Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles, California

Oct 19

Los Angeles, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Railroad museumTrain ridesFreeOpen Tuesday to Sunday; temporarily closed Mondays

Dedicated in 1952 in the northwest corner of Griffith Park, Travel Town Museum is a free, outdoor railroad museum from the City of Los Angeles that tells how railroads helped build Southern California between the 1880s and the 1930s.

Dedicated December 14, 1952
Free admission every open day
Outdoor museum in Griffith Park
Miniature train around the grounds
Free parking
Fred Harvey exhibit gallery

Travel Town Museum at a glance

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; temporarily closed Mondays, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: Free; donations welcome
Train rides: Miniature train rides around the grounds by Griffith Park Train Rides; separate tickets
Seasonal events: Depot Day Celebration, Pullman car docent tours, Members' Playdays, Polar Express event for foundation members
Plan for: About 1 to 2 hours
Best for: Families with toddlers and young kids
Best ages: Toddlers to age 10
Parking: Always free

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

Contact and directions

Museum website(opens in a new tab)Directions(opens in a new tab)Call

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Travel Town 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.

A city park museum for Southern California's railroad years

Travel Town Museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952, in the northwest corner of Griffith Park, about 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. From the start it has been a public museum: the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks owns and operates it, and the museum says its admission is always free.

The collection centers on railroad transportation in the western United States from roughly 1880 to the 1930s, with an emphasis on Southern California and Los Angeles. The city describes it as an outdoor museum that preserves the West's railroad heritage, both its history and its artifacts, and shows how the railroads helped the region grow.

Alongside the city stands the Travel Town Museum Foundation, a nonprofit friends group that is a dba of the American Southwestern Railway Association. The foundation supports educational outreach and preservation, trains volunteer docents, runs the gift shop and member events, and publishes a newsletter called The Tender. Its volunteers lead school groups, open the historic Pullman sleeping cars for tours on select Saturdays, and help with collection projects the foundation features, such as Dining Car 369.

Rail cars under the Griffith Park sky

Most of Travel Town is outdoors, so a visit is a walk among historic railroad equipment spread across the grounds, with picnic tables nearby. The brick building at the center of the museum holds the exhibit gallery, currently showing The Trains Must Be Fed! Fred Harvey: Civilizer of the West, the story of the Harvey Houses, the Harvey Girls and the dining cars that served Santa Fe travelers and helped market Los Angeles to tourists.

A miniature train, run by Griffith Park Train Rides, circles the edge of the grounds, and younger children can settle into Holden's Corner, the museum's learning area for kids. On select Saturdays through the year, docents lead tours through the historic Pullman sleeping cars and a Santa Fe motorcar, a rare chance to step inside. The foundation also keeps a library and archive and runs a museum store.

Don’t miss

The Fred Harvey exhibitThe Trains Must Be Fed! follows the Harvey Houses and Harvey Girls, and the books in the gift shop pick up the story.
Pullman sleeping carsOpened for docent-led tours on select Saturdays, these let you see how overnight travelers slept on the rails.
The Santa Fe motorcarIncluded on the docent tours, and a good contrast with the heavyweight Pullman cars.
The miniature train rideA small train that circles the museum's perimeter; little kids often count it as the main event.

Story time, a little train and room to run

Travel Town is an easy outing with small children: no tickets to enter, open-air grounds, free parking and picnic tables. Holden's Corner gives younger kids a learning area, and docent-led group tours for children below third grade include a train story time there. Older kids on tours learn how a steam locomotive works, how to stay safe around railroads, and how to tell different types of railroad cars apart.

The miniature train that circles the grounds is a separate business with its own tickets, so check Griffith Park Train Rides for hours and prices. For birthdays, the city's Recreation and Parks department rents a refurbished birthday train car inside the museum by reservation.

Plan your visit: tips for Travel Town Museum

The museum is temporarily closed on Mondays.
The gift shop closes at 4:45 pm, a little before the museum.
Book group tours at least two weeks ahead by calling (323) 668-0104 ext. 12.
Pack a lunch: picnic tables are available.
Metro Local Line 96 stops at Zoo Drive and Riverside Drive, about a mile's walk away.

Holiday events at Travel Town are mainly for members: the foundation lists a Polar Express event for Travel Town Foundation members in early December, and members also get Playdays through the year. Joining the foundation is the way in. For holiday train rides open to everyone, see our list of Christmas train rides in California.

The city, the foundation and the docents

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks owns and operates Travel Town. The Travel Town Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) friends group, supports education and preservation and recruits the volunteer docents who lead tours. Visitors can help by donating, becoming a member, volunteering or shopping at the museum store, which carries books on railroad history.

Rail neighbors in Griffith Park and beyond

Right next door in Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum and Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn make it easy to fill a whole day. The Lomita Railroad Museum is about 24 miles south. Find more on our page of California train museums.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car — From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

On the docent tours here, visitors get to climb up into old Pullman sleeping cars, and those steps are tall. In our book, Rally's little corgi legs cannot manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. I think every small visitor at Travel Town knows that feeling. My kids are learning to read, and small, simple moments like that are why I love picture books about trains.

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

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.

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Every Amtrak route with kids

Work or volunteer at Travel Town 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

Travel Town Museum official website(opens in a new tab)

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

Travel Town Museum: 20 questions for your Griffith Park visit

Where is Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park?

Travel Town Museum is at 5200 Zoo Drive in the northwest corner of Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA 90027, about 12 miles north of downtown. It sits right next to the 134 Freeway at the Forest Lawn Drive exit. Metro Local Line 96 stops about a mile away at Zoo Drive and Riverside Drive.

What are Travel Town Museum hours?

As of October 2026, Travel Town is open Tuesday through Sunday and on holidays from 10 am to 5 pm. It is temporarily closed on Mondays, and it closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The gift shop closes at 4:45 pm, so shop a little before the museum closes.

Is Travel Town open today?

Travel Town is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and is temporarily closed every Monday, as of October 2026. It is also closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. If you are unsure about a holiday or special event, call the foundation at (323) 668-0104 before you head over.

Is Travel Town Museum free?

Yes. There is no admission fee, and the museum says it is free every day to all visitors, though donations are welcome. Parking is free too. The only things that cost money are extras such as the miniature train ride, gift shop purchases and docent-led group tours, which ask for a donation.

Do you need tickets for Travel Town Museum?

No tickets are needed to enter Travel Town, since admission is free. You will need tickets for the miniature train ride, which is run by Griffith Park Train Rides and has its own hours and prices. Docent-led group tours need a reservation at least two weeks ahead.

Is there a train ride at Travel Town Museum?

Yes. A miniature train circles the perimeter of the museum grounds. It is operated by Griffith Park Train Rides, not by the museum, so check that company's website for current hours and ticket prices. Docent-led group tours include a ticket for one ride.

Where do you park at Travel Town Museum?

Parking at Travel Town is always free, according to the museum. The museum is at 5200 Zoo Drive in Griffith Park, right by the Forest Lawn Drive exit of the 134 Freeway. If you are coming by bus, Metro Local Line 96 stops about a mile away.

Can you have a birthday party at Travel Town Museum?

Yes. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks rents a refurbished birthday train car inside the museum on a reserved basis for a fee, and historic railroad cars can also be booked for business meetings. Call the city's Travel Town office at (323) 662-5874 to check availability.

Does Travel Town Museum offer group tours and field trips?

Yes. The foundation offers guided tours for groups of 10 or more, led by a volunteer docent or staff member, lasting 30 to 45 minutes. As of October 2026 it asks for a $7 donation per person, which includes a miniature train ride. Reserve at least two weeks ahead at (323) 668-0104 ext. 12.

What do kids do on a Travel Town school tour?

Children younger than third grade get a train story time in Holden's Corner, the museum's learning area. Third graders and older learn how a steam locomotive works, practice railroad safety, and learn to identify types of railroad cars. Teachers can ask the volunteer manager to focus on specific topics.

Is Travel Town Museum good for toddlers?

Yes. Travel Town is free, outdoors, and has picnic tables, a kids' learning area called Holden's Corner and a miniature train circling the grounds, all good for toddlers. Since the grounds are open air, bring sun protection on warm Los Angeles days, and plan an hour or two.

Can you go inside the trains at Travel Town Museum?

On select Saturdays, docents lead tours through historic Pullman sleeping cars and a Santa Fe motorcar, usually from 10:30 am to 3 pm. In 2026 these were listed monthly, including dates in June, July, August, September, November and December. Check the events calendar on traveltown.org for upcoming dates.

What exhibits are at Travel Town Museum now?

The current gallery exhibit is The Trains Must Be Fed! Fred Harvey: Civilizer of the West, about the Harvey Houses, the Harvey Girls and the Santa Fe dining cars. It is in the brick building at the center of the museum. The museum store sells books on Fred Harvey for anyone who wants more.

When did Travel Town Museum open?

Travel Town Museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952. Its collection focuses on railroad transportation in the western United States from about 1880 to the 1930s, with special attention to Southern California and the Los Angeles area. The City of Los Angeles has owned and operated it from the start.

What is the Travel Town Museum Foundation?

The Travel Town Museum Foundation is a nonprofit friends group, a dba of the American Southwestern Railway Association, which works with the City of Los Angeles to support the museum's education and preservation programs. It runs the docent program, memberships, the gift shop and member events. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 21039, Glendale, CA 91221.

What events does Travel Town Museum hold?

The 2026 calendar included America 250 Flag Day weekend tours in June, a Depot Day Celebration on October 11, monthly Pullman car tours, member Playdays and a member Polar Express event in December. Check the events calendar on traveltown.org for upcoming dates, since some events are for foundation members only.

How do I volunteer or become a member at Travel Town?

Call the foundation at (323) 668-0104: extension 12 for volunteering and tours, and extension 17 for membership questions. Volunteers can train as docents and lead school groups. Members are invited to special events such as Playdays and a holiday Polar Express gathering.

Does Travel Town Museum have a gift shop?

Yes. The Travel Town Museum Store carries railroad books, including titles on Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls. It closes at 4:45 pm, as of October 2026. For gift shop questions, call the foundation at (323) 668-0104 ext. 11. Purchases support the foundation's education and preservation work.

How long should we spend at Travel Town Museum?

Most families can see Travel Town in about one to two hours, including a ride on the miniature train and time at the picnic tables. Add time if you join a docent tour of the Pullman cars, or if you are also visiting the Los Angeles Live Steamers next door.

What train attractions are near Travel Town Museum?

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn and the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad are all in Griffith Park near Travel Town. Farther out, the Lomita Railroad Museum is about 24 miles away, the Fullerton Train Museum about 28 miles and RailGiants in Pomona about 30 miles.

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Kelsey Cecil