Old Town Model Railroad Depot

Wow. Just wow! We were walking around in Old Town San Diego on Sunday and this cute little shop caught our eye. To be honest, I didn’t think much of it, but decided to check it out anyway. We walked in and were greeted by the super nice lady at the front and given a mini tour. The inside had two rooms with a giant railroad track display. The man who created this magical town was there. Apparently he has collected all these things for the past 10 years and decided to put it together in this large space. We spent a good 30 minutes inside. There was such attention to detail, the man literally thought of everything! I enjoyed it very much… this is a must see!

When you first walk in you get a little bit of information about what you’ll see. There is no charge for admission but after I saw all of the work they put into this wonderful little piece of the 1950s I was more than happy to donate. This little town will make you so excited for trains and all of the stories they have created. There is a weeding and fireworks at the ballpark. Every piece is created and place by hand. It took 68 days to plan and set almost a mile of wiring and the thousands of little figures and houses but took a long 7 years to collect everything. It is truly a sight to see.

I’m not a huge train person, but I do appreciate the time and effort that goes into the model world. There’s a ton of detail, and this place is that plus some.
From the outside, it looks like it might just be a store that sells train stuff. However, when you walk in, you’re face-​to-​face with a HUGE working display that spans a huge building. You start by checking out some nice scenic mountains and farm lands. Press a button you’ll hear the animals and other noises that would come with the territory. This was all cool, but my favorite was the next room.
Think of a whole 1950’s town in miniature form. From marquee lights, diners, storefronts and more, the owner created a whole nostalgic world for you to see. Depending on how closely you look at all of the amazing detail, you could easily spend a half hour or more in one spot as a lot of it is moving. Press another button and you’ll see fireworks around a stadium, lighting in the sky and even a plane encountering a storm.
While having a chat with the owner, he enthusiastically answered all the questions we had regarding the time it took and the inspiration. He even told us that it wasn’t finished and all of the great things he plans on adding in the coming year. Depending on the seasons, they decorate with Christmas decorations and Halloween themed stuff as well.
If you’re in Old Town San Diego, this is a must-​stop, especially if you have kids. It’s free to see and you can take as many photos as you want. To keep them going, make sure you make a small donation on your way out as I’m sure every bit helps.
I’ll definitely be back!

If you at all like model trains, houses or cars, check this place out. Admission is free with a donation box available. A really fun place.

Cool establishment to visit when in Old Town!
Walking in, you’re greeted by a friendly hostess. She’ll give you the scoops on the establishment. From what I saw, she was also friendly to all the families that walked in. Also appreciated the way she suggested a donation since they don’t charge an entry fee. Best believe we did just that after getting to appreciate the place.
Anyway…
The entire model is huge! Split between two rooms, but the railroad track connects the entire establishment. This is definitely a work of art from the attention to detail the owner put into it. Hahaha… There’s a few minute details for adult humor that you should look out for (ex. someone peeing in the trees). We even got to see the owner working on a railroad car that needed some maintenance. Didn’t get to talk to him though ’cause he looked concentrated.

This is a great train exhibit! The owner is extremely friendly and is happy to answer any questions you might have. There is a huge town set with buildings and Main St. USA. It’s a great place to bring the kids, very family friendly! There is a scavenger hunt for the kids to do while visiting. There is no cost to enter the depot but a donation box for you to contribute to keep this around!

The most impressive model train I have ever seen! 1959 with Elvis and old ford cars! Changing stop lights and IRS building on fire. One of a kind.
This is definitely a top 100 things to check out when you are in San Diego and located in the old town
Thank you.
Donating only no admission — very generous

Fun for the whole family. Owners on hand to tell you about the train and all it’s features.

Couldn’t spend as much time as you would need to see it all. Changing decorations for Christmas. Enjoy.

Amazing! A must see! Every age will appreciate this gem. The detail is so precise. Take your time and look closely.

Opened 9 months ago, friendly staff and really cool models/​trains. This is an alternative to the Balboa Park Train Museum — kind of like the little sibling to it.
You can rent the space from 9am to 11am for private events for $ 50 the only downsides were parking (on the weekends) and there isn’t much room to sit. Overall a great experience for our toddler.

Free admission, donation box at the end of the of your self tour.
Very cool model railroad display. I wouldn’t of known of the place unless the gentleman outside wearing his conductor suit was outside, inviting us in. The place was all decked out with model trains.
A lot of detail is put into this as there’s different areas: city, country and so forth. If you are in Old Town San Diego, take a cruise down the street and check this place out. They encourage you to take pictures and to stand up on the platforms to get a better ariel view of the tracks.
Great for all ages.

What a great find in old town! If your not looking you’ll walk right by this train exhibit. The owner started buying trains for years and it took him and a few friends 6 months to set up the display of 1950’s life and times, it’s a real fun educational experience with several hidden gems and laughs. I was joking about that he should hide Bigfoot in the forest and he had already did it
Admission is free with a donation box at the end, no pressure. The owner showed several hidden objects and scenes which were either very instructive or hilarious. Please take the time to stop in, it’s a real treat! Thank you so much for the tour!

Great place for the train enthusiast and for anyone else who can appreciate things of high quality. The amount of time, effort, and money that went into creating this train display is just amazing. We loved it so much we went around the display twice and could’ve stayed there all day if we hadn’t had other plans during our trip.

So glad we accidentally found this location. My 9 year old son loves trains and had a great time following the trains around and examining all the details for over an hour. We enjoyed doing the scavenger hunt as a family, and we will definitely return on a future vacation to see what’s new!

Absolutely amazing level of detail, design, craftsmanship, flair and nostalgia.
I didn’t know what to expect when I walked in the door on a whim but am infinitely glad that I did.
A must see for young and old alike!

We stopped in to this cool place randomly as we were leaving Old Town and were amazed! By far the largest model railroad set I have ever seen. The detail is amazing and the set is huge with one half of the store set at night, and one half set during the day. There is something about a train set like this that brings out the kid inside you. My wife enjoyed it more than I did. This would be a great place to bring the entire family. Entry is free and donations are accepted. We had no problem giving a donation after seeing this place (and I’m not big on donation boxes). Probably the most memorable thing we did in Old Town.

Terrific collection of operating model trains right in the heart of Old Town San Diego! The display shows extraordinary attention to detail. The night time display has illuminated lights, billboards, including a Mel’s Diner.

Such a fabulous place to take young boys. Two large rooms of train heaven. This place is on a busy street in Old Town and parking can be difficult. The guys that work here built the model and they are all so friendly. I didn’t have to pay an admission but was happy to put money in the donation box. They have a few buttons that kids can investigate what action they perform.
I will be coming back many times.

Absolutely fun place for family and kids. It’s the retirement dream shop of the owner. The models are definitely amazing. The trains run and horn and steam. The whole «town» is well laid out and built with a lot of details. The owner is very nice and friendly. If you are around the old town and have some time to kill, do come and see this place.