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Travel Town Museum
Rating Details »
5200 Zoo Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 662-5874
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 662-5874
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Travel Town Museum
Great train museum with the aim being at children. It is free to enter, but there is a modest fee for the "train" ride that carries you around the museum property twice. There are also some old train and vehicles/wagons on display, a small indoor children's area, and model trains behind a glass window which sometimes someone operates.
The museum is also the apparent home of the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, number 474, dubbed Little Nugget.
They have a little gift shop (seems to be packed with mostly Thomas & Friends items), and there is a snack food vendor operating on the property. The parking lot is a good size, but it can still fill up quickly on a good weekend.
Apparently you can also rent out coaches for childrens parties (mostly I see it for birthdays, and the groups tend to be rather large).
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Okay. Don't tell anyone this but I have a picture of me laying on the tracks in front of one of the trains. I have another of me mock-running in front of the train too.
Did I just sound deluded or what? I had to get it out of my system. All those cartoons and movies with people getting stuck on the track, it only makes you wonder what the heck they allowed on tv back in the day.
SIMPLE JOYSS!!!
This place is great. Free parking, no admission fees. Leave it to the generosity of people who really care about preserving history and allowing the public to share in a piece of what used to be and still is.
It's a great place to hold picnics, birthday parties, and perfect for sprawling out with a book and spending your lunch here. You can walk around old train cabs, learn about the history of some of them, and even take a ride on a mini train that circles around the entire lot(for a fee).
I suggest if you ever want to feel like a kid again, and simply don't feel like making your way over to Disneyland to just head on over here and appreciate true, honest to goodness history.
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A childhood favorite place of mine that I'm sure if I ever have kids, I will bring them around here.
This travel town staple has old trains just sitting there.. Best part is YOU CAN ACTUALLY JUMP AROUND IN THEM! Well, maybe not jump around. I mean, I don't want to break the kids head or anything. I'm not a terrible imaginary father, now am I?
When I was little I would run around and get into these suckers and act like I'm gonna plow right through the fence and on to the streets of Griffith Park. Though without any tracks there, I don't think I would get too far. But I'd show them jackasses riding them horses who's boss! Thems for sure.
This is one of the best free places to take a kid ever. I mean, seriously. It's free and you get to horse around on a secure train without the fear of crashing into anything. They're completely real! I mean, that blew my mind as a kid.
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A great place to bring toddlers! I bought my two year old nephew here and got him in the mood by getting him all dressed up like a train conductor, hat and bandanna included. The place is easy to find, plenty of sings to show you your way,great spacious parking, and a good place to sit down and have a picnic once your done riding the mini-train, and done climbing into real ones. The train museum is free, the mini-train ride is free for the kids and I think its only $2 for adults.
What can I say, trains are cool! Something about trains that just stick with you and make an impression. My dad brought me here when I was a kid, I'm glad I can do the same to the next generation.
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i work an off schedule, so i try to visit all the places i've wanted to on my days off when everyone else i know is working.
i came here by myself, and i feel good about it. and did i ride the little train? hell yeah.
it's my friends birthday next week, and i really want to reserve a train to throw her a surprise birthday party, even though people in their single digits have parties here. maybe i'll hire a magician too.
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I don't know what got me thinking about Griffith Park today and all of the awesome memories I have here, but wow, they are stronger than ever this afternoon!
This, along with the Merry Go Round, the Pony Rides and the little train that zipped you through Griffith Park were the stuff that kick ass childhood memories are made of.
We used to have brown bag picnics on the train with tuna sammiches on 7-grain sprout bread with a green bell pepper and a Hansen's Juice drink (yes, my parent's were health nuts).
My brother and I would play train robbers and cowboys and run around here and practically burn our skin on the hot trains but would love every single minute of it.
This is just such a cool place for a kid to run around and let their imaginations soar and run wild and this would even be a great place for a date. Hey, what's more romantic then a picnic on a deserted train? Hell, I'd put out.
What?
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Hosted our son's 2nd birthday party here. The kids loved it! The staff was helpful and friendly. It was a raining day so they didn't get to ride the train... next time!
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On a whim, I decided to visit Travel Town and it brought back fond memories.
It was a great fun checking out the parked trains and climbing aboard.
Yes, we ever rode on the little train that rides around the track twice.
There's even a cute little gift shop to be found.
I appreciate the history this place holds and it's worth a visit.
I agree wholeheartedly with the other reviewers!
Free parking and lots of it.
No entrance fee.
Plenty of trains to climb aboard.
Model trains that keep my kid entertained for hours.
A train you can ride around the park for $2. (The kids love it!)
Once a month event where kids can play with all the Thomas the Train models they desire for about 3 hours.
Cars that can be reserved for Birthday parties.
If you have a thing for trains, go. If you have little ones with things for trains, go. Peep peep!
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A great outdoor museum with lots of big iron for adults to climb on.
Travel Town is a Los Angeles treasure. In short, it's a collection of historic trains in a small compound within Griffith Park. The easiest way to get there is by taking the Forest Lawn exit off the 134 FWY. The parking is free, and everything is stroller accessible.
Inside there are numerous steam trains. Most are open to climb aboard and experience the size and beauty of these machines from a former era. This is a living museum. There are always restoration and upkeep volunteers working on the trains and cars. You will always find well-labeled placards telling you about each engine or car.
There is also a small train that you can ride around the park for a few dollars. It's a little silly, but my family always enjoys it. This is a great way to spend a half-day on a nice weekend. I recommend it as a destination.
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Yeah, that was a fun place to be. It was the first time I got really close to an old train (which is sad, being that I'm 32 - UGH!!!!). There are some picnic areas nearby as well, so you can take your family or friends there, eat, while go around having fun with the trains.
And yes, I did ride the train. At least, it wasn't a short train. . . . .
If you have kids who love to play with Thomas the Train and/or are train fanatics, this is the place to go. They have lots of old trains (steam engines I believe) on display in an open area. As you know, most museums want you to stay a distance from the displays, but not at Travel Town. You can climb up onto these behemoth locomotives and let your imagination go. My kids had a blast. Admission into Travel Town is free as is parking.
There's also a little train that circles the perimeter of the museum. It's $2 a ride and CASH ONLY.
I was about to say that I wondered why no one thinks this place is pretty fun for a date because of all the compartments and being out of people's eye-line but Stephy S. beat me to the punch.
Can you imagine taking shelter in one of the trains with your sweetie while it's raining? Hello, I can't believe I never thought of this before!
And, you know, ahem, it's great to take your little sisters/brothers and nephews/nieces.
A must see place on any visit to LA if not just to relax. Plus too It's free to get in, but please leave a donation.
Bring a lunch and relax. Refreshments and some food are available (hot dogs, chips and sodas). Cars and picnic tables can be reserved for parties as well.
I love the recent addition of the train station area for the Pullman cars. Hopefully the planned rail spur to the zoo will happen in my lifetime. Travel Town used to have airplanes as well.
My son especially enjoys the model train layout. Sadly as kids grow older they enjoy this place less and less. Make sure you bring your kids before they are too old so that they will always have fond memories. As a kid I can remember the place being even more substantial that present.
One note of caution: the locomotives are pretty high off the ground so be careful with your kids as there is no safety rope or fence keeping them from falling.
My son and I went here many times when he was younger. We love it here! It's free to get in and there's free parking. A little train that you can ride on for a super cheap price and if you go with a group, they'll give you a group discount. There are nice grassy areas to eat a picnic lunch. It's fun to climb on the trains and of course the kids love it!
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We went there as a small group, a party of 9 including 2 kids and rest grown ups and this place was very much fun. We had a picnic there and also relished the tiny train ride they have.There is enough place to play a game too. You can also rent a train or a coach in the train for a birthday party too. Kids will love this place for sure. The museum has a lot of stationary trains for the kids to see.
