San Diego Model Railroad Museum

This experience was just ‘wow’. Train fans or otherwise, the San Diego Railroad Museum is simply fascinating and hides Easter eggs around every corner. [ Indubitably the highlight of my Balboa Park package, even though I do not take a strong interest in railroads] Take your time in here- read the signs, look closely at the miniature scenes, whether it be people racing cars along an abandoned train track or fight scenes breaking out, the more you observe the more interesting it will get. Note that theres a small outside section too! Many people seem to skip or miss that part. This is one of those experiences that will look much more impressive in person, as photos cannot adequately capture the sense of childlike wonder that was felt within this little world. Staff were exceptionally passionate, and atmosphere was really nice.

We were surprised at the details of these model trains. This was one of the best museums in the park. The displays were amazing.

I only got to be in this awesome place for two hours! I could spend days exploring every inch of it. I grew up with trains running through both my mom and dad's hometowns, and I see them all the time during harvest – they always make me smile, day or night. This place made me, my sister, and my fiancé so happy! We had a blast, thanks so much.

This is the best museum in Balboa. There is so much to see, you can come back many times and notice new things. Plus, the talented model railroad builders are always working hard. I especially enjoy the holiday display. There is so much magic and passion in these displays and it gives you great appreciation for the greater SD area, seeing how things were and learning about the railroads.

I was absolutely enchanted by this museum!! So many fun details and little stories among the models, and there's a team of dedicated folks making sure it all runs smoothly. I was excited to see they decorated for Halloween as well. Definitely worth a visit!

This place is awesome!! I was worried that $20 for a ticket was gonna feel over priced, but after spending hours in here I now feel it is a totally fair price. The attention to detail is incredible. Fun for all ages, not just kids!

Railroads are cool, however, they care more about building the cool railroads and less about the customer experience. For the number of little kids there, they should really add a higher platform. If your kid is under 3, they're barely going to be able to see anything unless you're holding them the whole time. Save yourself energy and don't go.

This place would be cool when it's less crowded. However, we went during December Nights! Understanding that it was free, it was so great to go visit and see all the neat little trains going at it. I asked a few questions of the gentlemen running the trains and honestly, maybe caught them at a bad time, they've been running the place for 40 years so congratulations, but they seem so unenthusiastic to even interact with me when I was just trying to share in their joy of miniature trains. I hope they get a little more pleasure/interaction with the kids to make it a fun experience and share their passion. It's obviously been a lifelong project during their retirement!

I would say this is more of a 3.5 star experience, but seeing that it's a unique experience and it's a museum mostly put together by volunteers, I want to round it up to a 4. If you know what to expect, I think you can have a good time here. Firstly, expect a lot of the museum to be a work-in-progress. When we visited recently, the entire upper level of the museum was incomplete despite being open to the public. Even in some of the more complete dioramas, some buildings and landscapes are incomplete. The parts that are complete, however, are very fun to look at, and there's a lot of random bits of amusing environmental storytelling, such as a car accident where a bunch of chickens got loose. You can tell that a lot of care and thought went into some of the environments, and of course to the model trains themselves. Watching the volunteers control the trains is fun. I thought you just let the trains run on their own all day, but there actually seems to be a lot of control over it, as evidenced by the volunteers overlooking each set-up and interacting with it using plug-in controllers. I thought that was amusing to watch. Sometimes, the volunteers made the trains blow their whistle while passing by us, which made the child in me very happy. I think children and adults alike can enjoy their time here. Despite a big portion of the museum still being constructed, there is still a good amount to see. I was able to go during museum month, so the half-off admission made the experience very worth it to me. I would suggest visiting this museum when there are special deals going on, as I think the normal cost of admission of $20 per adult to be quite high for what it is currently.

Was researching places to visit in the area and this place came up. It's fairly small but it was really neat to be able to see a model of a real railroad! The workers who manage the trains take their job seriously like it was a real train station and the models and figures are nicely detailed. Since it's a small museum it doesn't take long to look thru. Of special note is the lady who was working the phones and the gift shop. I was floored by her compassion and care to help direct us to the museum which we were having a hard time finding. She literally left her station and actually came out to us at another museum to walk us to theirs! Amazing! She is a true gem and wonderful lady.

Hello yelp, I came here last week. The stuffy hot air was exactly what I needed to escape the harsh San Diego winter breeze outside. My ONLY teensy TINY complaint is... nothing!!! I had an incredible time and the $20 entry fee was worth every ******* penny. I spent somewhere between 2.5 and 6.7 hours in this basement exhibit. And I loved every second of it. If you couldn't tell, I have a teensy little "obsession" with trains. Big trains, small trains, tiny little model trains. My father was blind so if I went anywhere with him it was on a train (or some other form of pubic transportation). Needless to say, I have many fond memories on trains, hence my life long fascination with trains. I find when I ride trains, it gives me the time to peacefully reflect on my life (and go over Mensa practice test questions in my head ). I'm studying to become a full-time memeber. I recently emailed them some ideas I have for their little society and they said my opinions were very smart. So if you visit this museum, you might just see me there too, paying them another visit. They have a life time membership program apparently and I might just maybe need to take advantage of that. My daughter Sarah would love this place. I need to bring her here when I visit San Diego again. Love, Jordan

What a neat experience here in America's finest city. The museum itself is located downstairs of a building right off Village Place. It is fairly easily to find. It is located above a small cafe shop so if you wish to find a snack or refreshments it is also rather simply to do so. Regular admission, in my opinion, was way too overpriced. I got my student discount which was 9 dollars and much more reasonable considering this is a small/small medium sized museum. It is broken up into various sections, by scale and scenery, but I think it is so detailed. The amount of time which was put into this is astonishing. There were multiple tracks under repair or remodeling as a few were shut off. Kind of disappointed but I understand given the sheer amount of skill that goes into this it must take time. Each section had signs and posters giving a history of the real-life track and a bit about the models. When I went there was no tour or tour guide. I did the entire thing in about 20 minutes so I think this is a great thing to do on a lunch break if you work in the area or just something you'd see once as a tourist. They do have a model railroad club which seemed cool and they had a holiday train which can be streamed online. Super neat to see this in San Diego!

Perfect place for those train fanatics! We have Littles who live trains and watching them go by. Affordable to tour the place, definitely recommend if you are local, get yourself the explorer pass you can come and go as much as you please. Gift shop available. Trinkets, tourist souvenirs and snacks for the go. Plenty of train tracks, and sets to see. Creative track from all folks who have donated. Lots of displays. Clean bathrooms near by, Cafe near by. Great place to bring the elders, and kids. Stroller and wheel chair friendly.

I really wanted to love the San Diego Model Railroad Museum but I ended up just being a bit bored and disappointed. While there is a lot to see, when we went it seemed that many of the displays were barely operating with just one train, or under refurbishment or the trains were going incredibly slow. I can imagine that some people might enjoy this more but as a casual model train enthusiast it just seemed somewhat anticlimactic. They do have lots of friendly (and some not so friendly) volunteers that will be happy to talk to you about what they are working on. There is a nice sized gift shop that is mostly kid oriented.

Located near the Prado and the photography museum. It is on the basement level/underground. There is a coffee shop/cafe upstairs from it. Parking: there is free parking by the natural history museum / carousel. Recommend to park here and walk over. I'm not sure I can recommend this for anyone who is not an absolute train fanatic. My kid and I were in and out in about 15 minutes. Some of the train areas weren't set up. Some of the trains were very, very slow. Kid zoomed through all the areas and was pretty bored. The best part was in the back, a small area that was lit up and had TONS of trains and small cars running through it. This was our fav area. There was even a button to stop the train but it didn't seem to work. There was a small open area where you get a better view of the train without the glass (no touching though). Gift shop was very small, didn't really have much going for it. I only went because I had the summer reading tickets which allowed free entry. I would not recommend paying full price.

Our trip to San Diego was really intended to explore North Park and Balboa Park. Of the 18 (!) museums, where do you start? For us it was easy, as our little one loves trains, so first stop was the Model Railroad Museum, that boasts 27,000 square feet of diverse layouts. This place truly is impressive. Even if got into the train thing for your kids, it's hard not to enjoy seeing these diverse and intricate layouts with the constant clickity-clack of myriads of trains moving about. There are plenty of choices, six different layouts in all. Make sure not to rush through - as there are windows at different angles that provide different looks of these amazing layouts. For instance, it was cool also learning a bit about railway history in seeing the Tehachapi Pass layout, displaying the world renown Tehachapi Loop. Each of the layouts are different and while the Toy Train Gallery was our favorite, they are all worth spending ample time to watch the locomotives wind their way through the diverse terrain and topography. Plenty of fun to be had for your kids to be able to power (via the push of a few buttons) one of the Thomas trains in the Toy Train Gallery as well. Of course, you exit through the gift shop and they do have a great gift shop, too. We added a few more wooden trains to our son's seemingly ever-growing collection and most of all, we had a great time. Whether you are interested in trains or not, the Model Railroad Museum is a great way to spend an afternoon.

Have I not reviewed this before? Okay, here we go. Make your way through the park. You know the one. San Diego's park of parks. Balboa Park of course. Look for the signs pointing to the model railroad museum. Descend the stairs below ground. Pay the admission (discounts available for specific groups). And enter another world. A world created and crafted with love and care by people who live the environment they inhabit by choice. A love for trains. That's what you'll find here. A love for trains but the train engineers and the countless visitors who gaze on amazement at what has been built here. Here you'll do mind trains of all scales running in worlds that match their likeness and characteristics. And I do mean worlds. Watching and spotting the trains as they travel along a seemingly endless array of tracks, you'll be astonished by the remarkable accuracy of their movement and design and even more so by the painstakingly detailed scenes which they pass through. And the engineers/conductors I'll call them. Always friendly and gracious and ready to answer your questions and accept your compliments and praise. This is the real deal for anyone with a love for trains or even to take an adventure through a miniature wonderland. I dare any kid of any age to resist the joy.

We came here on a whim after visiting the Natural History Museum and it was one of the coolest museums that we've visited, if you're into trains! It is a self paced museum and they have some cool interactive games such as a searching game for items around the different railroads. The coolest room/railroads was the toy themed one. Lots of cool things to look at and learn about. Where the railroad museum is located is pretty hard to find if you've never been, you can even look right past it because it's located "underneath" balboa park. They also had a cute little cafe nearby when you are done(:

If you like trains or know someone who does, this is the place to be! The whole place is full of model trains of every kind, and most of them are moving on model tracks! There are tiny people, signs, lights, cars, buildings, and everything to make these models really resemble train tracks and the cities around them. There are also models of real bridges, and facts all around to tell you about things. It's a cool place for adults and kids.

We enjoyed this one. PROS -Trains trains trains! -All the attention to detail in the miniaturized towns, vehicles, restaurants, etc. CONS -No signal. Downstairs and all. If you need to scan in your tickets, just make sure to download them first before heading down. -The top floor was under construction but we could still walk through it but it was basically empty.

We came here with our littles for Thomas Day and had a good time. We got there right at 11 when it opened but many families had the same thought and there was a line to get in. The line went very quickly though so it wasn't too bad. Since it was Thomas day it was very busy which made some areas difficult but we were able to wait. Thankfully most people parked their strollers outside of the museum and that provided more space. Thomas day wasn't much, they just put some of the trains out on the displays, but the kids still got so excited to see Thomas, Percy, Spencer, and other friends. We looped around the entire place a couple of times as the kids just loved seeing it all. One loved the cars that were on display in all of the models, the other loved the trains so it was non-stop happiness. There are so many different trains and models and scenes set up for display and it is so fun to look at and try to catch all of the different details. There was one room in the back that seemed to be everyone's favorite, ours included. It was a bit darker, and you could really and truly see the lights. Everything was a bit more modern, and the kids lost their minds with excitement when they recognized characters and cars like the Superhero Little People riding a train and Mater. Overall, this was a pretty good trip. We had a lot of fun and would come back.

I'm not into model trains but this museum was much better than I expected. My daughter absolutely loved it. She was singing throughout and acted like a train. The train set ups are incredibly intricate and big. There's a room with minions and other fun toys zipping by on trains. They are volunteer run. I'm amazed that they are so committed.

Came here for my nephew's birthday party. Having children of my own, I have to say, this is a very cute and entertaining place to have a kid's party. Kenneth Orr was a great host! He was so kind and attentive and checked in on us often to make sure we didn't need anything. He set everything up and provided goodie bags and I highly recommend booking a party here with Kenneth. The kids were very entertained. The museum itself was very interesting to see for all ages.

Must do when in Balboa Park! So many trains available and on display here. With my son's new fascination with trains it was an absolute must when visiting the beautiful Balboa Park. He was amazed with all the types of trains... he kept saying "Choo-Choo!" When it was all said and done, he wanted to go back to visit Thomas - his favorite train and only one that he recognized. We will be back for sure when visiting.

We spent 1 hour and 15 minutes at this museum and could of easily spent more time. This is a must if you love trains. This museum is huge ! So much to see and the attention to detail is phenomenal. The volunteers are very friendly and informative. It's a two story museum.

Very comprehensive model.train museum. See if you can do the scavenger hunt if you have time. The holiday exhibit with the lights was impressive!

Absolute gem. This place is for young and old. During the holidays is even better. I have yearly passes, is the only way to go.

If you like trains SDMRR Muesuem is the place to come.When you enter the muesuem it feels like your in a new world.I went here with my parents and saw a lot of trains.I been here like 5 times already.There are so many types of train scales.There is Ho,N scale,O scale,O gauge,and a garden layout outside which aperantly I think is G guage but when I went there it was closed.My favorite layouts were the tehachapi loop and the San Diego and eastern Arizona if I'm saying it right.I got some magezines there.I will defintly come back here.If you like trains I recommend this place.I just went for one lap.(sorry my typing is bad. I tried my best). (: (You might hear different voices in Spanish and English beacuase that's my family and memories that I wanted to share) (I have a video that says the town is dead but it's not ) The San Diego model railroad muesuem is a place to go if you like trains.

This is a really impressive railroad exhibit with impressive scenery and trains. Lots of train enthusiasts there volunteering as well who were happy to talk to you. For what it offers it's definitely one of the higher quality museums in Balboa Park.

My husband loves trains and we've been wanting to come here. We always take walks in balboa park and we passed by a sign for the museum. It's to the left of the photography museum on the same level as the cafe. It's not a huge museum we finished the loop in about 20-30 mins. Gift shop available as well, really small. Adults are $13.50 per ticket. The train models are so well done! Every little detail from the hair and clothes were spot on in a miniature scale. It was incredible to see their work. Met some of the train model engineers, they are so excited about their work. My favorite section was the Christmas train set. They had bows and Christmas decor all over. The trains also burn oil and have steam coming out. It was so cool to see! Definitely worth coming if you love model trains!

What a fantastic place to geek out over model trains! I absolutely loved all of the displays, even the ones that showed sections in progress. The people involved here do incredible work. There are so many details built into every scene.

Was unexpectedly very fun to walk through this museum! I love miniature things and it was so cool to see miniature cities with moving trains.

The SDMRR Museum is incredible. The amount of beautiful trains they have there is nice... B U T !!!... the amount of detail surrounding the trains is just spectacular. Take advantage of the knowledgeable staff (collectors) sitting or walking around, as they are friendly and courteous... a joy to talk to. When I was little (1972), my uncle had an elaborate set-up with 7 tracks, a mountain tunnel, and a small-scaled town with working everything !!! At the museum when one of the bigger model train locomotives passed by puffing its smoke... it brought me back to my uncle's basement. Such a beautiful memory... such a beautiful museum.

Fun and interesting place to visit. Great for kids and kids-at-heart. I took advantage of free admission on the first Tuesday for San Diego residents. In addition to the model trains, cars and tracks, I enjoyed seeing miniature Superman, the Joker and the Halloween exhibit.

This museum was just ok. Some exhibits were not working and other big sections were very outdated. Not the best we've ever seen but just ok if you got an hour or so to spare and it's free. I had to pay and didn't feel like we got our money's worth sorry.

My family and I were just walking around Balboa Park with no real plans when we came across the model railroad museum. It was quite inexpensive for us to go inside and since we had no plans I figured why not. My kids really love trains and watching how they operate. They thoroughly enjoyed their time watching the trains on their tracks, talking with the engineers and doing the scavenger hunt. Special note they only charge two dollars per person 30 minutes before they close. So if you just wanna walk through real quick I would say go 30 minutes before they close but if you want to take your time and enjoy every moment get there as soon as you can.

I've recently got back into trains and this place is awesome packed with a lot of trains and accessories. One important thing to keep in mind is they only accept cash.

A few weeks back, my kids rediscovered their love of trains. October was a great month to take them to this museum since it was 'Kids go free!' with a paying adult. After walking down the stairs and into the basement, you'll realize the museum is on the smaller size but it's really perfect for kids. It's just enough to keep them interested but not too big where they get bored. There is one small 'play area' for kids down the first hallway. The layout of the museum is really easy to navigate. It's one large circle. you can't get lost...and once you've been around the circle, you've seen it all. There are some pretty die hard model railroad builders here, but there's also a fun train room with plenty of pop culture/nostalgia trains. If you have really little kids, there are stairs they can climb to see into the displays. That's great planning right here. My kids had a fun time! Definitely worth a drive from North County.

CURRENT HOURS: Closed: Monday - Thursday. Open: Friday - Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Adult admission: $12.50. Discounts available for seniors, military, students, and children. Model railroads aren't really my thing but you can tell the museum is run by people who are passionate about this hobby and I can appreciate that. Some of the tracks are very impressive. Take the time to really look -- the details are incredible. One of the biggest issues with this museum is the division between staff and audience. They are separated by Plexiglass and not engaged. This is not conducive to dialogue and leaves unanswered questions (especially for kids). Additionally, there is no interactivity. People want to push buttons, especially at a museum centered around motion. They also had an exhibit dedicated to women's roles in the railroad industry and that was interesting. I hope they expand on these historical exhibits -- there are ample options -- Chinese American workers, African American workers, the history of railway dining, trains in film, etc. I think the gift shop can be curated a bit better to appeal to a wider audience (right now it's just train dads and parents with children). Get some train-themed contemporary art, trendy jewelry, interesting fashion. It's never too late to reinvent yourself. Additionally, each exhibit is an opportunity to add new items to your gift shop. I know this requires money and I'm sure funding is slim but I really think there's a higher chance of selling unique items rather than a snow globe.

Ohhhh, do I enjoy wandering through here! The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a must, when visiting Baboa Park. Yes, I know about the Timkens, and other first rate museums here, but you need to visit the SDMRRM! It's fun, it's relaxing and it speaks of those Christmas mornings sooo many years ago, when your parents setup that Lionel train set. The SDMRRM has mostly HO gauge trains by the hundreds. It is so large, that in one section they have track stretching nearly one hundred feet. The layout has been set, but it's incredible seeing what the volunteers have added since our last visit. Also, their SoCal scenery is amazing, down to the very realistic downtown San Diego Santa Fe Train Station (see photo). I've posted both the current Santa Fe station and the model one under construction. I cannot wait until it is completed to see the finish scenery and scale. It's well worth visiting the SDMRRM. Admission is $10, particularly if you have young children. Come, see, enjoy and if you want, support the SDMRRM. http://sdmrm.org/about-us/4593959424 Enjoy

I haven't been TRAINed in the model railroad arts, so I didn't know what to expect. We took advantage of the Museum Month pricing and the normal $12.50 adult admission fee was 50% off. The models themselves are stunning! There is so much detail and obvious care that went into building these, and some are based off of real landscapes! I love the little Easter eggs and humor they put into the builds. There is also one in progress upstairs, and you can tell it's going to be huge. I like how there is even an outside model that you can turn on yourself. I also like the friendly old guys who volunteer there! It is clear they are passionate about their craft. However, the hallways are drab and not inviting. I know they are probably not getting a whole lot of money to remodel, but it looks like they haven't touched them since the beginning. I get that it's catering towards train buffs, but I'm sure the majority of people who visit want to bring their kids. We had a fun time exploring the mini landscapes and making up stories behind the scenes, and were able to spend about 2 hours there. I don't see it having much return value, but it is definitely worth visiting once.

Definitely more fun if you go with a group of kids rather than just one or two. They have a scavenger hunt that keeps the kids interested in the details. The haunting pictures on the walls that they put up for Halloween are better suited for 10 years old and up but that's subjective and just my opinion.

This was a really fun stop. About half of the museum was whimsical and fun (see ghostbusters) and the other half was some serious model train landscaping. Both portions were kind of amazing. The museum itself only takes 30-45 minutes to go through, which makes the price a bit steep, IMO. (Hence the four stars rather than five) But we had the park explorer pass and decided to stop in. I'm glad we did. All in all, if you're in to model trains, or you have kids that love trains, it's probably a must see. If not, it's worth it as a stop on the park pass.

My daughter absolutely loved this museum! I think she stopped at every platform to check out what was occurring in each scene. I had fun, as well, looking at all the different miniatures and beautiful landscapes. There's also a little coloring area at the back where you and your kiddo/s can sit and relax. Aside from the displays, the people working here were very sweet and incredibly kind. Didn't feel any pressure to keep moving along or rush around like other parts of Balboa Park. I highly recommend this stress-free museum.

This is such a fun and unique place to visit. Kids will love it, and grownups will enjoy it too. We happened to go right before the closed to the surge of the pandemic and so the number of visitors were limited already. The museum is sectioned off into lines and location themes such as the Tehachapi Pass, Pacific Desert Lines, and more. They even have a special holiday themed section that they transition from Halloween to Christmas. Each section is enclosed in plexi glass and viewing ramps so little ones can get a better vantage point of the trains in motion. The attention to detail for each terrain is astounding, even down to the service lights and the flora and fauna. This place a must see if you are in the San Diego area!

We went to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. It was a lot of fun. There are many model railroad layouts to see. For a couple of them, you can push a button and run them yourselves. There were school groups there when we were there. There is a special activity room for school groups to do projects. We spoke to one of the volunteers there. He was there with his sons and having a great time. The train museum is in Balboa Park.

A fun model railroad museum Family friendly, plenty to see Most displays are in HO gauge, some displays are modeled after actual rail lines there is some N gauge Lots of details Don't miss the O gauge room that is a whimsical layout with lots of lighted moving items in addition to the trains

This is a fairly small museum, but I can hardly wait to bring the grandkids here! One of the highlights of a San Diego vacation is experiencing Balboa Park. So beautifully landscaped, so symbolic of another day and age, such a variety of things to do, but best of all, revered by the people of San Diego. The 1200 acres of land for the park was originally set aside for public use in 1868, but what we all associate with the park today are the zoo and the cluster of magnificent Spanish Colonial Revival buildings that line the El Prado, a stunning reminder of the Panama California Exposition of 1915. If you want to see the museums, theaters, shops, this is the spot. Find some parking around the periphery of the Prado, GPS helps since you cannot drive logically down the Prado anymore. One of those buildings along the Prado, the Casa de Balboa building (exactly opposite the lily pond), is where you will find this playful railroad museum. It is on the bottom floor and has a modest entrance fee. It is worth it, and you can be self assured this money is well purposed for keeping this museum going. The museum is a labor of love, operated and maintained largely by volunteers. The main exhibit loops you around some fascinating setups and features different gauge trains, some HO, O scale and N scale. The dioramas are large and completely landscaped to represent actual railway scenarios found in California and Arizona. Tiny towns, little people, vintage vehicles, a carnival, trestle bridges over huge gorges, mountains and deserts, grazing lands, all are constructed with fine detail and accuracy. Toy Train Gallery is for the child in each of us. Everyone remembers Lionel trains and the cute lighted villages that were set up at Christmas time. This will capture your imagination. If you go outside the backdoor, you will find the newest exhibit, a small fenced in garden called the Centennial Garden Railway. It is dedicated to the electric street car lines designed for transporting the masses who visited the San Diego for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. The miniature street cars run past scale models of some of the original buildings like the park's famous Spreckles Organ Pavilion and the California Tower. If you come on the first Tuesday of the month, and can show proof you are a San Diego County resident, you get in free! Regardless, you can bookmark this for a great stop as you take in all the park has to offer.

Spectacular layout and very informative guides. Very easy to lose yourself in here for a couple of hours! Not crowded at all!

This is a great little museum for train enthusiasts. I think we probably come here about once a year. They do a nice job of changing things up. When my son was smaller he used to spend a lot of time in the play room, playing with the Thomas and Friends train table. I never quite understood why since he had the same table at home, kids. Later when they added the trains you could climb into, he was of course fascinated with those. I think these interactive displays are pretty fun. Obviously people enjoy the photo ops too. When we go it's fairly obvious that most adults and children love the room with all the Disney characters. Personally I enjoy seeing the Smurfs, I'm weird like that though. I like the way they decorate all the train sets, I think it's fun. It makes me sad seeing people on here complaining about this museum. It's staffed by volunteers. They do their best. I don't think they are attempting to "rip off" the community. And all the complaints about the facility and equipment..c'mon, this is a model train museum, not a fine art museum. Do you seriously think they have wealthy patrons or heavy city funding?? Try to see it through the eyes of a child, more optimistic and imaginative. Also, as others may have already mentioned, you can check the Balboa Park website to see which museums are free on Tuesday's and check this one out then.

I've been here three times, and love this small museum. It claims to be one of the best in the world, and when looking at their expansive layouts, it's difficult to disagree. The museum is 27,000 square feet, and the layouts include N Scale, O, HO and even a small nano scale train. Their layouts are impressive, as large 4,500 square feet, and they are working on a new large scale addition. Their toy train (Lionel type O gauge) room is like a trip to Santa's Workshop, a toy train layout targeting children aged from 2 to 102. It doesn't take long to walk through the museum, an hour might do it for some, a few hours or more for train buffs.The museum is located in Balboa Park, a top destination for us whenever visiting the area. I look forward to returning here soon.

My babies love this place!!!! I was never much of a train guy and I'm still not, but seeing my kids enjoy this place is pretty cool. Here's the thing though - even though there are so many little things to see here, I wish they had a train track that we (the paying customer) could control or feel like were controlling. As of right now all I see is the volunteers running the trains, and it's cool and all, but I really would like to push and control just one train.... not really... I want to control all of them!!!! The train setup in the back is pretty cool because it's decorated with so many random toys that everyone can relate to, and the where's Waldo piece is pretty cool as well, but still I can't troll them and that's a bummer. There are those two buttons you can push that set off the two trains that make a single circle then stop that we get to control but it's pretty unsatisfying... There is also a kids play area that is okay... but it freaks me out that I don't think it's cleaned properly that I don't allow my kids to play with them although they really want to but with all the nasty, sickly kids that touch those toy tracks and random trains I feel my kids can catch something so I purposely have to avoid walking in that direction because it will cause my kids to want to play with the toys, to which I then have to bribe them that If they don't play there I will buy then a train they can play with at home. Just not from your gift shop cuz man those prices are crazy!!!!!! But I get it, it's Balboa Park and it's super touristy. The coloring table that's setup is pretty cool too. Gives my kids a good 15-minute project and me a 15-minute break. The graffiti train exhibit was awesome. Can't wait to see what you guys put next.

Our friend Doni recommended this and when I read the Yelp reviews I saw that Rinky and Wendy had also reviewed it. We took Lyft over. Though we have a rental car, we find it's just more convenient to use Lyft for short trips. We were dropped off close to the Model Railroad and other museums, which are conveniently grouped and easily walkable. The first Tuesday of the month museums are free for San Diego residents and there were crowds of parents w/ children and school and other groups wandering around. Free admission makes for a considerable savings, as there is an admission charged for each museum. We paid our $9 senior admission for the railroad museum, took the elevator down a floor and walked around. It's larger, more elaborate and less dusty than the railroad museum at Point Richmond. There are dioramas constructed and maintained by various railroad clubs in the area. There was a very educational explanation of the difference between scale and gauge and what each term meant, along w/ railroad cars to show what size each was. Although I had heard the terms over the years I hadn't understood quite what they mean and enjoyed learning that. Trains were running though each of the dioramas, some mountainous w/ beautiful replicas of railroad bridges, others representing towns and ports. Volunteers were working in several dioramas and were available to answer visitors' questions. It was a beautiful and interesting museum.

A super fun museum! It's very clear a lot of work went into and goes into creating the trains and surrounding details. There are multiple little towns, buildings, bridges, plants, and so much more. They have a small outside section where trains go past miniature buildings of Balboa Park. It is also really cool to see the employees working on the trains. They have a fun scavenger hunt for each section of the museum. An awesome setup and a must see, kids will love it.

I've been coming to Balboa Park for YEARS and had no idea this place existed. What a hidden gem! My three year old son was in heaven! So many trains and so much detail on every scene and every track. Kids under 6 are free so that's a huge bonus. It looks small but there's a lot to see. In addition to wall to wall trains, there's a play room upstairs with toys and books. Everything was super clean and in good condition. The volunteers were super helpful in answering questions. They were very knowledgeable and friendly. Adults are $11. I think seniors and military get discounted admission. It's a great way to spend the morning. I will definitely come again.

We decided to spend a day at Balboa Park and stumbled upon this gem. My son loves cars, planes and trains, so we decided to visit the museum. I personally don't have any particular inclination towards trains (and know nothing about models), but I had the best time!! it was amazing to see how big their displays were, different sizes, and all of the intricate work that the volunteers put into the displays. Lots of great information and history. Fun for all ages! They even have a room with a bunch of familiar characters (like superheros and cartoons) included in the displays. Tip: If you have a little one, know that you'll have to pick them up to see a lot of the stuff because it is elevated. Just be mentally prepared for that :)

Toured museum the first weekend it was fully reopened, on March 27, 2021. My first question is whether it would be worth the $12.50/adult and $7.50/child admission. It absolutely is! The size of the exhibits is amazing. They have replicas of great railroads of the Southwest. The Christmas village room is fun, especially for kids. There is an outside trolley exhibit, and you can start it by pushing the buttons. There are educational exhibits on Walt Disney's trains and different model gauges. We find the volunteers to be fonts of knowledge. We picked up some good tips about (real) trainspotting at Tehachapi Loop, Victorville, Carizo Gorge, etc.

Haven't been here in years, and WOW! What a change for the better it has become! This museum, one of many offered in the San Deigo Balboa Park area, is in the basement of the Casa de Balboa building, and at 27,000 sq. ft., it is the largest such indoor exhibit in North America, and one of the largest in the world. The entrance fee is perhaps more than expected ($12.50 for adult, some discounts offered), but once you step into this world you'll appreciate the upkeep and on-going expenses of these clubs - yes, clubs! There are more than one layout here, and they flow throughout the basement, and beyond. There are N, HO, O and Lionel 3-track layouts. There is also a new (to me!) display room covering the history or the San Diego and Arizona line, and a new outdoor layout, set-up in a small patio garden - so cool! Some of the layouts may not have the detailing of others, but the sheer size and immensity of these layouts keeps you captivated. Some areas are more scenic, to be sure (the Carrizo Gorge area is a scene of beauty and grandeur, even in scaled size!), and the Lionel layout is a cacophony of lights, action and more. There is also a second level covering the Tehachapi loop. And when you are finished, you can take in a nice visit to a well laid out store (admission not needed, so you can visit store for free!). The men and young men manning these trains and minding the layouts are very friendly should you have a question, and don't be surprised if a large creature walks down the main street of a town - it's just a handler re-railing a car or moving an item. I spent 90 minutes here until closing, and probably would have stayed another 30 minutes or so. Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, you'll appreciate the work and thousands of people-hours (over 10,000 just working on the layout on site during weekly work nights) that have gone into this layout. The Carrizo Gorge section took 2 and 1/2 years of labor, and the Tehachapi Pass layout (75 by 30 feet!) took five years to build! The dedication and love of scale model railroading is evident, and if you aren't already bitten, you will be after a visit.