Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

5 places to see model trains in the Seattle area around Christmas 2019

 

It doesn’t take much incentive for train enthusiasts to show off their stuff, and holiday nostalgia inspires many a play railway. Here are one big train and a bunch of tiny ones to brighten up your holiday season:

Snoqualmie Valley Santa Train
Ride the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad from North Bend to Snoqualmie and back, with a festive Santa visit on the way. Weekends, Nov. 30 to Dec. 21. 

Washington State History Museum Model Train Festival
The Tacoma museum becomes a paradise for model train enthusiasts, with layouts galore and a freight train simulator. Dec. 20 to Jan. 1. 

Volunteer Park Holiday Express Train
Watch a model train make its way through lush poinsettias and a vintage winter layout at the conservatory at Volunteer Park. 

Winterfest Train and Village
For a suggested donation of $2, your kid can operate the model train as it whirs around the festive diorama at the Seattle Center Armory. 

Bloedel Reserve Holiday Village
The residence at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island hosts a detailed model village, patrolled by a model train. Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. 
 

 

About the Author

Fiona Cohen