlands Boulevard and Hollow Wood Way in Kathleen. It's set up for every age in a visiting family:
- 9:00 a.m. Gobble Wobble, a 200-meter run
- 9:15 a.m. Drumstick Dash, 1K
- 9:45 a.m. Turkey Trot 5K
Entry is free. Donations and food contributions go to the Bonaire Church Food Pantry, and the race listing says 100% of them go to the pantry. If you want to give back on Thanksgiving, bring a bag of canned goods. Everyone should be back home in time for the oven.
Friday Is the Day to Plan Around
The day after Thanksgiving is the only day of the week that has everything. The museum is open its full 9-to-5, the trains are still running, the trees are up, and Santa arrives at 10 a.m. for his first appearance. He brings his fully restored reindeer sleigh, and children are invited to climb in and share their Christmas wishes.
Santa also appears Saturday and Sunday. The event page gives a time only for Friday, so if your weekend plans depend on catching him, call the museum before you head over.
A simple Friday plan:
- Arrive near opening and go straight to the Century of Flight Hangar for Santa at 10.
- Spend the rest of the morning with the trains while the youngest guests still have energy.
- Walk over to the Eagle Building and head up to the second and third floors for the view of the trees from above.
- Vote for a favorite tree before you leave.
Families with a train fan in the group can spend some time with the club members, who staff the displays and answer questions about the hobby. The Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club dates to the 1970s and has about 31 members today. It holds a public meeting at the IHOP at 2710 Watson Boulevard on the third Tuesday of each month, skipping November and December, and welcomes anyone curious about model railroading. A grandchild who gets hooked during Thanksgiving week can go to a January meeting.
When the Trains Leave, the Trees Stay
After November 29, the museum's holiday season shifts to the Festival of Trees alone. The trees stay up through December 29 during normal hours, so relatives who return for Christmas still have a free indoor stop. The holiday hours change, though. The museum closes at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve and is closed Christmas Day. The museum's hours page was last updated in 2023, so check it before you load the car.
The next big date on the city calendar comes six days after the trains leave. The Warner Robins Christmas Parade steps off Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 10 a.m. This year's theme is "Dreaming of a Red, White, and Blue Christmas," which fits a town that grew up next to Robins Air Force Base. The parade starts on South Davis Drive near Warner Robins High School and ends at Watson Boulevard and Houston Road. If the weather doesn't cooperate, the rain date is Saturday, December 12, at 10 a.m.
Getting There
The museum is at 1942 Heritage Boulevard, and its entrance is just south of Robins Air Force Base's Russell Gate along Highway 247. Parking is free, so out-of-town guests can follow you in their own car without worrying about cost. On the Sundays at either end of the week, keep in mind that doors don't open until 1 p.m.
If any of your Thanksgiving guests are visiting because a PCS move to Robins AFB is coming, the team at AF Realty Group is glad to help them get to know Warner Robins beyond the museum grounds. Our MRP-certified agents work with military families all year, and we can answer their questions about the city while they're here for the holiday. When they're ready, we'll help them start their home search.
