Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

Located in Balboa Park between the San Diego Zoo and the Balboa Park Carousel, this miniature train ride is a kid’s dream come true. My grandson was so excited when he walked up and saw what we were going to ride. Kids five and under must have an adult riding with them. Tickets are $4 each person for one ride as of April 12, 2024. The ride lasts 3-4 minutes. There are some animal statues, flowers and plants, and a tunnel to enjoy along the track. Parking is available in the small lot near the train or the zoo parking lot.

Good for the kids. $4 a head with some light displays during the holidays plus a psychedelic Wonka tunnel at the end, just about when most of the adults start reflecting on how they ended up on a miniature diesel train with two kids and grandpa plus a rucksack full of wipes and spare diapers. Staff super nice. No real wait when we went on a Friday night at 5:00 p.m.

Can’t complain at the price of just $4.50 per person but the grounds are run down. Did the ride for novelty sake.

What a fun train ride for all ages. The train goes on a 5 minute excursion around the park and at a cheap price. Fun ride for any train lover.

Meh… $4.50 per person for a less than five minute ride. Required to pay for anyone over age one, but also if they are under age five they have to have an adult over 18 with them (also requiring a ticket). Feels a little redundant/silly. But whatever. The ride was nothing special — lots of dying and unkempt landscape to look at if you are into that. A handful of animal statues, but otherwise not much to look at. Employees were not overly friendly or helpful. The kids had an okay time but this is certainly one to skip if you’re on the fence!

This was my 2yo daughter's highlight for our trip to San Diego. She enjoyed it more than any ride at Legoland or any animal at the zoo. Recommend!

It is a short maybe 3-4 train ride that your toddlers will love. It only costs $4.00 per person which is a small price to pay for the joy on you littles face. We paid to around twice. The staff is friendly and the location is great. (The zoo and Balboa Park are right there)

We had a group of cousins meet here after a day at the zoo. It was a perfect transition for the kids ages (1-9). The parking is free and the train can fit quite a few people sitting two by two. It's a short ride with a cool tunnel to go through.

Always fun to revisit the places of your childhood. The train ride is a quick trip but refreshing to have a lasting icon since 1948. That tunnel still gets me! Tight squeeze if you're tall be forewarned but it's a mini train what did you expect!

I can't believe I never realize this was here! The miniature railroad is located in front of the zoo. I'm not sure how often they're open but right now for spring break they said they were open every day until 6:30 PM. It was four dollars per person, that's the same price for kids and adults. The train ride only last a few minutes, but it was lots of fun and the kiddo that I was with really enjoyed it. I think it was definitely worth the eight dollars for the two of us after the ride he kept saying how much fun it was. There were a few young people working and all of them are very friendly. we rode the train after a long day at the zoo but if you are not attending the zoo, you can still come! If you're parked at Balboa Park, you can easily walk over as well. the train moves pretty slow so it's perfect for small children. I don't think older children would enjoy it as much.

It's back open! Had to repair the tracks from fallen trees from the past storms, but everything is happy and back open. It's nice long ride, and ending through a tunnel. Wave at folks and purchase hats and whistles for souvenirs!! Affordable and right outside the San diego zoo. Opens at 11am. Perfect ending day for us at the zoo in the morning. Enjoy!

I really love it here. The miniature railway I believe brings out the little child on Christmas morning in all of us. At least it does for me. The volunteers who work here have done an outstanding job of painstakingly reproducing the replica of small town America and big city San Diego. If you're visiting Balboa Park, this is a must stop.

Worth the price of admission! Young children and the young of heart will truly enjoy this mini railroad adventure set just between the Zoo and Balboa Park. They have a whistle and captain's hat available for purchase which is a must! The line is never long and the ride itself is about 6 minutes from start to finish. You'll see animals and different themes. I like the tunnel at the end. Most riders tend to scream with excitement while passing through. I'll be back again as my son has a new fascination with trains! Side note, the miniature train museum is only a short walk away, also worth the visit.

This train is a pure delight for small kids and adults that do not want to grow up. Proper way to enjoy it is to choose a warm San Diego evening and come right before the closing time (the last train departs on the dot at the closing time). Few people put so much trust into the railroad schedules or their own punctuality; this ensures no lines, no wait time, wide selection of cars to sit in, plenty of shade while riding.

**Customer Service Related Post** I have been dying to take my 15 month old on this little train ride. Every time we come to the zoo it happens to be when this place isn't quite open. but today is a Friday after 11 AM, so we finally got a chance to make a trip to the train station after as the visit. It seemed like the perfect time to bring my baby since there was hardly anybody/nobody in line. I walked up to the counter to purchase tickets and the male who helped me wasn't very friendly but got us our tickets. There was no instruction or directions on which side to enter/exit. There were arrows so I did follow those. There is no sign for the entrance but there's a sign for the exit so obviously I went to the side that didn't have a sign saying exit. While we waited, I wasn't quite sure if we were supposed to let ourselves into the gate or if we just stood outside of it - no instructions were given to us when we purchased our tickets (as I mentioned the gentleman wasn't very friendly and it was a brief interaction). There was another girl making small talk about how they referred to my baby as kid or child... I don't know some random talk that didn't involve me but that was about me and my baby. The girl that was in the booth seemed friendly but obviously wasn't helping us. Anyways, back to while we were waiting... I was unsure about whether or not we were to proceed through the gate ourselves or just wait. I looked around and there was a random woman sitting on one of the two benches to the right of us on her phone. She was having a conversation fairly loudly to somebody else on the phone, but I didn't think much of it. I decided to open the gate since there was no direction and I thought that's what we were supposed to do. That same woman that was on her phone yelled at us from across the way. Apparently she is an employee. She did not look like an employee, so I was caught off guard by her shouting at me to not open the gate (the way she said it was extremely rude and so was the scowl on her face). With all the signage that they have, I don't understand why they don't have a sign stating not to open the gate and to wait to be let in. Honestly, we should've been informed at the booth to wait to enter the gate. Because I was not informed some random employee who apparently was taking her break, yelled at us to not enter. I find it unprofessional for someone who doesn't look like they're working to shout at us let alone not be informed when I had encountered two employees prior to that. The girl who shouted at us on her phone continue to talk shit about us to her friend that she was talking to like we were "dumb" for not knowing to not enter the gate. As I said before, she was speaking loudly on her phone so I could actually hear her (LOL). Mind you this is the first time we had ever gone here... Other than that... The train conductor was extremely professional and kind. She had rang the bell, but because we were right behind her she double check to make sure that that was OK. Very customer service oriented! The train ride itself was cute and pleasant. It was just us too so of course it was very mellow but it was a great little short trip. I'm very happy that my baby and I got to share that experience together but I am disappointed with the interactions that I had leading up to the train ride itself. The employees (other than the train conductor) acted like they didn't even want to be there and we're very rude. Not everybody loves their jobs, but there should be a decent level of professionalism in every job.

Mini train rides, we love them, short and sweet! Tickets are $3 per person. We parked in the zoo parking lot. The zoo is conveniently right across the way! There is stroller parking and benches to sit on while you wait for the train. Cash or credit card accepted. They have the cutest souvenirs for purchase at the ticket booth. We had the whole train to ourselves! The ride is very short, about 5 minutes or so. There are plenty of seats on the train that fit one or two people per section. To be honest there is not much to see on this short train ride, a few spaced out statues is all. Come when it starts to get dark and they will have the Christmas lights on. Even though there wasn't to much to see, we'd definitely come again because we love train rides!

Operated by the San Diego Zoo, but anyone can buy a ticket to ride. For three American dollars you can buy a three minute tour of San Diego riding on a miniature train..You can't beat that price and your kids will love it. - Parking sucks weekends and summer. If the Zoo parking lot is full you might get lucky along Park Blvd next to the Zoo parking lot. - Another parking opportunity is at the Inspiration Point parking lot (east side of Park Blvd, between Presidents Way and the Balboa Park Activity Center).. They have a free tram from there.

Not sure if it's the nostalgia surrounding the place or the excitement of finding something to do in San Diego under $5 !!! I love going here and taking a spin on the tracks in this antique train. My senior year of high school I was on the yearbook staff and our photo was taken on this train. Through the years my children have enjoyed it, family/friends visiting as well as a few return visits from myself. Let's just hope someone doesn't decide to build apartments or condos here. Seems to be the case anymore and with the cost of living skyrocketing around here, we need more places to visit like this.

Everyone needs to ride this train! Riding this train is our families favorite thing to do when in Balboa Park. Well, actually we have many favorite things to do when in balboa park. But, we treasure our visits to the train. All seats are the best! This train ride won't break the bank either. Make sure to check the hours of operation though. We usually show up before it opens and happily greet the conductor. Take lots of pictures

Located right outside the San Diego zoo, hard to avoid if your kid loves trains! Independent of the zoo. $3 per ticket. This train has a fairly large seating capacity so there isn't much of a wait or long queues. The train ride is short and lasts 4 minutes. It goes through a tunnel at the end of the ride. Closes at 4.30pm.

Nice little train ride for any little who is obsessed with trains. You ride along a small track that takes about 3 minutes. Rides are $3 per person. They turn on the holiday lights around 430 so if you come after dark you can see the night holiday lights. Our 3 year old was able to sit in her own seat and there are no seat belts or hooks but felt very sturdy and safe the whole time.

Awesome Train rides fun for the whole family to enjoy. its next to San Diego Zoo and balboa park

My girls insisted we go twice on the train ride. It's so affordable, we did. It's such a cute gem. We all enjoyed it.

Cute little train ride located in Balboa Park. Perfect for children and those young at heart. Cost of the train ride is three dollars. You can also buy a souvenir train whistle for five dollars which is quite cute and made of wood. My kids really enjoyed the train ride.

Great little ride near the carasoul and on the way to the zoo. It's $3 per person 1yo+. Short ride but it's really cute. Ticket booth and entrance is across from the zoo valet. The highlight of the train ride for my kiddo was going through the tunnel at the end. Lol

I love the miniature railroad. My parents used to being my siblings and I and we always loved it. The old gentlemen who used to run it was awesome. He was extremely friendly and great with kids. The staff now are not very friendly and just want you in and out. I have been bringing my son since he was about 18 months and he absolutely loves the train. He loves all of the fake animals and gets very excited when you enter the tunnel. The cost is 3 dollars per person ages 1 and up and the ride lasts a few minutes. The train runs very often so if you miss a ride just wait a few minutes for the train to come back. It is a nice little treat for my son and I.

A great stop during our Balboa Park experience with our cousin's kids. It's a mini train ride for all ages! It's probably most exciting for kids under the age of 10 but I had fun as an adult too! The train has individual seats (about 20?) and goes around the track for 3-4 minutes. It's near the entrance of the San Diego Zoo and only costs $3 per person. They also sell whistles and conductor hats to give your kid the whole package experience. I can't give it 5 stars because the decoration along the track is outdated and rundown. They could add more animals or scenery to make it more entertaining. But a nice activity to try while visiting Balboa! If your kid likes rides there's also a carousel on the other side of the tracks.

These little trains are so cute, my little girls love riding on them whenever we're in the area. They aren't too expensive either and adults can ride in them too, just kind of funny to see adults in it though. I used to bring my little one here when she was a few months old and she loved it so much that I decided to make it a tradition for her to be on it whenever we're in the area and its open. Now, her sister is in on it too. Both kids have grown up riding this miniature train for the last few years and I love that they haven't changed the price.

Always to have a nip of something before riding but not drunken riding please. No one wants an adult throwing up at other riders behind them. As a group, we planned on Ruining the Holidays by nipping a little bit of alcohol drinks whilst riding the Carousel and Miniature Train. As I mention, drinking a bit is fine, drinking a lot and riding either one can be disastrous. Overall, its a fun ride once or twice a year or with visiting kids to enjoy a little 3 min ride - cost $3. Fun depends on who you are with. I left early but saw a video of the rest of the gang riding after it got dark when the lights around the train area are lit up. Fun fun fun! All aboard! Remember Kids...don't drink too much and ride!

The Balboa Park Miniature Railroad is located right outside the San Diego Zoo and you don't need to pay the zoo entrance fee to ride. My almost 2-year old wild, ADD grandson has been into all vehicles, big and small, especially those that make noise, since shooting out of his mother's womb. So, I thought this would be a short, yet fun adventure for the entire family. The train takes you on a 20-30mph ride, passing the San Diego Zoo, the Art Studios, postings of a few San Diego cities (i.e. Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Julian, Chula Vista, and National City), a few zoo animals (lions, a giraffe, a tiger, and a hippo), the carousel, and through a tunnel. I docked off a star from their rating, only because I feel they could improve on the man-made scenery and include more cities and models representative of its featured locations. At only $3 a ticket for a 3-4 minute miniature train ride around a mock San Diego, it was still the perfect, inexpensive way to have the entire family (his grandparents, parents, aunt and uncle) join him on his first-time experience on a train. It was entertaining for all of us!

I lived in San Diego until I was 18, but I never rode the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad until I had my own kids. What fun! My son and I rode the train several times while visiting recently. I liked it and my son fell in love! Tickets are $3 for a ride through about half an acre of Balboa Park. I bought my son an engineer's hat ($12) and a wooden train whistle ($3). I thought the prices were reasonable for a tourist attraction. I would highly recommend this on your next visit to San Diego!

Seems to me the train was faster a few years ago, I suppose because of the water shortage they've let the landscaping go. Nonetheless my grandson enjoyed the ride.

what a gem to have this minature train ride!! and its only for $3 dollars each!! My hubby and I always come here to ride when we visit balboa park! last couple times we went with our fur baby brewsky and wanted him to ride, so we asked if he was able to get on, they said yes as long as we held on to him and they did ask if he gets scared of loud noises i said no , and so we hopped on. ive never timed the train ride but i wana say maybe 2 mins...but its suuuper cute and especially when its christmas "jungle bells" with the xmas lights! its soooo worth it to come and check this ride out!!! there is never a line when we've gone...Best 3 bucks u can spend!

The Miniature Railroad in Balboa Park is a delight for kids of all ages. A $2 fee gets you a ride that takes 3-minutes or so and covers a -mile through four acres of Balboa Park. It is operated by the San Diego Zoo Department of Transportation. The Miniture Train & Railroad Company (MTC) produced the G16 Balboa Park Railroad which uses a 16" gage rail. The Balboa park train is actually a scale model of the 1946 EMD's F2 diesel locomotive. One big exception is the extra large hole for the operator to sit. Cute.

If you were there last Saturday witnessing 7 adults hooting and hollering on the train....well that wasn't me. Just kidding. We were a rambunctious bunch and were having too much fun. Sometimes it's nice to be a kid again. Let's just say the conductor was very tolerant.

I'm happy our restraining order from last year was lifted so we were able to ride the train again this year for the Ruining the Holidays fiasco. I was even happier that we caught a ride that had no kids on board that could have been scarred by our behavior (I'm looking at you, Jessica). Seriously, this train ride is fun, I don't care how old you are. Bring the kids if ya got 'em or if you want to feel like a kid, come take a ride. You won't regret it!

When I was younger, my family used to have a circuit of places for weekly outings. A short list includes: - Mission Bay - Seaport Village - The tidepools beneath Cabrillo Monument - Bookstores (Upstart Crow, Crown Books, B. Dalton) - Balboa Park Balboa Park was especially fun, even though we generally kept to the Prado and never really went into any museums or the side trails. My pops was under the impression that we would be exposed to some freaks doing freaky things in a freaky way. The highlight of trips to the park be climbing the Moreton Bay Fig tree and riding the Mini train! Exclamation points are necessary when speaking of the Mini train! because I had some kind of maniacal obsession with trains. I'm not even kidding when I say that my favorite thing at Disneyland is the steam engine that traverses the park. The Balboa Park Mini train! takes you down to TJ, then back through the East County back country and home to San Diego. When you were a nerd like I was (am) you would keep track of the places you go and geek out when you're older and have your own car and you take road trips out to East County and drive through all the places the Mini train! takes you. Because geeks do that. One thing of note: if you should happen to have the male conductor drive your train, the man seems like he's been there since time immemorial. When I was a kid, this guy in a denim shirt and a red hanky around his neck wearing aviators would let us through the gates with a small smile on his face. Imagine my shock when this same man popped out of nowhere to open the gates when I came to ride the Mini train! as an adult. My brain exploded when he came out of the ticket office because HE HADN'T AGED AT ALL. It's probably Mini train! magic, so it's cool, but also really, really spooky.

We loved this tiny train ride! It's located by zoo entrance next to the carousel. We didn't go on carousel because it looked a bit too fast for my little one. We however enjoyed ride after ride on the train. There is ample space in one seat to ride next to your kiddo. Tickets are $3 per person per ride, so yes can get pricey when kiddo want to go on repeatedly. Conveniently they do accept debit/credit cards and of course cash. They sell conductor hats, train cookies and cold water for the summer heat. Ride features a fun tunnel and different animal statues the kids loved. Also featured different cities around San Diego as you ride along. Lots of parking available and best place to park would be in the zoo parking lot and walk over.

Five years old or fifty years old, the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad is fun for everyone. For just $2 per person, a darling, little train will take you on a leisurely partial tour of the park, chugging slowly past pretty scenery and inviting friendly waves from onlookers. I used to shriek with delight each time my mom surprised me with a ride on the railroad as a kid. When my dad suggested we recreate one of our favorite family past times recently, I was skeptical about how much fun it could be at 25 years old, but my skepticism was quickly laid to rest as I was reminded that a pretty ride through the park is enjoyable at any age. We're so fortunate to have staples like the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad in San Diego, so please, take your kids, take your date, take anyone and support this wonderful piece of San Diego history.

The inner child inside of me forced my boyfriend to take me on a ride here. It was only $3 per person, and although we were the only adults without children, it was still a cute and fun experience. It's pretty much a giant toy train that takes you around a 3-minute tour of "San Diego," complete with animals and a tunnel. I would definitely recommend this train ride for those with children!

Just like Yelp-er Ann T., I had a serious Thomas the Train fan back yonder and he would watch those Thomas the Train video's endlessly, so I just KNEW he would love the Miniature Railroad, and I was surely right! Every time we would go to Balboa Park, it was axiomatic that a stop here would be on the itinerary. I have pictures of both my kids riding the trains and they are some of my favorite shots. I remember one afternoon, I just sat on the bench and watched my little boy ride that thing around and around. I believe I paid the bulk ride rate! I had never seen that kid so happy! When the conductor hit the horn and toot-tooted, I would cringe but it was so cute! Even now, it brings a smile of recognition and a glimmer of youthful days gone by as you drive or walk past the area near the Merry-Go-Round where the antique train plies the 1/2-mile rails. There are only 50 of it's kind left and the model G16 is faithful representative of just why BOYS- especially dig trains! Not to be missed when you visit Balboa Park. Please note: The Miniature Railroad is open weekends and school holidays but daily in the summer.

There's a cool tunnel and at night there are bunnies it's fun every time!

We were in San Diego for a family trip. My son was excited to see the trains as we don't have them in her own state, so we took him on the miniature Railroad. We wrote as a family, which was only $12 ($3/person). The ride is actually a little longer than expected, looping around to near the carousel and through a tunnel, with some cartoonish animal sculptures. Nothing profound, but a fun little excursion and definitely worth the time and cost.

Website for Balboa Park says its open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Looks like fun. What a waste of time driving here for it not to be open.

Need to update their hours of operation. They're not open everyday although the internet says so.

Having a toddler at home = reviewing train rides. This is my first review of kids' trains. After having ridden a few now. I am now somewhat of an expert in this field (not). First, be aware that not all trains are created equal. There are the sit in types of which Balboa Park is. Basically there are 2 types of kiddie trains-the one you sit in and the ones you sit on. The sit on trailers are like super mini trains while the sit in trains are larger. Track size and width are significantly different. The Sit-in's track are typically 30-36" apart while the ride-on-tops are about 12" apart. As for Balboa Park, it's probably the best of the sit-in's that I've experienced SoCal. It's long and it takes you past different animals albeit animal statues/sculptures but my kid loved it and the ride is fairly long so you get your money's worth. If you have $5 extra bucks, invest in the wooden train whistle. You can use it on future train rides while your kid screams "all aboard!!"

Cute little train that younger kids will love. It's $3 for anyone age 1 or older. It's rather short, that was the only negative. Worth a stop if you're in the Balboa Park area.

A bit pricy... but definitely a fun place to be with your little ones. I do recommend to try it out at least once.

This is the real place where a kid can be a kid! My 3 year old boy is obsessed with trains so this is a real treat for him. Three dollars per person from ages 1 to 99 is money well spent when I see my boy's face light up and have a blast. Just had to go a second time. I haven't been to the model railroad museum but this just seems more fun. The conductor was nice and friendly.

The wife and Kid and I rode this bad boy one fine afternoon. The boy liked it but I thought it was wacker than wack. If you have a small child and is at the zoo stop by and spend your money otherwise its not for you. Moreover, its free if your kid is 11 months and 29 days but once he or she is one they got to pay.

How can I not give it 5 stars!!! Given the proximity of the zoo, the price, the friendly staff, and the sheer awesomeness of it, 5 stars is a given for me. If I could have ridden on top of the engine like Ricky Schroeder in Silver Spoons, it would have gotten 10 stars!!! But I guess that's only where the conductor gets to ride. Sheesh. :p So whether you're visiting the Zoo or Balboa Park in general, it's pretty centrally located. The best is when you visit the Zoo and just as you're leaving, make a quick right and you're at the Railroad Station. Can't help but to go on it every time we go to the Zoo. $3 for anyone between the ages of 1 and 99. That's just rad. Anyone under 1 or anyone who is 100 + years old are free to ride. Haha. I can't wait...hopefully. The staff is really into it as you take off or come back. It's a lot more fun if there is a full train but sadly, that isn't always the case, but the spirit is still high with the amazing people who work here. Just cruising around in a miniature train is worth the $. Picture or video will not do it justice unless you try it yourself. My Silver Spoons reference might date me but I don't care. I wanted that train in my house but I will settle for this any day of the week. Note: Don't forget to hold your breath and make a wish as you go through the tunnel!

Cute 3 minute ride for the kids. Right next to the SD zoo. There is also a carousel in the area.

This has to be my favorite thing about Balboa Park. I rode this train every Sunday as a little kid and still enjoy piling a few friends into the small seats to ride around on during any given evening. It's good to see classic attractions like this still up and running in a world where the people are losing sight of things like this little train in the sea of video games. For being small, this thing hauls ass around the tracks and be sure to pay attention to the little brown signs posted up along the trail; some tell stories sign by sign and others have riddles. And don't forget to scream when you're in the tunnel!

I appreciate that this train is here. It is a short little ride on a little old mini train that loops around a small area of Balboa park. The conductor was really friendly and waved at people as he went by, lots of smiles all around. It is for very young children; older kids would think it was too slow. As you loop around the small track, the view is mostly just old plants, with occasional animal sculptures scattered about. It is really just about the ride itself, because there isn't much scenery. However, there is a little tunnel, which has a lion sculpture in front of it, so it looks like a lion cave. I went on a weekday at 5:00, and it was not busy at all- we were the only ones on the train. Ticket guy was nice too. They sell kids conductor hats and train whistles, too. My kid liked it because it was her very first time on a train. The overall experience was about a 3, and I honestly would not spend money on this too often.

My son loves trains so on our way in to the zoo he kept asking to ride the train... Of course for 3 bucks who can say no?!?! Christmas lights, a tunnel, statues, waving at all the bystanders... Too short!!

YOU HAVE TO DO THIS! Ok, this is the "Coolest" thing ever!!! I remember this train when I was so young! This is a must for any child who has never done it. It's a giant "Toy" train that travels through the park, bushes, trails, and a "TUNNEL". Any guy would love this, and to take the family through the tunnel...well....you have to try it yourself to see. You go to the zoo, which is cool, but it is the "Zoo"...right? At the end you skip on over to the "Train"...and I tell you now, it's the cherry on top! You'll remember the zoo, and the candy, and the "Camels", but your'll never forget the "Train"!

We just discovered this cute little train a couple of years ago. How did I miss it on all those zoo trips when my kids were little? I have no idea. It's ok though, because they still enjoy it. The scenery is cute, there's city and Burma Shave signs. We wave to the people walking by near the carousel. It's a nice way to end a visit at the zoo.