Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

Love it, would come back again! Suggested donation $4 each adult. Volunteers are so friendly and the wait wasn't long (it was to the end of the first aisle and took maybe 25 minutes max). Good shade to wait under also. And they mark your ticket with a train emblem punch!

This train ride is such a gem! My grandchild absolutely loves coming here it’s one of his favorite things to do. The ride is relaxing, the scenery is beautiful, and the whole experience feels like a little adventure. It’s something we both look forward to every time. Definitely worth it if you’re looking for a fun outing with kids!

A quirky little place where volunteers run miniature trains. I took a ride and felt like a kid again. The track winds through trees and little model towns. Volunteers were friendly and full of train facts. It’s charming and surprisingly relaxing

Wonderful rides on miniature steam, electric and gas powered trains. The club members are friendly, the ride is fun, my kids enjoy it and besides the miniature trains you can visit Walt Disneys Train Barn on the 3rd Sunday if the month.

This place is awesome!!!! Open ONLY on Sunday's from 11am to 3pm. Ample parking. Once u get in, stand in line to get tickets for the train ride. U cannot walk around to look at train in here. Strictly for rides only and there's a small enclosed area when u see miniature tracks and trains near the entrance. $3 per ride. No babies. Kids must be above 34" to ride and must be accompanied by one adult. The ride itself was AWESOME! A good 10 mins if not more. So worth the price and u get to see all these mini trains and riding on one!

It was a really fun experience, the ride is not short, they really take you around in the train a couple of times, very fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family 😊👍

It's completely unexpected, if you've never been. To think, their are people who spend their own private time and money to own and maintain the tiny but completely authentic Steam Locomotives, then offer them free to ride, for the general public. THEN, to learn that besides the National organization, this particular part, the Los Angeles Live Steamers here in Griffith Park, was a Walt Disney facility where Walter himself came to tinker and play often! To me, it's always fresh.

A great place, definitely worth going with children! It's a lot of fun to ride on little trains; the walk takes about 15-20 minutes. Interesting scenery, bridges, tunnels will bring a lot of fun.

What a hidden gem in Griffith park! This miniature train ride was super cute and fun! The ride itself is about 10 min, and we loved the design put into everything. Only $4 a ride. Too bad it is only open for a few hours on Sundays.

Came here one Sunday for a fun activity since my weekend plans have changed! It is opened only on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm! Parking to the left once you PASS the museum! Free lot! I got $4 tickets for the train ride. We did the Ghost train here years ago and it was loads of fun, we wanted to see the place in day time and have an adventure. A bit of a line, but they have more trains and it was moving. Unfortunately, the Disney barn was closed, it is open just 1 Sunday (3rd) each month. I misscalculated I guess. The place is small, they could have it open every Subday, there's enough staff on the premises, who can keep track of the 3rd Sunday with what's going on nowadays? The ride is cute, with fun tunnels, bridges, old Western decor along the way. No one should think they are too old to ride it. Kids love it and us adults! I wanted to check out the property after the ride and I was getting strange looks from people around like I wasn't supposed to be there. I guess it was for Members Only, I was used to explore the Travel Town next door so I figured this is the same. I was wrong, I felt unwelcomed, like I was crushing somebody's private party! I just wanted to look around a take a few pics! No toilet paper in ladies'restroom! For the X-mas ride, don't come to this address, rides don't start here. I made that mistake last year because they listed this address! Cute ride, but me and the LA Steamers don't always gel!

We wanted to visit the Walt Disney museum but stood in the incorrect line and ended up here instead. No complaints as it was pretty amusing and on my "take your toddler" list which he loved!! Suggested donation is $4 per person (even for the kids) Be aware of height and weight limits The long was pretty long but we got lucky going in The ride itself is about 10-15 minutes long and one of our friends was a great tour guide explaining what's were $1 cold water bottles available for purchase Thanks to the volunteers who keep this place up and running on Sundays!

I must say for the location there is extreme lack of parking. The umbrellas offer absolutely zero share in the hot sun while we were waiting for our turn to ride the train. I personally would've liked to have seen it be a little bit more cleaner or maybe restored; is the word I'm looking for....especially since the city only collects mandatory donations to ride the train, it seem like there was a lot of little buildings and posts that were literally dilapidated. Maybe they spend too much money on the fancy train tickets rather than restoring the park to its Original glory days . When I was younger maybe I didn't notice or pay too much attention to the scenery and the miniature buildings . Needless to say it was a fun little 10 minute ride and the kids really enjoyed it.

Came here for my daughter to ride on the train. While I'm waiting with my twin babies there's a shaded area with tables I asked if I can go sit , since it was blazing hot under the sun. The representative right by the gate said no we can't sit there it's not open to the public. I said well we are here with paid tickets on the train my husband and daughter. He said sorry, it's not open to the public. I'm like what !?! Makes no damn sense and I don't see no sign !!!!!!

This place was absolutely great! It's a different organization than Travel Town (which is operated by the L.A. Parks department). This is a private organization which has actual steam powered miniature railroads. The train tracks are a very good distance and each ride really feels substantial. My three year old had an incredible time and wanted to ride again and again. The train rides are donation only. The suggested donation is $4, which is a great deal considering what you get for the price. It's a really fun, tremendous experience. Fair warning, there are height and weight limits (both minimums and maximums), so recommend looking ahead of time before you go. Also, you sit on top of the rail cars, not inside, so it may be difficult for some riders. Also, be warned the line can get pretty long. So it's probably a good idea to come earlier in the day, especially if you want to do multiple rides. There's also a Walt Disney Barn, but the line was too long when we were there so I don't know what that includes.

Tip: arrive at around 1030, and you'll get some of the last parking spots in the little lot. Basically it's just a very long train ride on a tiny train with friendly people, and you get to see a lot of miniatures! You you have to line up first to buy your ticket which is four dollars, and you can donate more if you want. Make sure your child is at least 36 inches! Then you get into a separate line to go on the train. It was super fun, and we just happened to go on the third Sunday of the month which means we got to walk over to Walt Disney Barn.

Such a great afternoon outing, plenty of parking along the curb or two dirt lots. Train ride on the diesel was fun. The mini LGB train area needs a revamp (maybe some water friendly plants?).

A MUST DO! This little Secret Gem is located right next to Travel Town. It is only open on Sunday's until 3 PM with Free Parking. The Mini Train Rides are $3.00 & take you all around the premises. You even get to pass by Walt Disney's Original Red Barn that was where Disneyland was conceptualized. Bring your picnic basket & cooler & you can have your own private picnic next door for FREE. You can also drive down a little bit because this attraction is right next to Travel Town where they have all sorts of Full Size Railroad Locomotives, a Gallery of The Atchison Topeka & The Santa Fe & Judy Garland & Angela Lansbury & The Harvey Girls. They also have a slightly bigger miniature train you can ride on as well for $3.50 & Free Parking there too. So you can do 2 Attractions for a Grand Total of $6.50. They stay open a little later. Now if you come here on the 3rd Sunday of the month The Disney Red Barn is open for Free until 3 PM where Walt Disney created Disneyland. You can do all 3 attractions because they are right next to each other for a whopping total of $6.50 & Free Parking too. You can see my individual reviews of each one. A whole day of Fun for so little cash! It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

A visit to Live Steamers is a real treat to visit in Southern California, worth a visit especially if in the area, but plan accordingly: Open to the public on Sundays 1-3 pm weather permitting. Live Steamers is located between Travel Town and the LA Zoo. Tickets are sold at a booth for a suggestion donation of $3 per ticket...not a lot to pay for a super unique and fun 10 minute ride over bridges, through tunnels and next to beautiful large trees, on someone's personally owned steam, diesel, or electric train. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=F2qUTMrZvXTtBAfoYwzdXQ&userid=cZ7V8VPXi1HAnylgahCHOA Riders must be a minimum if 36 inches tall or less than 350 lbs. The trains are miniature and you actually straddle the seat and sit upright and the view from the train is pretty unique. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=sZf58NJketKLNTnNxnfmUA&userid=cZ7V8VPXi1HAnylgahCHOA For me, the train ride is so relaxing and I am always sad when it is over. Our most recent visit was after about a 10 year period and it was the first time we visited without any kids...just purchased two adult tickets...and we had a blast! We used to come here years ago when our child was younger and you will see a lot of young families here as well. Also on the property is the Disney Barn which is opened the third Sunday of every month. The barn was owned by Walt Disney himself. There is a lot of memorabilia and even a really cool scratch built train layout (it took the builder 10 years to build) of what the original Disneyland train ride looked like in the area where the current Big Thunder Mountain is located. If you are at Disneyland and ride the Steam Boat near Tom Sawyer's Island, you can still see some of the old track left behind from that original train ride attraction. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ejVxd6E7Oj0Wtamd4zTCJQ&userid=cZ7V8VPXi1HAnylgahCHOA Summertime can get hot while waiting in line even though they have umbrellas partially covering the standing area. FREE street and dirt lot parking. Run by volunteers who've all been nice and friendly whenever we've visited. Don't forget to say "Thank you"!

Amazing place. Filled with passionate hobbyists that love to share their unique skills. Great for kids. A real treasure.

So much fun for the kids. And easy 2-4 hour activity to spend the day. Pack a lunch and have a picnic in the park after. It's nice.

This is a fantastic way to spend a Sunday morning! A small donation gets you a nice, long ride on a scale railroad with cool scenery and amazing history! If you want to make a day of it, come on the 3rd Sunday when the Disney barn is open (and sometimes the steam shed) where you can see some real Walt Disney history first hand and get to know a little more about the LA Live Steamers and their history with Walt. There is ample parking, and it is right next to Travel Town so if you have a kid who likes trains this is a no-brainer outing!

What a fantastic experience. The volunteers who continue to create this place certainly pour their hearts and souls into their hobby. One note, while this is a wonderful experience for children, keep in mind that due to safety concerns there are size restrictions. Please do not give the volunteers a difficult time if your little one is not tall enough. They are just volunteers who are charged with enforcing the rules for the safety of the children.

We came here for the train ride, and it was well worth it. A little disappointing we could not walk over here from the Disney Barn side, seeing as we were already parked, but re-parking wasn't too big of a deal. We had a picnic lunch in the adjacent field. Lovely with picnic tables and big shade trees. This museum offers a miniature train ride over a winding and 'scened' track. You straddle the train cars, and off you go! For only a few dollars, you get a lovely ride that lasts a long time. Times of operation are limited, so check the schedule. There are three train-related museums in this area, so spend a day!

I have visited this place many times over the years and love that it's a hidden gem of the Griffith park area. Being a private members only club they are only open to the public on Sundays for rides on the train, live music, and good people to hang with. Definitely check it out.

I'm 50 years old and started taking my kids who are now students at USC to the Halloween Train Ride when they were 3 and 5. It's sad how politics amongst a board of crotchety old people can't get along to share the beauty of trains to the citizens of LOS Angeles. The Board needs to be replaced with members who strive to create excitement in new generations to ride a train Last year with no kids my wife and I went, donated $80 total, bought a bunch of drinks and snacks, and went on our own without any kids. We went out to eat dinner and called it a date night. Riding this train has become a tradition that marks the beginning of fall and the upcoming Holiday season. Like many other others I'm sure this bickering and arguing which probably adds nothing to your organizations charter or agenda just ruined that for me and probably many others. Work it out! Change the Halloween ride to a Holiday ride and mix Halloween with Christmas like Disney did so the train ride can span 2-3 months. Understand that you should be an entity for everyone and not your own crooked agendas. Stop acting like the Scrooge.

If you like trains, or if your spouse or kids love trains, then this is the place to come to. Don't get this place confused with the Griffith Park Railway, (next to the pony rides) but LA live steamers is past the pony rides, past the zoo, just before travel town. You will see the parking lot, and the gated entry way on the left. The train ride here, is far much better, and more fun too. The trains themself are a lot smaller, and the train rides last a lot longer. And, if your lucky enough, you just might see an actual running live steam engine from the 1920 to 1950's, in operation. Open only on Sunday's, (excluding holidays) between the hours of 11am to 3pm. There is no charge for the rides, but donation is highly recommended. And I do highly recommend the donations, because they do need money to keep this place running for the public, and we don't want to lose that. Must warn you that there is a minimum height, and I think age requirement, and that's based solely on your kid, being able to sit still. Because the trains are small, they can tip over faily easily........and I've seen some kids, and even a few adults, do some pretty stupid things here, very embarrassing. So with so many activities to choose from in Griffith park, for a few dollars in donation, this place offers great fun for everybody and a life time of memories for the kids. Enjoy!!

This is an unbelievable gem that not only captivates children but adults as well. One of three train experiences in the park this one is run by volunteers that love trains and maintaining tracks. Besides have a pretty extensive network of tracks you need to check out what you pass by. There is a very extensive collection of gauge trains with maintenance and repair facilities throughout the inside of the track. Not sure how you could get a tour of this area but looking at it from the train it's very impressive. I am sure that there are a number of individuals at this facility that have knowledge of gauge trains that few if any have. Limited hours but well worth the trip. Fantastic experience for young and old!

Do you remember the show "Silver Spoons" and watched Ricky Schroder and his Dad roll into their living room on a large train set? Have you have wished that you could experience that feeling? Not the feeling of being rich like he was on the show....but the feeling of riding a miniature train set like theirs? Well, at Live Steamers you have that opportunity! Hidden in the middle of Griffith Park next to Walt Disney's Barn you'll see these little powerful locomotives pulling 20+ people along a winding railway. Live Steamers was founded in 1956 by live steam enthusiasts for the purpose of educating the public about railroad history and promote the avocation of live steam and scale model railroad technology. In 1956, all the locomotive model engines were steam powered, hence the name "Live Steamers". The ride itself is really entertaining and lasts around 10 minutes as you go over/under miniature bridges and through tunnels (be sure to duck!). Again, this is fully functioning locomotive set that succeeds in providing such little details as miniature western themed cities and a graveyard with funny tombstones. There are also railroad gates that come down with blinking light signs to help the flow of people needing to pass over the tracks. I have to admit that this was an awkward moment for me on this ride because I'm a 6 foot 5 inch grown man. People were beginning to walk over the railroad tracks and were looking down at me like "look at this big dude here on this miniature train." But hey, I'm a big kid and enjoyed every minute of it! The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday and is a great place for kids or adults to act like kids for the day. Ticket prices range from $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for the kiddos. Go get your choo choo on! Cheers! #daddy3

These guys are the best!!! Amazing work over the decades by some brilliant engineers who are just kids at heart. Thank you all my son was so happy and me too!!!

Fun ride on cute gauge 1 trains. Relaxing, fun for the whole family. But get ready to wait in line. Sunday's only. Kids love this place.

This is really cool place. The train rides last about 15 minutes and it only cost $3. Just to warm you must be at least 34 inches to ride the train. The train takes to gold mines, tunnels and little city which reminds me of Disneyland. My son and I had a blast. And they even have a cool set up where kids can watch a participant. They have a really small shop but if your kids love train rides this is the place to take them. Don't forget you must be at least 34 inches to ride the train.

This is a gem in Griffith Park. Located between Walt Disney's barn and the Travel Town Museum. L.A. Live Steamers is a collective of old Walts personal steamer trains and some tracks & little rideable steamer trains from the members throughout the years. This track is immense and diverse for a small scale. I'm talking the whole ride might last close to 20 mins long. It goes through tunnels and on top of miniature bridges. Miniature western scenery like mine towns and some life size scale scenes are set up too. The steamer trains themselves are gasoline powered mini diesel trains that are amazingly powerful enough to pull up to 20 passengers. They look like authentic to micro scale trains and I kinda feel like King Kong being transported across the west on them. You sit on flat board seat train cars and the tracks are a bit tight in some spaces, so do keep all arms and legs to yourself. Not too sure, I think it's safe, but you wouldn't want to be the guy who tips over the train. Griffith park is right by the Hollywood Hills and you may be lucky (or unlucky enough) to spot some celebrities while you're there. Do keep in mind that usually the celebs are there for their family outings so please refrain from becoming paparazzi or becoming TMZ all of a sudden. Just last weekend, NO JOKE, we parked in the space next to my ex-girlfriend Megan just as her and her recently separated husband were heading back to their car with their kids. My girl is from East Los' so I had to ask her to please not start anything with her. For the kids sake. Luckily Megan Fox was courteous and hopped in the back seat of Brian Austin Greens white BMW X5 with no incident. This story actually happened. Gwen Steffani is known to head over to the steamers sometimes too. It's only 4 dollars for adults and 2$ for the kids, I think. On certain days you can head over to Walt Disney's barn hide out when it is open once a month. It can make for a fun 1 hour total outing to check out the Steamers next time you head to L.A., vato. Minus 1 star for replacing the Charles and Ray Eames designed train station and ticket office years ago though.

UPDATE .....Today a MEMBER OF THE TRAIN club LIVE steamers (and wanna be cop) responds to my sad review of how we were treated by saying "GOOD dont come back!" So OBVIOUSLY this is proff of how rude and Unkind these people are. To respond to a bad experience and say"good" I'm happy we were mean to you . ..WOW great place for kids, not!!!!!!!! My friend and I and 3 kids went there recently Sunday afternoon and was like others said they experience, being treated rudely and yelled at by the pushy staff at the gate . No one said thank you or goodbye when we got off either. It is a place for a train ride you can't get off and walk around go to Travel town and visit the great museum!

This place is awesome!!!! Open ONLY on Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Ample parking. Once u get in, stand in line to get tickets for the train ride. U cannot walk around to look at the trains in here. Strictly for rides only and there's a small enclosed area when u see miniature tracks and trains near the entrance. $3 per ride. No babies. Kids must be above 34" to ride and must be accompanied by one adult. The ride itself was AWESOME! A good 10 mins if not more. I think it's worth the price and u get to see all these adorable mini trains and you get to ride on one too!

Went to the Ghost Train on a Saturday night. We are 2 adults with no children and really enjoyed the ride. You can tell the museum has put a lot of money and effort in making the train ride fun and memorable. The ride on the 1/8th scale train is actually more comfortable than you would think. Worth the $20 a person. Tips- 1. There are 2 lines. 1 for people who pre purchased tickets and 1 for people who need to buy tickets still. It looks like 1 big line but it isn't. 2. Buy your tickets online. That line is much smaller 3. Arrive early. The parking is in a dirt lot next to the museum and fills up quickly.

I don't care how old you are or whether or not you've got children to bring. This is FUN no matter what your age is. I first came here more than 20 years ago with my grandfather. As an engineer, he found the scale models of real working steam-engines fascinating and his wonder of how things work transferred in some small part to me. I'm 27, my grandfather past away almost 16 years ago, and I STILL find these miniaturized steam engines insanely wonderful. For a donation of $3 per person, you can take a 10-15 minute ride around their little park, passing lilliputian towns, speeding into tiny tunnels, crossing bridges, and generally having a nifty time perched atop their railroad passenger cars. Sorry to hear some of you low-rating reviewers went to a Halloween event that was designed to be scary, and the children you brought with you -- surprise, surprise -- freaked out (Oh, and Dia de los Muertos and Halloween are NOT the same holiday. Day of the Dead is not meant to be bloodcurdling, but a celebration of life honoring the deceased). Come by on a non-Halloween day. You'll have fun, I swear.

This place was surprisingly super fun. We loved the long train ride around the premises, we went into tunnels, over bridges, and through make-believe towns. Our conductor was female, we were in the first caboose. Tickets are $3 per person, children must be at least 34 inches tall to ride! We can't wait to come back again for another ride!

Well for a bunch of retired military men. . .it's not terrible! Lol my bf has a train here and I can go whenever I want! They have public runs every Sunday from11am-3pm and they ask for a donation. I love the Ghost Train Ride, I actually helped setup some of it this year, was my first time. Was great to see it all done and lit up. And seeing everyone go and ride and have fun. I even was working the booth the last two nights. Can't wait until next year, i'll be helping to setup again. Have to remember tho somethings aren't for everyone or every child. I saw kids crying not to go on and others I saw laughing and saying oooh and aaah.

This is so much fun. Make sure any child you want to take here is at least 34 inches - they are pretty strict. It is a very sweet and very fun activity. However, there is no back support, so if you need that, it may feel like a very, very long ride. If we lived here, we'd be here every week. I think I had as much fun as my son did. It's like riding on a model train set.

I'm so happy I discovered this place. It's magical, and I take my two year old every Sunday we can! Such a beautiful ride, and the staff is so nice. It's a major highlight of our week.

This was my first that I experienced the live steamers train ride at Griffith park. I was surprised that a lot of adults liked the experience as well the the kids alike enjoyed the train ride. A great family friendly outing for $3 .00 per person to ride is an great value for a 20 minute train is an great Sunday outing for any railroad enthusiast and/or family outing with the kids.

For Ghost Train 10.13.18: I can appreciate all the hard work & efforts made to create & build a fun, cool train ride experience BUT the wait is outrageous. We bought advance tix $25/ea. got in line B at 7:30p, boarded at 9:40pm, exited the ride at 10pm w/ little ones, yikes! It took away from the experience we hoped for. Parking is difficult to find. The express buyers in line next to us got in line at 8:15 & boarded w/ us so that saves you 45mins. Where line C who bought tix at the door had waited a good 1hr more than us to board: thats over a 3hr wait guys. Made sure I talked to others, with that kind of a wait it was needed. You have been Warned.

We love having a little picnic on the grass are right next door..... The kids love it. You should see how their little eye light up every time they see the train pull in to pick them up. Perfect local family outing destination if you ask me. Specially being right next door to travel town.

Rude customer service... I called just now to ask about potential train repair (because a train shop referred me to here), and before I could finish my sentence/questions, the woman on the line hung up on me! Rude!!!

LALS is a wonderful place to spend a nice family day (unfortunately that one day is only SUnday). Upon entering, there is a nice Garden scale railroad to take pictures of just enjoy seeing the model trains rolling around. Which just that is an easy time killer. Tickets are approx $4 per adult, and a short line (depending on what time of day) later, you board the live steamer train. The ride is about a half hour around the layout and the scenery makes it quite fun. I was also fortunate to visit for Halloween last year which was a neat little experience. The station was decorated as a haunted house like station and many parts of the ride had different themes such as the Old West Ghost towns, Alien invasion, Mad Scientist lair, Giant Bugs, Cemeteries, day of the dead, etc. LALS is mostly comprised of volunteers which is why they are only open on Sundays, and sadly might not be Halloween decorated this year (as of right now they say).

Yeah, yeah I keep returning. It has gotten better. New stuff and now it is connected to boney island.

As for a miniature trains, LALSRM ranks at the top of my list. It's a sit on top train with a really long ride. They usually have a couple of trains and if you're really lucky, they might be running a real steam engine. Went today in October and most of the halloween decor is up so it adds to an already cool ride. It's probably the longest ride for kids going through tunnels and over and under bridges. When you ride on top of a mini train, it's so much cooler than riding inside a car. Maybe it's the long grass slapping your leg as you cruise along or seeing the joy in adults' and kids' faces alike as you chug along. This is the best train in the LA area. NOTE: Your kid needs to be at least 34" tall.

For advanced ticket holders you should arrive at least 1 hour early. We we're the second car in the parking lot adjacent to the event and also the second couple in line. Make sure you line up in the line that says advanced ticket holders. Premium/ time stamp ticket holders line is closer to the street and next in the middle will be the advanced ticket holders and last will be the general ticket line. We we're able to board the train pretty fast since we we're second in line. We had a great time even though the ride only lasted for 23 minutes. I would recommend the event but get there early if you want to board the train quicker. Someone mentioned on yelp that they arrived 15 minutes before the event start time and even with advanced tickets had to wait a good hour or more. (Recommend going early)

I LOVE this place. My father would take me and my sisters when we were around 5 and now I get to take my kids. They loved it! Their faces lite up when they saw then cute trains!

I recently discovered that your childhood is made up of 940 weekends. When you think about it, 940 weekends sounds both like a lot, but in the grand scheme of it, so few. At least it sounds insanely small of a number compared to my ripe old age now. But I can say that in my 940 Saturday/Sundays sitting and watching cartoons that were trying to sell me toys, eating sugar laced cereal and chomping down on liverwurst, the best days of those weekends I ever had were the couple dozen times that my parents would give in and take me to the Live Steamers trains in Griffith Park. They 7 1/2 scale steam, electrical, and gas powered trains you can actually ride in on a track that is littered with miniature homes and other little sights that made my small self so wide eyed. The layout is small scale trains that you sit in a sort of strange way. I've gone back as and adult a hand full of times when I'm not feeling like a complete moron grasping at straws with my nostalgia, but it's always a grand time. The trains here are so much better looking and cooler to ride than the ones on the other side of the park. And when you are able to have a cross park rivalry between trains, I guess that means you had a fairly decent childhood, all things considered. Sure I was a latchkey kid, but man oh man did I enjoy the weekend when they took me some place. They're the "really small trains" of Grifith park whenever someone ask me. It's a non-profit organization who are train enthusiasts and unlike the other train, these are both fun and educational. There should also be a sign outside that reads "No Fatties" as the weight limit is 350lbs. But it's very simple. Show up between 11 and 3pm on Sundays with 3 bucks in your hand to donate to a good cause of old men who took the weekend off from being crotchety to come down and play with steam engine trains. Think of them like those old people who play with classic cars. Only they're nerds and back in the day the only really nerdy shit you could do is play around with model trains. I can only hope to have that much fun in my elder years. My kind of people! I can't think of a better way to burn off one of those 940 Sundays my childhood held than by coming here. I can only hope that they're around when I want to kill one of the 940 Sundays my potential offspring has.

So much creativity on this team! I left this place feeling inspired. Well worth it. Tip: Buy tickets in advance. It's the only way to avoid a 2.5hr wait.

Omg best little attraction ever! I love coming here. It's at the North End of Griffith Park. The great attraction besides the train rides are the train car from Disneyland and Walt Disney's Barn. They have great memorabilia inside as well. It is accessible every first Sunday of the month. The train rides are fun as well, it's like a $3 to $4 dollar donation. We finally were able to bring our nieces here and they had so much fun! The train takes you around the area where the barn is located, through a couple of tunnels as well as over some bridges. These are the same type of trains that Walt Disney had in his backyard. Just great wholesome fun!

This was a fun way to kill 20 minutes, and good entertainment for our 3-year old. We went during the non-Halloween period, so we just had an enjoyable ride through some pretty normal scenery without too much drama. As for the cost... yes, there is a $3 "suggested donation" per person. They do not "force" you to pay the $3. You have the option of donating some other amount, or not donating at all. However, I am not sure why anyone would feel entitled to a free 15-minute train ride. There is clearly a great amount of effort and time which has gone into making this attraction possible. Just give them the 3 bucks.

$3 train ride easy to park and a great trip for the family. My 4 year old son loved it and I highly recommend this place!

Love this place! They have a cool little train to ride and its well worth the 3.00 ticket price.

I was super excited of taking my family this year since last year it was close. Now the lines are super long and it seems that buying tickets in advance is not worth it because those who bought tickets in advance got to ride at the same time I did. Staff are super friendly. They need to have more entertainment other than music while waiting on that long line. Price has never been an issue for me because I always have fun going but this year it wasn't what I was expecting they seem to miss out in a lot of displays compare from previous times I gone.

Love it! we were visiting from nyc and found this gem. you made 2 big kids(36 and 43) and 1 young kid(13) super happy.