Just a few days before Christmas of 2017, Dan and I flew to San Diego to check out the city as a potential place to move to from New York. We spent three glorious days basking in the sunshine and squeezing in as many of the major sights as we could, including the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, Old Town San Diego, Point Loma, and Balboa Park.
While walking around Balboa Park, we stumbled upon the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. With an hour or so to spare, we decided to check it out. Once inside, we were surprised to find ourselves at the world’s largest operating model railroad museum — we were in for a treat!
As an Architect, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for scale models. I spent my first year out of college working in the model shop at an architecture office before officially joining the studio. There’s something really satisfying about working with your hands — the experience taught me much more than I could have bargained for and has certainly given me a new-found appreciation for the time and skill necessary to create such perfectly-detailed worlds.
Dan and I spent an entertaining hour or so weaving through the four primary models (each is owned and maintained by a separate club), spying on the residents of each small town and the miniature dramas that seemed to be unfolding everywhere we looked.
In one town, a group of onlookers wave at a passing train. Elsewhere, a drunk man is held upright by his friends as they stumble away from a lively red-white-and-blue tent. Even a barren stretch of road between towns is full of life as a man is seen frantically trying to catch a group of chickens that have escaped after crashing his truck. Meanwhile, a fox watches at a distance, waiting for his opportunity to pounce.
We had a lot of fun during our visit to the museum — well worth the $11 admission and an hour or two of our time! I’ve since added other similar miniature museums to my travel bucket list.
How to Visit
The Model Railroad Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. It’s closed Mondays with the exception of holidays that fall on a Monday. Opening times may vary, so be sure to check out the San Diego Model Railroad Museum website when planning your visit.
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions or recommendations for other miniature museums like this one, I would love to hear it. Just leave a message in the comment section below!
