San Diego Model Railroad Museum

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a model train museum in Balboa Park featuring four permanent displays that showcase miniature versions of California's railroad networks and regional landscapes. Each exhibit contains detailed scale models of historical train routes, complete with intricate trackwork and tiny buildings set into scenic dioramas.

The museum was established in 1980 to preserve Southern California's railroad heritage, particularly focusing on routes like the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. Since then, it has grown into a place where historical train lines are brought to life through skilled model-building craftsmanship.

The model railroad clubs that maintain the exhibits here share their passion for this hobby and show how trains shaped the region's development over time. Visitors encounter this community spirit directly, as the layouts reflect decades of collective knowledge passed between generations of enthusiasts.

Visitors can move at their own pace through the indoor exhibits, which operate continuously during open hours. The museum is housed indoors, so you can explore the displays in any weather and take as long as you like to study the details up close.

The model train layouts incorporate exact geographical details and architectural features that required thousands of volunteer hours to construct and maintain over the years. Some displays took many years to complete, revealing intricate details that become apparent only when you look closely at the miniature landscapes.