There are so many fun things to do in San Diego CA, from its world-famous Zoo to great beaches. But if you’re looking for something a little more unusual, here are some family friendly ideas for visitors who enjoy everything to do with trains in San Diego.
This article may contain affiliate links that provide commission on purchases you make at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. San Diego Model Railroad Museum
At 28,000 square feet, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is the world’s largest operating model railroad museum. Located in Balboa Park in the basement floor of a historic building, the unique museum contains four enormous scale and model layouts which depict railroads of the Southwest in O, HO, and N scales.
In addition, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum features a Toy Train Gallery with an interactive Lionel layout. Your kids can push buttons to make trains stop and go and just watching the trains run in the beautifully decorated mini-cityscape is a feast for the eyes.
2. Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
Just before the San Diego zoo entrance you’ll find the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad. Take a 3-minute, ½-mile trip through four acres of beautiful Balboa Park on a model G16 – antique mini-train.
Enjoy the “Burma shave” style signs along the route to make you laugh. This train ride is a treat as the rare G16 model is one of only fifty of this style train currently running in the U.S.
3. Poway Midland Railroad
Looking to ride another antique train, but full sized? Head on up the I-15 freeway to the city of Poway, just 30 minutes from San Diego. At the Poway Midland Railroad, you’ll find not only a 100+ year old Steam Train, but also a running Trolley train and speeder with gondola cars. A train lover’s delight!
Located in the quaint Old Poway Park you’ll find these three trains operational and available to ride on certain weekends:
- 1907 Baldwin 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive and tender pulling a replica 1870 Passenger Coach;
- 1894 Los Angeles Yellow Line Trolley Car;
- 1950 Fairmont Speeder pulling four 1883 Mining Gondola Cars converted for passenger use.
4. San Diego Red Car Trolley
San Diego’s Red Car Trolley system is not only inexpensive, but is a fun way to get around town. The system operates three lines, and with over fifty miles of track you can travel just about anywhere in San Diego County, from Old Town to Gillespie Field to the Mexican border.
Tickets cost just $2.50, and on the weekends a family special allows two children 12 and under to ride free with any paying passenger 18 and over.
5. Santa Fe Depot (Amtrak Train Station)
Otherwise known as the Amtrak Train Station, the Santa Fe Depot is distinctive in its mission-style architecture, and has been taking care of train passengers since 1915. Today the Depot provides Amtrak train to San Diego, The Coaster commuter train service, and access to the San Diego Trolley.
Enjoy a walk-through of this beautiful historic train station, amid the bustle of arriving and departing trains. Or take a fun day trip up the California coast on The Coaster, then back to San Diego as you watch a spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
Another family-friendly tip for your San Diego vacation is to enjoy a San Diego timeshare rental – a budget-friendly way to stay at any number of beautiful San Diego area resorts.
Photo Credits: Joann Whetstine
My thanks for this article written by San Diego Resident Joann Whetstine, brought* to you by Redweek.com, where you can find timeshares rentals for your holiday accommodation.
* More info on my policies page
This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com
Click to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, news and reader offers
Experience Shared With Sq
Saturday 3rd of May 2014
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I'll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later on. Many thanks
limo service
Monday 8th of April 2013
note, from Hidden Hills, California I want to mention, I like this blog post. However, it is strange how I ended up on your website. I searched for kidzone party bus on Yahoo and ended up on your website. I must say I do like your site and will check back soon. But I need to find the limo I was originally looking for first. Have a great day! ciao.
The local's guide to Cleveland, Ohio - Nine Cleveland Local Favorites | Heather on her travels
Tuesday 21st of August 2012
[...] great places to visit in the USAOur Texas Road Trip – tips for Europeans driving in the USA 5 Best kept secrets for Train Lovers in San Diego Visit Chicago for popcorn, pizza and a walk by the riverPhoto Credits: Severance Hall by Erik [...]
Train Set Models » Blog Archive » Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer Train Set
Sunday 22nd of April 2012
[...] The Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer is a favorite to a lot of train lovers. Even though it is not as well ...vers. Even though it is not as well known as the Polar Express or some other models, it is still noteworthy if you are considering getting a new model train set. Like most other good train sets, this one comes with a working Transformer. This has three different settings for movement- forward, neutral, or reverse. As you probably already know, the forward operation is typically the best if you are running the train on a track. The reverse operation works okay, but generally forward works better. Meanwhile neutral is good for those times that you don’t want it going anywhere or simple want to roll it around manually. To make this train set more realistic than just a standing display, there are several features Lionel built into it. Probably the most loved feature is the air whistle in the tender. Most train lovers get excited any time they hear a good air whistle, and you might be surprised at how realistic this one sounds. Another feature that makes the locomotive more realistic is the operating headlight. This is great for when you are running the train at night throughout the house. If you have never tried just sitting back with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and enjoying watching your train run around the tracks at night, you’re definitely missing out! The locomotive also has a puffing smoke unit. This does not output enough smoke to set off the smoke alarm, but it is enough smoke to get a kick out of the train. That said, I highly recommend keeping the smoke fluid away from the train when your little one is playing with it! That may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at what people do sometimes. There are operating couplers on the rolling stock and on the rear of the tender. This allows you to very easily detach or attach the train to make it one complete unit. One of the best uses for this is if you have several little ones playing, you can simple detach the train and give different pieces to each child. Finally there is a searchlight that you can adjust to observe different directions. It illuminates much to the enjoyment of little ones that you might have around! As far as customer reviews go, this train set has a 5/5 star average rating from 13 reviews. One of those reviews is a 3/5 star rating, but all of the rest are 5/5. The only negative review said that what was shipped was not correct, as it had several wrong pieces and the tank car was broken. However, most other reviews love the set and said that it’s a great starter set for little ones. Overall this is a good set if you are purchasing one for a child. It’s pretty easy to set up and is not an extremely expensive train set. If you decide that the Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer set is a good one for you, consider getting it from Amazon.com to save about $15 from the original list price. [...]