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San Diego Model Railroad Museum

1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101-1621 (Balboa Park)
619 696 0199
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Ranked #27 of 199 attractions in San Diego
Type: Speciality Museums
Description: One of the world's largest model railroad museums features a scale model railway that replicates San Diego's tracks.
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80 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    48
    25
    4
    3
    0
Date Rating
Burbank, California
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2013 via mobile

Stopped in here after purchasing a Groupon. Interesting display of train layouts. Took about an hour to go through it all. Will definitely be back to see the progress on their new layout!

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See 2 more reviews by WDWLuvr for San Diego
Brenham, Texas
Top Contributor
80 reviews 80 reviews
30 attraction reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2013

What an enjoyable visit to the Model Railroad museum to see all the club displays and the enjoyment of the 'railroaders' as they drove their trains. All these men were very proud and were very open to engage in discussing their hobby and their trains. A must see bargain in San Diego.

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See 2 more reviews by Gene F for San Diego
Lake Forest, California
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 April 2013

A great experience for the whole family. So much to see and so many eras shown. The intricate models are mind-blowing. The displays change all the time so even if you went a second time it is possible to see different displays and set ups. This one is a must see

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See 2 more reviews by Chris C for San Diego
san francisco
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 April 2013

Best model railroad museum or collection in the country. A collection of model railroading clubs housed together in this large space give visitors a view of many types of model railroading and many miniature views of different parts of the state since each club has modeled a different part of California in their layout. Don't miss the Tehachapi pass, it's... More

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See 3 more reviews by carbrn for San Diego
Lexington, Kentucky
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 April 2013

This museum was among our favorite experiences in San Diego. Kids who love trains (are there any who don't?) will have to be dragged out at closing! Model quality and attention to detail are first class. My only criticism is that the operators / model builders weren't friendly. I felt as though we were intruding in their club, weren't very... More

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See 8 more reviews by Gabe10101 for San Diego
Brussels, Belgium
Top Contributor
89 reviews 89 reviews
48 attraction reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
33 helpful votes 33 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 April 2013

Our children 10 and 13 liked it very much, and so did I. There are several very large railroad displays, some historic, some more fun displays. The volunteers have a great time playing with the trains and explaining what is happening.

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See 20 more reviews by Ben K for San Diego
Northern California
Top Contributor
68 reviews 68 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 March 2013

Balboa Park must have more museums grouped in one area that any one single other place in the world (even more than the Mall in D.C.). This was a totally serendipitous find. In fact we were in SD for a conference and just wanted a walk in the park (we know San Diego) when we came upon the Model Railroad... More

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See 5 more reviews by nurealam for San Diego
Rexburg, Idaho
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 March 2013

It is fabulouse to see what the volunteers have done with their model train displays. The displays are huge, extensive and detailed.

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See 4 more reviews by Nelson D for San Diego
Sowerby Bridge, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
64 reviews 64 reviews
17 attraction reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
31 helpful votes 31 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 March 2013

I used to be a bit of a model railway enthusiast when younger but grew out of any active involvement in my teens, merely visiting the occasional exhibition. This place was below our pre-visit radar so we more-or-less stumbled upon it and boy, are we glad we did. The layouts are so extensive and detailed that they completely outshine anything... More

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See 10 more reviews by CanalFan for San Diego
Washington
Top Contributor
98 reviews 98 reviews
48 attraction reviews
Reviews in 54 cities Reviews in 54 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 February 2013

Staffed by volunteer model railroad enthusiasts, who willingly answer questions and help one tour the facility, it was an awesome experience. One volunteer saw we were having trouble getting photos because of glare on the glass, and invited us into the exhibit. Another volunteer stopped a train on the intricate trestle, so that I could get the shot I wanted... More

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See 10 more reviews by orcasgal for San Diego

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