Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn in Los Angeles, California

Written By Kelsey Cecil

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

Railroad museumFreeOpen the third Sunday of each month, 11 am to 3 pm

Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn is the red workshop that once stood behind the Disney family home, where Walt tinkered on his backyard steam railroad. Rebuilt in Griffith Park in 1999 and run by volunteers, it tells the story of how trains shaped Walt's life and, in time, Disneyland.

  • Walt Disney's own backyard barn
  • Dedicated in Griffith Park in 1999
  • About 80 percent original structure
  • Free on third Sundays
  • Original Disneyland Railroad combine car
  • Run by Carolwood Foundation volunteers

Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn at a glance

Hours
Third Sunday of each month, 11 am to 3 pm
Admission
Free; donations welcome
Train rides
No rides at the barn; miniature train rides are at the Los Angeles Live Steamers main entrance next door
Seasonal events
Anniversary celebrations, Book signings with Disney guests
Plan for
About 1 hour for the barn, longer with the Live Steamers rides
Best for
Disney fans, rail fans and families
Best ages
Ages 4 and up, especially Disney fans
Parking
Free parking in an unpaved lot next to the barn's entrance on Zoo Drive

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn? 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.

From a Holmby Hills backyard to a Griffith Park meadow

In June 1949, Walt and Lillian Disney bought a five-acre lot in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles and planned a miniature railroad that would circle the new house. Walt named it the Carolwood Pacific after the street, North Carolwood Drive, and from 1950 to 1953 he ran his 1/8 scale steam locomotive, the Lilly Belle (named for Lillian), over 2,615 feet of track. Studio architect John V. Cowles designed a small red barn for the yard, modeled on a barn Walt remembered from his boyhood farm in Marceline, Missouri. It served as his machine shop and as the railroad's control center, with the track switchboard inside.

The hours Walt spent in that barn are often linked to the ideas that became Disneyland, which opened in July 1955 with a railroad running around the park. After Lillian Disney died and the family sold the property in 1998, the Disneys' eldest daughter, Diane Disney Miller, asked that the barn be saved. She and Disney historian Michael Broggie reached an agreement with the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, where Walt had been a charter member, to rebuild it in Griffith Park.

The barn was taken apart and put back together piece by piece. About 80 percent of it is original, with a new roof and the changes needed for modern codes. Architect Miguel Fernandez updated Cowles' drawings, contractor Bill Abel handled the rebuild, and Disney Legend Bill Evans arranged a landscaping plan from Walt Disney Imagineering. Diane and the extended Disney family dedicated the barn on July 18, 1999.

Since then the Carolwood Foundation, formed in 2005 by Disney fans who love trains, has kept adding to it: Ollie Johnston's miniature depot arrived in 2008, the Disneyland Railroad combine car in 2010, and a new exhibit space in its pavilion in 2019.

Walt's workbenches, Ollie's depot and a Disneyland coach

The barn has its own entrance on the east end of the Los Angeles Live Steamers property off Zoo Drive, and signs inside the gate point you to the barn meadow. The barn itself is small but packed: trains of many scales, photographs, Walt's personal items and tools, and workbenches he built with his own hands. Displays trace Walt's connection to trains through his life and career, including an original Carolwood Pacific car, and there are exhibits on animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston, who rekindled Walt's interest in model railroading in the late 1940s.

Outside the barn you will find a souvenir stand, a steam plant run by Live Steamers members, the restored depot from Ollie Johnston's backyard railroad, and the combine car pavilion. That pavilion holds the original combine coach from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad along with an exhibit on the history of the Disneyland Railroad and other train attractions at the Disney parks. Miniature train rides are at the separate Live Steamers main entrance on the west end of the property.

Don’t miss

  1. Walt's own workbenchesWalt built these benches himself for the barn's machine shop, where he worked on the Lilly Belle and its cars in his free time.
  2. The Disneyland Railroad combine carPart of the Retlaw I passenger train pulled by Engine No. 2, the E.P. Ripley, from 1955 to 1966, it was acquired from the family of collector Bill Norred in 2010 and carefully restored.
  3. Ollie Johnston's depotThis miniature station came from the backyard railroad of Disney animator Ollie Johnston and was moved to the barn and restored in 2008.
  4. The Carolwood Pacific carAn original car from Walt's backyard railroad, shown with photographs that tell the story of the line that circled the Disney home.
  5. The Disney parks railroad exhibitInside the combine pavilion, a display follows the Disneyland Railroad and other train attractions across the Disney parks.

A small barn with big stories for young Disney fans

Kids who know the Disneyland Railroad will recognize the combine coach in its pavilion, and the barn's trains in many sizes are easy for small visitors to take in. The steam plant run by Live Steamers members adds real sounds and smells of steam, and the visit is short enough for younger children.

For a ride, walk to the Los Angeles Live Steamers main entrance at the west end of the property, where miniature trains carry passengers. The barn meadow is outdoors, so bring sun protection on warm Sundays.

Plan your visit: tips for Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn

  • No reservations are needed on regular open days unless the barn posts otherwise.
  • Check @WaltsBarn on Instagram before you go; the foundation posts its latest updates there.
  • The barn has its own entrance east of the Live Steamers main gate; it is the first lot on the left along Zoo Drive.
  • Pair the barn with a miniature train ride at the Live Steamers main entrance on the same Sunday.

The Carolwood Foundation volunteers

Volunteers from the nonprofit Carolwood Foundation run the barn on behalf of its owner, the Walt Disney Family Foundation. Because the foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity, donations help keep the barn open and fund projects like the restoration of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland locomotive and ore cars. The foundation also welcomes new volunteers through its website contact form, and fundraising events and book signings bring supporters together through the year.

More trains in Griffith Park and beyond

The barn shares its grounds with the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, and the Travel Town Museum is also in Griffith Park, so one Sunday can cover all three. The Fullerton Train Museum is about 28 miles away. For more ideas, see every train museum in California.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Walt Disney kept his favorite things close in this little barn: his tools, his trains, the benches he built himself. That makes me think of Rally packing for his trip in our book, choosing his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball before he and Mom and Dad head for the train. Everyone has a few treasures they want nearby. If your kids want to draw their own, the coloring pages are a good start.

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 Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

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.

Walt's Barn in Griffith Park: 20 questions visitors ask

When is Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn open?

As of October 2026, Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn opens to the public on the third Sunday of every month from 11 am to 3 pm. It is not open daily, so plan your trip around that Sunday. The Carolwood Foundation posts its latest updates and any changes on the @WaltsBarn Instagram account.

How much does it cost to visit Walt's Barn?

Admission to Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn is free, and so is parking. That free entry is why the barn is sometimes called the only free Disney attraction in the world. Donations are welcome and help the volunteer-run Carolwood Foundation keep the barn open and continue its restoration projects.

Do I need a reservation to visit Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

No reservation is needed for the regular third Sunday open days, unless the foundation posts otherwise. Special events, such as anniversary celebrations, have required tickets or reservations in the past and filled up quickly. Check the events page on carolwood.org or the @WaltsBarn Instagram account before a special date.

Where is Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn located?

The barn is at 5202 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, on the north side of Griffith Park inside the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum complex. It has its own entrance on the east end of the property, east of the Live Steamers main gate. Coming along Zoo Drive, the barn's parking is the first lot on the left.

Where do you park for Walt's Barn in Griffith Park?

Parking for Walt's Barn is free in an unpaved lot right next to the barn's entrance on Zoo Drive. Directions from the Carolwood Society describe it as the first parking lot on the left as you follow Zoo Drive. The lot sits east of the Los Angeles Live Steamers main entrance.

What is Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

It is the workshop barn that once stood in the backyard of Walt Disney's Holmby Hills home, now rebuilt as a small museum in Griffith Park. Walt used it as a machine shop and as the control center for his Carolwood Pacific backyard railroad. Today it displays his tools, workbenches and trains of many scales.

Why is it called the Carolwood Barn?

The name comes from the Disney home's address at 355 North Carolwood Drive. Walt called his backyard miniature railroad the Carolwood Pacific, and the barn was its workshop and control center. When the barn was rebuilt in Griffith Park in 1999, it was renamed Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn.

How did Walt's Barn end up in Griffith Park?

After the Disney family sold the Carolwood property in 1998, Walt's daughter Diane Disney Miller asked that the barn be moved. With Disney historian Michael Broggie, she reached an agreement with the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum. The barn was dismantled, rebuilt piece by piece, and dedicated on July 18, 1999.

Is Walt's Barn the original barn from Walt Disney's house?

Yes. The barn was dismantled at the Disney home and rebuilt in Griffith Park, and about 80 percent of the structure is original. It needed a replacement roof and some other changes to meet modern fire and building codes. Architect Miguel Fernandez found John Cowles' original design so sound that it needed only slight adjustments.

Why is the barn called the birthplace of Imagineering?

Walt spent many hours in this barn working on his backyard railroad, and that time is seen as one of his inspirations for Disneyland, which opened in 1955 with a railroad circling the park. Walt Disney Imagineering, first called WED Enterprises, is the company that designs the Disney parks, so the barn is linked to its beginnings.

What is inside Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

Inside you will find trains of all scales, photographs, an original Carolwood Pacific car, and many of Walt's personal items and tools, including workbenches he built himself. Displays tell the story of Walt's lifelong love of trains and honor animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston, who helped revive his interest in model railroads.

What is the Disneyland combine car at Walt's Barn?

It is an original combine coach from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, part of the Retlaw I train pulled by Engine No. 2, the E.P. Ripley, from 1955 to 1966. The Carolwood Foundation acquired it in 2010 from collector Bill Norred's family, restored it, and displays it in a pavilion next to the barn.

Can you ride a train at Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

The barn itself does not give rides. Miniature train rides are offered at the Los Angeles Live Steamers main entrance on the west end of the same property, so families can walk over after seeing the barn. Check with Los Angeles Live Steamers for their ride schedule, since it runs separately from the barn.

Is Walt's Barn good for kids?

Yes, especially for children who love Disney or trains. The barn is small, so a visit fits short attention spans, and kids can see trains of many sizes, the steam plant and the Disneyland combine car. Pairing it with a miniature train ride at the Live Steamers main entrance makes a full outing for younger children.

How long should I spend at Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

About an hour is enough for most visitors to see the barn, Ollie Johnston's depot and the combine car pavilion. Plan longer if you want to ride the Los Angeles Live Steamers miniature trains or visit Travel Town elsewhere in Griffith Park. The barn is open only from 11 am to 3 pm, so arrive with time to spare.

What is happening with the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland locomotive?

In 2016 the Carolwood Foundation announced a partnership with the Walt Disney Archives to restore the last surviving locomotive and cars from Disneyland's Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland, which ran until 1977. The foundation's events page describes the locomotive and ore cars as nearly restored. Follow @WaltsBarn on Instagram for news of when they can be seen.

Who runs Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

Volunteers from the Carolwood Foundation, a nonprofit formed in 2005, operate the barn on behalf of its owner, the Walt Disney Family Foundation. The Carolwood Foundation's mission is to preserve Walt Disney's railroad legacy and teach children about the role railroads played in building America. It is a separate organization from the Carolwood Society.

How can I volunteer at or donate to Walt's Barn?

The Carolwood Foundation invites people interested in volunteering to reach out through the contact form on carolwood.org. Donations can be made through the Donate link on the same site, and because the foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity, gifts may be tax deductible. Donations help the foundation keep operating and managing the barn.

Does Walt's Barn host special events?

Yes. The Carolwood Foundation holds book signings and special events through the year, and past guests have included Disney Legends such as Bobby Burgess, Floyd Norman, Tony Baxter and Rolly Crump. The barn has also marked its 20th and 25th anniversaries with celebrations. The events page on carolwood.org lists what is coming up.

What other train attractions are near Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn?

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum shares the same grounds, and Travel Town Museum and the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad are also in Griffith Park. Farther out, the Lomita Railroad Museum is about 24 miles away, the Fullerton Train Museum about 28 miles, and RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona about 30 miles.

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