San Diego Model Railroad Museum — Attraction in San Diego

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a hidden gem located in Balboa Park. It is a must-visit for any train enthusiast or anyone who loves to see amazing works of miniature craftsmanship.

The museum features over 27,000 square feet of model railroad exhibits, including a large layout of Southern California's railroad history, a detailed depiction of the San Diego Zoo, and a circus train exhibit. There are also several smaller layouts that focus on specific topics, such as the history of the Santa Fe Railway or the construction of the Panama Canal.

The exhibits are all beautifully detailed and meticulously maintained. The attention to detail is truly amazing, from the tiny locomotives and cars to the realistic scenery. It is easy to get lost in the world of the model trains and forget that you are not actually in a real train station.

The museum also has a variety of interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn more about the history of railroads and how model trains work. There is also a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and model trains. This gift shop needs some work - the gifts are not worth buying unfortunately!

There is a small room where an employee sings nursery rhymes for little kids and that part is lot of fun! Kids interact with some wooden trains and they absolutely love it!

I highly recommend the San Diego Model Railroad Museum to anyone who is interested in trains or miniature modeling. It is a great place to spend a few hours learning about the history of railroads and enjoying the beauty of miniature craftsmanship.

Note: Parking is a bit tight. We ended up parking at the zoo and walked our way to Balboa park where...

We go to the museum and enjoy ourselves all the time. My one star review is about the gift shop in the museum. I had a very disappointing experience at this gift shop. I bought a small toy train for my toddler, and within just a few minutes of play, the wheels stopped working. When I went back to the store to request an exchange, the owner/manager was extremely rude and dismissive. She refused to exchange the defective toy, claimed my child had broken it, and even accused my child of being rough with toys in the store (which was not true). On top of that, she told me to leave and threatened to call security as I was explaining the situation.

Even before that, while my child and other kids were playing in the toy section, the she came over and told them to move because “this is a walkway,” and cleared the children out very abruptly. I found this behavior extremely rude and unfriendly, especially in a store meant for kids.

I was shocked at the lack of professionalism and basic courtesy. A children’s gift shop should be welcoming and understanding, not hostile to parents and kids. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend...

I seldom say "highly recommend" in any review, but SDMRM made into my top 5 must-visit SD locations (maybe even in entire SoCal). The scale models on display are a moveable feast of flowing art，一场“流动的盛宴”.

Started in 1982 by a group of club members and with thousands of hours dedicated into refinement and operations each year, this is yet the largest model train setup I've ever seen, and is the topmost in the US.

You need patience to appreciate these masterpieces. Unlucky if you have a tight schedule in Balboa Park. All 5 permanent exhibits are no short of touches of details and period-correct scenes. The holiday track is full of joy and glare.

Had a chat with Paul, a track operator, and learned how the trains are powered and control signals run behind the scenes. He definitely shared a similar passion (just like my dad 😂) on building the most advanced model train set - "me neither can build it in my house, so luckily here I am".

Adult tickets are bit pricey, but totally worth it. Kids free admission is a plus. How sad the other model train museum, "Old Town Model Railroad Depot" is closed in 2022/11. Let's keep this...