San Diego Model Railroad

Good place for kids to come and see the miniature trains in action more

My son loves trains so we had to buy a membership. We can spend hours and hours here - every day if my son lets us. The largest indoor model train museum in the country. My son climbs up the platforms and watches the different trains go by. He lets me know if they are steam, diesel, intermodal, etc... They have a lot of little details on their set-ups. Hobos sitting by a campfire under a railroad trellis, a man sitting on a toilet reading the newspaper (inside one of the buildings), a fair, etc... Most of the set-ups are reproductions of actual railroad scenes (bridges, tunnels, etc...) The staff there consist of younger railroad enthusiasts to older retirees. They are all good with the kids and almost always make the train whistle make noise at my son's request. Occasionally one of them will let my son run the trains. He loves the room where there are buttons where he can run the trains (I think it is the O scale room). They also have a camera mounted on top of one of the trains which is always a big hit with all the kids there. This place is a real local treasure. more

I went here all my life, and i plan to take my son soon. Trains are awesome and this place is the best! more

The kids loved it and so did I. Not expensive at all. Balboa Park is a great place to be. more

If your children love trains (and adults also) this is a great place to spend an afternoon. There are many different track set ups from miniatures to the larger toy trains. The staff are very nice especially to the kids. They also have a small room with Thomas train tables so the little ones can play. It is within Balboa Park which is another perk. You can grab lunch and walk the park after your visit. more

My kids could spend all day here. The gift shop is very kid unfriendly though. more

If you little one loves train they will be thrilled here for an hour or so. All looking not much to touch. Passionate retirees dedicate their time here. Free the 4th Tuesday of the month but crowded then. Doesn't open until 11. more

We often go to the museum for playgroup. The kids love to watch the trains and play with them. We make up stories about the "people" we see. more

A must for train lovers, miniaturists, and kids in general. Different train scales are displayed throughout intricate, vast landscapes of mountains, beaches, and more. Details like Superman standing atop a building or a shark in a tiny pool abound. The toy scale trains include buttons so children can run their own line. There's a Thomas the Tank Engine playroom with 3 Thomas layouts, always a hit. more

This museum is FREE on the first Tuesday of every month. They have many model railroads on display and the children love watching the trains go by. They also have several train tables to play at. Very enjoyable 1-2 hours. more

This is a *must see* if you have any train lovers. more

Great outing for young train enthusiasts! more

My boys love this. more

Great place to take kids. more

Great for your little train lover! more

A bit old fashioned, probably not interesting unless you're little one is *really* into model train sets (not Thomas). more

Free for kids and reasonably priced for parents. A neat museum for kids, especially those train enthusiasts. Lots of model train setups with elevated footstools for little ones to view. more