Thomas Play Day at Travel Town Museum

We made one of our regular visits to Travel Town in Griffith Park today.

This was the monthly Thomas Play Day, held the first Sunday of each month. Dozens of crates of Brio trains, track and accessories are opened on the patio in front of the store and the kids are allowed to build to their hearts content. The area is shaded by large trees and stays cool even on a hot day like today.

Joe spent a fair amount of time playing with the trains and then we wandered off to inspect the large model train layout by the East Valley Line railroad club. This N-scale layout, while one of the smallest scales, is one of the largest layouts in the world. Club members are on-hand to run a variety of trains through their paces. Although Travel Town is open every day, the model layout is only accessible on the weekends.

Next on the agenda was the inspection of all the large engines and coaches that comprise the museum. Joe has a great time climbing and pretending, especially on the old steam engines. Recently, informative signs were attached to many of the trains, giving detailed information on their past lives and technical specifications. This is a welcome addition.

The former snack bar at the museum has now become a museum gallery filled with railroad artifacts and information. It is a pleasant way to cool off and learn more about the history of railroading in America.

There is no permanent food service at the museum, although a hot dog cart with a variety of snacks is available. There are also soda and snack machines. I recommend you pack a picnic lunch or pick up food on the way. There are plenty of tables available to enjoy your meal.

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If you visit on a Sunday, allow yourself some time to visit the LA Live Steamers next door. Here you can ride a miniature steam train around a wonderful layout.

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