Los Angeles, CA
Travel Town
4.7· 2,571 Google reviews
At a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-23- TypeFree City of Los Angeles railroad museum with a separately operated miniature train ride around the outdoor collection
- LocationLos Angeles, CA
- Rating4.7 ★2,571 Google reviews
About Travel Town
Travel Town is a free, City of Los Angeles railroad and transportation museum in Griffith Park. The outdoor collection contains more than 40 historic locomotives and cars, while a separate concession, Griffith Park Train Rides, operates an approximately 10-minute miniature-train ride that makes two circuits around the museum grounds. Museum admission, museum hours, and the paid ride are distinct: the City owns and operates the museum, the nonprofit Foundation supports preservation and education, and GP Rah Enterprises operates the miniature train. The current museum and ride pages agree that Travel Town is closed Mondays, but the concession hours page also contains one contradictory lower-page Wednesday-closure line; visitors should use the repeated Monday notice and recheck before travel.
Build a Travel Town Railroad Day
Choose the visit that fits your groupFamilies, first-time visitors, rail historians, photographers, and travelers who want a free museum stop
Explore the historic collection
Walk the outdoor museum and use the exhibit signs or Whistle Stop Tour to interpret more than 40 locomotives and railroad cars.
Families, younger riders, casual visitors, and anyone adding a short ride to the museum
Ride the Travel Town Railroad
Buy an in-person ticket for the separate miniature train and allow about 10 minutes for two circuits around the museum grounds.
Self-guided learners, repeat visitors, school-age families, and railfans who want equipment-level context
Use the Whistle Stop Tour
Follow the museum's on-site blue QR-code signs for a self-guided sequence covering 45 collection stops.
Schools, clubs, family groups, adult learners, and organized visits
Reserve a group tour
Groups of 10 or more can request a 30–45 minute Foundation-led instructional tour at least two weeks ahead; the published donation includes one miniature-train ticket.
Miniature-rail fans, families meeting the height rule, model engineers, and visitors building a Sunday rail day
Add Los Angeles Live Steamers
Use the independent Sunday public-ride guide for the adjacent 7.5-inch-gauge railroad, whose entrance, rules, donation, and weather decisions are separate.
Current Operating Status
Complete official operating-status check
Regular Travel Town Railroad operation · closed Mondays · seasonal daily hours · in-person tickets
The current concession publishes open-ended seasonal operating hours for the Travel Town miniature railroad rather than exact dates, departures, capacity, or a bounded recurrence. This complete calendar therefore carries one operating-status row with an empty dates array and does not manufacture daily occurrences from hours. The concession homepage says 2026 special events are coming soon, so old event pages and undated museum visitor events are not imported as train departures. The hours page has an internal conflict: its current Travel Town heading says closed Mondays, while one duplicated lower-page note says closed Wednesdays. The museum hours page, museum homepage, and concession heading all support Monday closure; publish Monday with an explicit recheck warning until the concession removes the stray line. Check official operating status ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ParkingParking at Travel Town is free
- Museum HoursTuesday through Friday, weekends, and holidays: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; temporarily closed Mondays; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
- AdmissionMuseum admission is free; donations are encouraged
- Miniature RideThe separately operated Travel Town Railroad makes two circuits around the museum grounds in about 10 minutes
- Ride HoursCurrent concession hours list 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. in spring and summer and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in fall and winter, closed Mondays
- Weekday LunchThe concession publishes one 45-minute weekday lunch closure sometime between 12:30 and 1 p.m., based on crowd size
- Ride FaresCurrent fares: $4 adults; $3 children age 17 and younger; $3 seniors over 60; 20-or-more value tickets are $3 each with a $60 minimum
- TicketsRegular miniature-train tickets are sold in person at the location
- AnimalsAnimals are not allowed on the miniature train except service animals
- CollectionThe museum publishes a collection of more than 40 historic railroad locomotives and cars
- Gift ShopThe museum gift shop closes at 4:45 p.m.
- Public TransitMetro Local Line 96 stops at Zoo Drive and Riverside Drive, about a one-mile walk from the museum
- Calendar BoundaryThe current ride source publishes open-ended regular hours rather than dated departures; 2026 special-event dates are not yet published by the concession
- Hours ConflictThe concession page repeats a stray Wednesday-closure line below its current Monday heading; the museum hours page, museum homepage, and ride heading support Monday closure, so recheck before travel
Find the Depot
The Trains
Travel Town preserves more than 40 historic locomotives and railroad cars, with freight, passenger, electric, and steam-era equipment represented. The separate miniature railroad uses scale locomotives and passenger cars; the concession says its locomotives were converted from gasoline to propane in 1994. The museum collection and the ride fleet are different, and no photographed locomotive or car is promised for a current visit.
History
The concept for a hands-on City transportation display began to take shape.
Southern Pacific No. 3025 arrived in October, and Travel Town was dedicated on December 14.
A live-steam railroad began operating at Travel Town; that early operation continued through 1961.
The current concession's history says a perimeter miniature-railroad track was built around Travel Town.
GP Rah Enterprises says it began operating Travel Town Railroad.
The nonprofit now known publicly as Travel Town Museum Foundation incorporated.
See full history
The idea for a hands-on municipal transportation display developed in 1947. Southern Pacific locomotive No. 3025 became Travel Town's first major railroad exhibit in October 1952, and the museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952. A live-steam railroad operated at Travel Town from 1956 to 1961. The current concession says the perimeter miniature-railroad track was built in 1975 and that it has operated Travel Town Railroad since 1978. The independent Travel Town Museum Foundation incorporated in 1982 and later expanded its preservation and educational role while the City retained ownership and operation of the museum.
Around the Depot
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum occupies an adjacent Griffith Park property but is an independent all-volunteer nonprofit with its own public gate, Sunday schedule, donation request, rider restrictions, weather calls, and exceptions. The mapped sites are about 0.3 mile apart as a straight-line estimate; use the Live Steamers directions and public entrance rather than assuming a connection through Travel Town.
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Compare the attraction location with your airport or lodging before deciding whether a rental car fits the trip.
Compare rentals on Discover Cars →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Tours & Activities near Los Angeles
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
Browse nearby tours →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Travel Town free?
Museum admission and parking are free. The separately operated miniature train charges its own in-person fare.
When is Travel Town open?
The museum publishes 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday temporarily closed and closures on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Recheck before travel.
How long is the miniature train ride?
The concession says the Travel Town Railroad ride lasts about 10 minutes and makes two circuits around the museum grounds.
How much does the miniature train cost?
Current regular fares are $4 for adults and $3 for children age 17 and younger and seniors over 60. Tickets are sold in person.
Why does one official page mention both Monday and Wednesday closures?
The current concession page has a contradictory lower-page Wednesday line, while its heading, the museum hours page, and the museum homepage say closed Mondays. This guide uses Monday and asks visitors to recheck.
Are animals allowed on the train?
The concession says animals are not allowed aboard except service animals.
Is Los Angeles Live Steamers part of Travel Town?
No. It is an adjacent independent nonprofit with separate Sunday hours, entrance, donation, rider restrictions, and weather decisions.
Can I reach Travel Town by public transit?
The museum says Metro Local Line 96 stops at Zoo Drive and Riverside Drive, about a one-mile walk away.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 23, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official Travel Town hours page for City ownership, current museum hours, free admission, free parking, closures, transit, and concession boundary
- Official Travel Town homepage for the City, Foundation, Monday-closure, address, hours, and contact boundary
- Official collection page for more than 40 historic locomotives and cars
- Official museum history for the 1947 concept, 1952 first exhibit and dedication, and early collection
- Official Whistle Stop dedication stop for Charley Atkins, the 1952 opening, and the 1956–1961 live-steam operation
- Official Griffith Park Train Rides hours for current Travel Town ride hours, lunch closure, fares, in-person tickets, animal rule, and holiday controls
- Official Griffith Park Train Rides FAQ for the approximately 10-minute two-loop Travel Town ride and concession contact
- Official concession history for the 1975 track, 1978 operation, scale equipment, and propane conversion
- Exact 2017 miniature-train hero and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact 2017 steam-locomotive image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact 2017 Pacific Electric 1544 image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact 2017 passenger-car image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact 2017 locomotive-pavilion image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact 2017 rail-yard image and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record