Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, California

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Los Angeles, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 13 min read

Model railroad museumTrain ridesPublic rides Sundays, 11 am to 3 pm, weather permitting

Founded in 1956 and run entirely by volunteers, the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum gives Sunday rides behind miniature steam, diesel and electric locomotives on a railroad its members built themselves, tunnels and bridges included, next door to Travel Town in Griffith Park.

  • Founded in 1956
  • All-volunteer, donor funded
  • About 1.5-mile main line
  • Sunday rides, $4 suggested donation
  • Member-built tunnels and bridges
  • Home of Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Public rides Sundays, 11 am to 3 pm, weather permitting
Admission
Suggested donation of $4 per rider
Train rides
7.5-inch gauge public train rides, Sundays 11 am to 3 pm; no rides the Sunday before Memorial Day, the first Sunday in October, or meet Sundays
Seasonal events
Spring Meet (Memorial Day weekend), Fall Meet (late October), 70th Anniversary meets in 2026
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Kids who want to ride, and live steam fans
Best ages
Ages 3 and up who meet the 34-inch height rule
Accessibility
ADA-accessible restrooms at New Sherwood Station; riders must be able to transfer to a straddle-style car

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Los Angeles.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Machinists, a parks director and a railroad built by hand

By 1956, the live steam hobby had caught on among machinists and craftsmen around Los Angeles, and a group of them set out to form a club. They spent months looking for a site until Charley Atkins, then director of the city's Recreation and Parks Department, took an interest. He had helped create the neighboring Travel Town Museum and wanted a companion attraction. By October 1956 the two sides had agreed on a former floodplain in Griffith Park, and the ground was leveled with decomposed granite.

Members began building in 1957: steaming bays, turntables and two ovals of track. With no fence in the first decade, the public wandered in and asked engineers for rides, and by 1960 the crowds were big enough to need a proper station. Charter member Walt Disney, shortly before he died, donated the track from his backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad, which became the Disney Loop. The 1980s brought the High Line, a 200-foot trestle, three tunnels, four bridges and, in 1983, the massive O'Brien-Moore Bridge.

The work never really stopped. Members switched to steel rail in the 1990s, rerouted the West End after a 1995 landslide, built the Smith Valley line in 2002, added straddle-style bench cars for safer public riding, and finished a new station with a ticket booth and ADA-accessible restrooms between 2010 and 2012. In 2016 the club marked 60 years with a new elevated 1 gauge layout, and 2026 is its 70th anniversary.

Through all of it, the Los Angeles Live Steamers have stayed an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) funded by member dues and donations. The museum says nearly everything visitors see, from the switches to many of the trains, was built by its members.

Thirteen acres of track, tunnels and steaming bays

The railroad covers 13 acres with roughly 24,600 feet of track in three gauges, 7.5, 4.75 and 3.5 inches, plus a garden-scale railroad and an elevated Gauge 1 layout. Public trains board at New Sherwood Station and run on the 7.5-inch gauge main line, which is about a mile and a half long, mostly over the High Line on the West End and the Mountain Division on the East End. Along the way are member-built tunnels, bridges and a signal system with more than 80 electronic blocks and a restored wigwag crossing signal.

The engine pulling your train might be a real coal, oil or propane-fired steam locomotive running on about 120 pounds of pressure, a gasoline-hydraulic diesel, or a battery-electric model, some of them styled after Pacific Electric cars. Full-size pieces on the grounds include three cabooses from the Santa Fe, the Texas and New Orleans, and the Union Pacific, and two streamlined Union Pacific cars from the City of Los Angeles train. A stationary 19th century steam plant runs every third Sunday.

Don’t miss

  1. The O'Brien-Moore BridgeCraned into place in 1983, it capped a decade of expansion that added tunnels, bridges and a 200-foot trestle.
  2. The Disney LoopBuilt with track Walt Disney donated from his own backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad.
  3. Walt Disney's Carolwood BarnWalt's backyard workshop, moved here in 1999 and run as a separate museum by the Carolwood Foundation.
  4. The stationary steam plantVintage restored steam appliances working together, fired up every third Sunday.
  5. The club's Forney steam locomotiveAn oil-fired 2-4-4T built in 2008 that qualified members use to pull public trains.
  6. Union Pacific streamlined carsTwo full-size cars from the City of Los Angeles train, now used as museum offices and meeting rooms.

Bench-car rides through tunnels, if you are 34 inches tall

The ride is the whole point for kids: straddling a bench car behind a small but real locomotive, rolling through tunnels and over bridges, and watching steam engines being fired up in the steaming bays. Public trains are usually bench cars or gondolas with a caboose on the end, and kids may also spot freight cars that do real work on the railroad.

Know the rules before you go. Riders must be at least 34 inches tall, able to sit upright on a bench car for at least 20 minutes, and under 350 pounds, so babies and lap riders cannot ride. Riders with disabilities need to be able to transfer to the straddle-style car. Animals never ride. The club does not host public birthday parties, though it points families to Travel Town next door.

Plan your visit: tips for Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

  • Rides are weather permitting, so check the Facebook page if the forecast is iffy.
  • Measure small kids first: riders must be at least 34 inches tall.
  • No public rides on the Sunday before Memorial Day, the first Sunday in October, or the Sunday of the fall meet (October 25 in 2026).
  • Go on a third Sunday to see the stationary steam plant running.
  • Combine your visit with Travel Town and the Carolwood Barn next door.

Seventy years of volunteer machinists and engineers

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation supported by member dues, gifts and donations. Members build and maintain the track, structures and trains, and qualified members run the public trains. The club has also hosted special events for Children's Hospital, City of Hope, Padres Contra el Cancer and Villa de Vida. Your $4 ride donation helps keep the trains running, and membership is open to hobbyists.

Neighbors on Zoo Drive

Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn sits inside the Live Steamers grounds, and Travel Town Museum is right next door with full-size cars. The Griffith Park & Southern Railroad is also in the park. See more on our list of California railroad museums.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The volunteers here built their own tunnels, and I can only imagine the squeals when a little train full of riders ducks inside. In our book, Rally's train goes into a dark tunnel, and then there is a big bright light and happy cheers on the other side. My mom pictured that moment long before there was a book. If you want to know how her idea became ours, it is all on our story page.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Los Angeles Live Steamers: 20 questions before Sunday rides

Where is the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is at 5202 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027, in Griffith Park. It sits right next to Travel Town Museum, and Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn is inside its grounds. The club's website has directions from local freeways and shows where the public and member entrances are.

When are Los Angeles Live Steamers train rides?

As of October 2026, public rides run every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm, weather permitting. A directory listing notes that the gate opens at 10:45 am. There are no public rides on the Sunday before Memorial Day, the first Sunday in October, or during the private fall meet, which closes Sunday, October 25 in 2026.

How much are Los Angeles Live Steamers tickets?

There is no fixed ticket. As of October 2026, public train rides are a suggested donation of $4 per person, and the station has a ticket booth. The museum is an all-volunteer nonprofit, so ride donations go directly toward keeping the trains and track running.

How tall do you have to be to ride at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

Riders must be at least 34 inches tall and able to sit upright on a bench-style car for at least 20 minutes. Babies cannot ride, including infants in carriers or on a lap. Riders must also weigh less than 350 pounds. The museum says these rules are for safety.

Is the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum part of Travel Town?

No, they are separate neighbors. The Live Steamers formed in 1956 when Charley Atkins, the city parks director who had helped establish Travel Town, wanted a companion attraction next door. Travel Town is run by the City of Los Angeles, while the Live Steamers are an independent all-volunteer nonprofit.

Who owns the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

The museum is a nonprofit public benefit corporation, a 501(c)(3), run entirely by volunteers and funded by member dues, gifts and donations. Members built and maintain nearly everything on the grounds, including the track, tunnels, bridges, buildings and many of the trains. It operates on a site in Griffith Park.

What kinds of trains run at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

You may ride behind a live steam locomotive burning coal, fuel oil or propane, a diesel-style engine powered by gasoline with a hydraulic drive, or a battery-electric locomotive, some modeled on Pacific Electric cars. The club itself owns four operating diesels and an oil-fired Forney steam engine built in 2008.

How big is the Los Angeles Live Steamers railroad?

The railroad covers 13 acres, with a 7.5-inch gauge main line about a mile and a half long and roughly 24,600 feet of total track across three gauges. It has two turntables, 44 steaming bays, more than 80 signal blocks, and member-built tunnels and bridges, including the 1983 O'Brien-Moore Bridge.

When was the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum founded?

The club was founded in 1956 by Los Angeles area live steam enthusiasts, and it agreed on its Griffith Park site in October of that year. Building started in 1957. The name comes from the fact that in 1956 every model locomotive was steam powered. The club marks its 70th anniversary in 2026.

What is the connection between Walt Disney and Los Angeles Live Steamers?

Walt Disney was a charter member of the club. Shortly before he died, he donated the track from his backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad, which became the Disney Loop. His backyard workshop, Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn, was moved onto the grounds in 1999 and is run separately by the Carolwood Foundation.

Can people with disabilities ride at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

Riders with disabilities are welcome if they can transfer to a straddle-type riding car and sit upright for at least 20 minutes. The public station has ADA-accessible restrooms, built between 2010 and 2012. Message the museum through its Facebook page if you have questions about a specific need.

Are dogs allowed on the Los Angeles Live Steamers trains?

No. The museum says animals are never allowed to ride the trains. If you are planning a day in Griffith Park with a pet, leave someone with the dog while the rest of the family rides, or plan the train ride for a day the dog stays home.

Can you have a birthday party at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

No, the museum does not host birthday parties for the general public. It points families to Travel Town Museum next door, where the City of Los Angeles rents a birthday train car by reservation. You can still bring the party over for Sunday rides on the miniature trains.

Is Los Angeles Live Steamers good for young kids?

Yes, for kids who meet the 34-inch height rule and can sit still for about 20 minutes. They ride a real miniature train through tunnels and over bridges, often behind a working steam engine. Children under the height limit, and babies, cannot ride, so plan around that with toddlers.

What are the Los Angeles Live Steamers spring and fall meets?

Twice a year, the club hosts private gatherings for visiting live steam hobbyists: the Spring Meet on Memorial Day weekend and the Fall Meet in late October. In 2026, the 70th anniversary Fall Meet runs October 23 to 25. Public rides do not run on the Sunday of either meet.

What is the steam plant at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

The museum operates a stationary 19th century steam plant with a variety of vintage restored steam appliances. According to Wikipedia, it runs every third Sunday, so plan your ride on a third Sunday if you want to see it working alongside the trains.

How do I join or volunteer with Los Angeles Live Steamers?

The Los Angeles Live Steamers is a membership club, and members build, maintain and run the railroad. Membership levels are listed on lalsrm.org, where members also log in for resources. Donations are welcome too. For questions, use the contact page on the website or message the club on Facebook.

Has Los Angeles Live Steamers been in movies?

Yes. According to Wikipedia, the railroad appeared in the 2001 film Beethoven's 3rd and in the 2025 Netflix series The Residence. The museum's Griffith Park setting, tunnels and bridges make it an unusual filming spot.

How long should we spend at Los Angeles Live Steamers?

Plan on one to two hours for a Sunday visit, depending on the line for rides. Since rides only run from 11 am to 3 pm, arrive early. Many families add Travel Town next door and Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn on the same grounds for a longer day.

What else is near Los Angeles Live Steamers?

Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn is on the same grounds, Travel Town Museum is next door, and the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad is also in the park. Farther out, the Lomita Railroad Museum is about 24 miles away and the Fullerton Train Museum about 28 miles.

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