Date of Visit: November 26, 2019

Strasburg, PA is a train-lover’s dream – from rides on the Strasburg Railroad to a walk through history at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania or a stay at the Red Caboose Motel.

Just down the street from the Railroad is a much smaller attraction, but one that has captivated children and adults just the same for decades: The Choo Choo Barn.

Located in “The Shops at Traintown,” a cluster or businesses along Route 741 just west of the Strasburg Railroad Station (the railroad’s tracks actually end behind the building), the Choo Choo Barn is a miniature world with new discoveries to be made around every corner.

As the name implies, the original attraction was built inside an old barn, opening in 1961, with everything else being built up around it in the late 80s.

That’s around the time of my first visits as a young child.

I don’t remember much about those visits, other than being awed by the massive layout – made bigger by my comparatively small size. More than 30 years later, I was excited to bring my son to explore the miniature – yet vast – space.

Stepping through the curtain, a whole world opens up in front of you and its hard to choose where to look first. The pathway loops around the 1,700-square-foot display, and families will often make lap after lap in an effort to see every detail.

First and foremost, the Choo Choo Barn exists because of founder George Groff’s love of model trains, and these tiny locomotives are certainly the star of the show with tracks winding around and through the layout, drawing your eyes to follow them to the next scene on the path.

My favorite of the trains is the Lionel version of the Strasburg Railroad. Like the real thing, locomotive #89 pulls the train backward from the Strasburg station to the end of the line before decoupling and running around the coaches to pull the three-car train back in the other direction.

It’s a fun piece of programming that adds to the realism of the scene.

Also adding to it is the realistic renditions of Lancaster County landmarks, including the aforementioned Red Caboose Motel, Dutch Haven (and its familiar windmill shape) and a Turkey Hill gas station.

The largest-scale replica, however, belongs to Dutch Wonderland. Anchored by the amusement park’s signature castle, the Dutch Wonderland display also includes several rides, including a swinging ship, antique cars, monorail, and even its own miniature railroad.

Most of the layout is less about depicting real life buildings and more about evoking emotions and memories.

Among these are many depictions of rural life, much like it would have been around Strasburg in the early to mid 20^th Century. Tractors plow the fields at various farms, a band plays in a gazebo in a local park, and kids play baseball in a makeshift field.

There’s also a whimsical side to the display, one that keeps children giggling while entertaining adults along the way. An actual goldfish swims in a pond; vendors at a flea market sell micro-sized movie posters for Braveheart and ET; and an illegal drag race starts on the street.

And there are two hobo encampments, one featuring a three-headed troll.

But in our opinion, there are two highlights that can’t be missed.

First, the nighttime scenes are some of the most fun. A couple times every hour, the lights in the room dim and buildings and trains illuminate to give the feel of late night. The lights come on at the baseball field, the stained glass windows of a church illuminate, and a light show takes over the fountain in the town park.

Make sure you stay long enough to see the night show at least twice to see all the little effects that make it so fun.

The other highlight is the fire scene. On a regular schedule, smoke will start billowing out of a building near the middle of the display. Fire alarms ring out and a fire truck emerges from the fire station to hit the scene. With a little more programed magic, water douses the fire and the house is saved.

It’s really incredible to think about the detailed planning that was needed to create this five-minute scene.

One last detail is found near the end of the display (if following the direction and walking in a clockwise manner). Here you’ll find the town park where on the bleachers stands a model of every US President.

Guests enter and exit via a gift shop at the front of the building, one filled with mostly kids toys and a few collectibles. Next door is the Strasburg Train Shop and all the supplies you need to create your own version of the Choo Choo Barn at home.

No visit to the Choo Choo Barn would be complete without a photo op in the wooden train set out front of the building. After taking my son there, we now have the same picture of him that my parents have of me from all those years ago.

And we both will have those same memories for years to come.

More Lancaster County Attractions…