PA Roadside Attractions

Exploring the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County

A collage of four photos taken at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA. The top left image shows a wide-angle view of the extensive model train display featuring a circus tent, carousel, and various detailed miniature scenes. The top right image captures the display at night with the lights dimmed, creating a magical ambiance with illuminated buildings and train tracks. The bottom left image depicts a snowy mountain landscape with a moving gondola lift, detailed buildings, and vehicles on a winding road. The bottom right image shows the exterior of the Choo Choo Barn building, complete with a colorful children's train display and picnic tables, set against a scenic countryside backdrop.

If you’re looking for information about visiting the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, you’re in the right place!

An expansive model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a detailed landscape with a miniature lake, surrounded by lush greenery and various buildings. The scene includes multiple train tracks, roads with vehicles, and animated figures engaged in different activities. The intricate display stretches out in a wide view, capturing the diverse and dynamic elements of the miniature world.

Nestled in the heart of Strasburg, the Choo Choo Barn is a 1,700-square-foot train display featuring 22 operating trains and over 150 hand-built animated figures.

A colorful sign at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, providing information about the attraction. The sign features a cartoon train at the top and reads "What IS the Choo Choo Barn?" It describes the display as a 1,700-square-foot model train layout with over 150 animated figures and scenes, including 22 operating trains. The sign highlights that it is an impressive hand-built work of art created over 50 years and emphasizes that the display was built from scratch by one family without using kits. It also mentions a video sneak peek inside and notes that there is no admittance to the display after 4:30 PM. The sign guarantees visitors a unique experience, stating, "We guarantee you have never seen a display like this!"

Originally featuring over 600 square feet of landscaping, six trains, and six animated figures when it opened in 1961, the display has since grown into one of the largest model railroad layouts in Pennsylvania, offers an enchanting glimpse into a miniature world filled with intricate details and animated marvels.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring intricate miniature buildings, vehicles, and trains. The scene includes a snow-capped mountain with a ski lift, various animated figures, and a bustling town with roads, houses, and shops. Multiple tracks run through the display, showcasing different types of trains, adding to the lively and dynamic atmosphere.

Directions | Hours | Admission Fees

The Choo Choo Barn is located at 226 Gap Road Strasburg, PA 17579.

The Choo Choo Barn is open 7 days a week mid-March-December from 10 am – 5 pm (closed on Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day).

A section of the detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a vibrant and dynamic miniature world. The scene includes multiple train tracks with various types of trains, a gas station, houses, and animated figures. Additional elements include a baseball field, a patriotic gathering with an American flag, and a snow-capped mountain with a gondola lift. The intricate details and diverse scenes capture the charm and essence of the local area in this expansive display.

From January to March, the barn closes for a thorough cleaning, repairs, and updates, ensuring that each visit offers something fresh and exciting.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a miniature version of the Strasburg Railroad with a steam locomotive and red passenger cars. The scene includes a rocky cliff with a tunnel, a water tower, and a station with animated figures. In the background, there are various buildings, vehicles, and lush landscaping, capturing the charm and essence of the local area in this intricate miniature world.

Admission fees as of 2024 are: Adults (12 and up): $12 | Kids (3 to 11): $8 | Kids 2 and under: Free.

The exterior of the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a quaint building with a sign above the entrance and a small, colorful train display for children in the front. The area includes picnic tables for visitors, and the setting is surrounded by scenic countryside with a clear blue sky overhead. The building's facade showcases images and information about the train display inside.

What You’ll See at the Choo Choo Barn

As you step inside, you’re immediately immersed in a vibrant homage to Lancaster County.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a miniature replica of the Dutch Wonderland amusement park with its distinctive castle entrance. The scene includes colorful turrets, a parking lot with various vehicles, and surrounding attractions with animated figures. The display captures the whimsical charm of the amusement park, set amidst a lush landscape with additional miniature buildings and train tracks in the background.

Miniature replicas of local landmarks, such as the Dutch Wonderland amusement park, the Strasburg Railroad, and the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Shop, bring the area’s charm to life on a tiny scale.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, showcasing a miniature replica of the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Shop surrounded by lush greenery and a snow-capped mountain. The scene includes multiple animated figures, vehicles on the road, and a train track running through a tunnel beneath a bridge. The intricate details and realistic features capture the charm and essence of the local landmarks in the miniature world.

The majority of the trains are “O Gauge,” but you’ll also spot some HO Gauge and one N Gauge train, adding variety to the mesmerizing display.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a Reading Railroad train running through a miniature town. The scene includes a gas station, houses, various vehicles, and lush landscaping with trees. In the background, there are additional train tracks, a snow-capped mountain with a gondola lift, and various buildings and animated figures, capturing the charm and intricacy of the miniature world.

You don’t need to be a model railroading enthusiast to appreciate the painstaking detail and whimsical animations.

A vibrant model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a detailed baseball field with animated players and spectators. Surrounding the field are intricate miniature scenes, including a snow-capped mountain, various buildings, vehicles, and multiple train tracks with different types of trains. The display showcases the lively and dynamic nature of the miniature world, with attention to detail in every aspect.

Watch as skiers glide down a snow-capped mountain, while a ski lift ferries others back to the top.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a mountainous landscape with a snow-capped peak and a moving gondola lift. The scene includes a winding road with various miniature vehicles, a log cabin, and lush greenery with trees. The intricate details and animated elements create a dynamic and engaging miniature world, capturing the charm and essence of the local area.

Marvel at the lifelike wild animals in their enclosures at the “Traintown Zoo.”

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a miniature zoo named Traintown Zoo. The zoo includes various animal enclosures with lifelike figures of different animals such as elephants, giraffes, and camels. The scene also features a train passing by the zoo, a small train station, and a building with a sign that reads "Traintown Zoo." Surrounding the zoo are detailed landscapes with roads, vehicles, and additional buildings, capturing the charm and intricacy of this miniature world.

There’s even a tribute to every United States President, in the form of miniature figures of the Presidents around a flag that actually moves.

A detailed model display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, depicting a gathering of miniature figures representing every United States president, arranged in a semicircle around a flagpole with an American flag. The scene includes surrounding greenery, benches, and a small monument with cannons, capturing a patriotic and historical theme in the miniature world.

At regular intervals, the room darkens, and thousands of miniature lights flicker on, transforming the display into a magical evening scene.

A nighttime scene at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, with the lights dimmed to simulate evening. The expansive model train display is illuminated by various lights from miniature buildings, streets, and trains, creating a magical and dynamic atmosphere. The intricate layout includes detailed houses, vehicles, and landscaping, capturing the charm and intricacy of the miniature world under the evening lights.

The houses, buildings, and street lights illuminate, casting a warm glow over the entire layout.

A nighttime scene at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, with the lights dimmed to simulate evening. The intricate model train display is illuminated by various lights from miniature buildings, streets, and trains. The display includes detailed landscapes, roads with vehicles, and animated figures, creating a magical and dynamic atmosphere as the tiny world comes to life under the evening lights. A visitor is seen taking a photo, capturing the enchanting ambiance of the display.

Final Thoughts

The Choo Choo Barn promises an unforgettable journey through a miniature model railroad version of Lancaster County.

A detailed model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA, featuring a complex landscape with multiple train tracks, a snow-capped mountain with a gondola lift, and a bridge overpass. The scene includes various miniature buildings, vehicles on the roads, and lush greenery with trees. Notable landmarks such as the Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Shop are also present, capturing the charm and essence of the local area in this intricate and dynamic miniature world.

It’s is a celebration of imagination and detail, inviting visitors to explore and delight in a world where the trains never stop, and the scenes continuously unfold in charming and unexpected ways.

A wide-angle view of the extensive model train display at the Choo Choo Barn in Lancaster County, PA. The display features numerous train tracks, detailed miniature scenes, including a circus tent with a carousel, lush landscapes, a pond, and various buildings. A visitor can be seen observing the display along the perimeter. The intricate layout showcases the vibrant and dynamic miniature world, capturing the charm and essence of the local area with animated figures and meticulously crafted elements.

Nearby Attractions

The Strasburg Railroad offers scenic sightseeing excursion trains pulled by majestic steam locomotives through the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

A collage of 5 photos showing scenes from the Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster County, PA. — Scenes from the Strasburg Railroad.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg was established to chronicle the history of railroading in the Keystone State, through the preservation of rolling stock, artifacts, and archives from various railroad companies.

This collage from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Lancaster County, showcases a variety of exhibits that highlight the rich history and technological evolution of rail transport. The first image features a weathered black steam locomotive displayed outdoors, illustrating the grandeur and complexity of early 20th-century railway engineering. The second image highlights a bright blue Conrail diesel locomotive, a representation of modern advancements in rail technology, housed within the spacious interior of the museum. The third image captures a vibrant yellow Fruit Growers Express refrigerated boxcar accompanied by a vintage black truck, demonstrating the historical logistics of perishable goods transportation. The final image displays the museum’s entrance sign, set against the backdrop of the museum's contemporary architecture and inviting green landscape, providing visitors with directions and accessibility information. Together, these images encapsulate the diverse attractions and educational opportunities available at the museum, celebrating the legacy of railroads in Pennsylvania. — Scenes from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

The Red Caboose Motel near Strasburg features over 40 vintage cabooses and train cars that have been repurposed into retro motel rooms.

A collage of four photos taken at the Red Caboose Motel in Lancaster County, PA. The top left image shows a red caboose labeled "Southern" with a red SUV parked in front of it. The top right image features two rows of colorful cabooses, including blue, yellow, and red ones, lined up on either side of a driveway. The bottom left image depicts the interior of a cozy motel room with a bed, table, and chair. The bottom right image showcases a sign for the Red Caboose Motel with a yellow caboose in the background. The Red Caboose Motel includes over 40 cabooses and train cars converted into retro motel rooms. — Scenes from the Red Caboose Motel.

Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall, spanning an impressive 26,000 square feet, boasts one of the finest selections of antiques and collectibles in the Lancaster County region.

A collage of four photos taken at the Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall in Lancaster County, PA. The first photo shows the large, red roadside sign for the antique mall under a bright blue sky. The second photo features a collection of vintage blow mold holiday decorations, including pilgrims, a turkey, reindeer, and other festive characters. The third photo highlights vintage Star Wars glassware with detailed illustrations of characters from "The Empire Strikes Back." The fourth photo captures a brightly lit aisle filled with display cases showcasing various collectibles, including vintage toys and memorabilia, in an organized layout. — Scenes from Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall.

Find even more great spots to explore in Lancaster County and all across Pennsylvania with the interactive PA Bucket List Travel Map!

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