Fairplex Garden Railroad

What dedicated volunteers that work year round to make the display interesting. We usually only see it during the county fair but I know it runs year round.

My 4 year is infatuated with trains… He LOVES LOVES LOVES this place! We went to the fairgrounds this summer, and the min we walked in, my son saw the trains. we went in and i was stuck there all day. He didn’t want to leave. I had no idea it even existed…
The models are awesome and very real looking. its a very large area. There is even a couple of sections that you can control your own trains.
I found out they are open every second Sun of every month. So im definitely planning to come back with my son…
If your son loves train, i definitely recommend to go check it out…
Its FREE to get in and FREE Parking. You cant beat that.

This is amazing! Kids of all ages will love this garden railroad. I have never seen anything like it in the world. It is loaded with lots of California history. I especially liked the Mt. Lowe Railway /​Echo Mountain House section — complete with historic (and fully functioning) funicular rail cars. It even has a trolley that brings hotel guests to the base of the mountain. I highly recommend when you are at the L.A. County Fair or on weekends, once a month.

Staff spends hours setting this up each and every year and the results are amazing. The details of the entire project are amazing and people of all ages can enjoy this giant railroad model.

I love checking out the model trains here! I first checked it out during a visit to the LA County Fair and then again after running a 5K during the Holiday Half-​Marathon Weekend. It’s a pure delight to watch the model trains run.

The Fairplex Garden Railroad is touted as the «oldest and possibly the largest miniature railroad of its kind in the United States and possibly the world.» It first opened at the 1924 LA County Fair and as it grew, it moved from a fair exhibit to a permanent fixture at the Pomona Fairplex.
It can be viewed during the annual county fair in September, but is also available year round during special events or on specific days listed on their website (
). It is located between the Main Grandstand and Fairplex Building #4. If you’re here during the fair, I would suggest getting a map to navigate your way around!
It is run by volunteers and hobbyists and is free to visit, although they willingly accept donations to maintain it. Even if you are not a huge fan of trains and miniatures, it’s still really cool to see and the price is certainly right!
From the days of the gold rush and the old west to modern day buildings, everything is miniaturized, even the plants and people. The individuals who create the scenes really pay attention to detail. It almost reminds me of a miniature Disneyland!
A great place to take kids and the volunteers there love these miniature trains and towns and will answer your questions and educate you on this mini world!
Choo choo!