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Families visiting Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park will find so much to do and explore including a collection of locomotives and passenger cars dating back to the 1800s. Our Guide to Travel Town has all the information you need to have a fun visit.

Travel Town Museum
5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Hours:

Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday     10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Travel Town is open 364 days a year (closed on Christmas Day)

Description:

Travel Town Museum is “an outdoor museum which preserves and celebrates the railroad heritage of the western United States — its history and its artifacts.” Travel Town is the place to visit if you have train-lovers in your family. Travel Town was developed in the 1950s and features an impressive collection of locomotives, freight cars, cabooses, and passenger cars. On the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm,, docent-guided tours are offered as well. Visitors have the chance to see inside the sleeping car, lounge car, and dining car to get an up-close look at what rail travel was like in the 1940s.

Related: Explore SoCal with Metrolink

Special Activities:

While admission to Travel Town is free, for a nominal fee ($2.75 each) families can take a ride on a miniature train. The ride travels around the museum twice. Be sure to also  visit during the holiday season to take advantage of the Holiday Light Festival Train Ride, when the Museum is festively decorated and tens of thousands of lights transform the area into a magical wonderland.

Related: The Best Museums for Kids in Los Angeles

While you’re at Travel Town, be sure to take advantage of the “loaner” wooden engines that children can play with — for free. There are special play areas in the gift shop as well as hands-on play areas in other areas of the museum.

You can also plan a family and/or group picnic at Travel Town by reserving a picnic area complete with 3 tables and 6 benches which can seat up to 30 people.

Travel Town also serves as a unique, only-in-L.A. birthday party venue. Your train-loving kids can have a fantastic birthday party onboard a real train! Check the website for details.

Price:

There is no admission fee, though donations are gratefully accepted.

However, there are still opportunities for families to become members of the Travel Town Museum. Membership comes with special benefits including a discount in the Travel Town Gift Shop, subscription to the Museum’s newsletter, invitations to special members-only events, and more. They even offer a Junior Engineer Membership level — a perfect gift for the train-loving child in your life.

Parking:

Parking is free.

Food:

While there is no on-site restaurant, you will find picnic tables and grassy areas perfect for a family picnic. You can truly make a visit to Travel Town budget friendly (free admission, free parking) by bringing a lunch from home to enjoy.

Nearby Attractions:

Because Travel Town is located within Griffith Park, you won’t run out of things to do nearby. If your kids like horses, you might want to take a short drive over to the Griffith Park Pony Rides. Kids can ride a slow, medium, or fast pony; or go for a wagon ride. Families can also go for a spin on the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, a Griffith Park family favorite since 1937. And a short drive away from Travel Town, you’ll find both the Autry Museum and the Los Angeles Zoo.

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