Families and kids from all over the Inland Empire region join model train enthusiasts and locomotive lovers gathering at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands and Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley for Train Days, April 7 through 15. This popular annual event features intricate, operating model trains and family programming. This year’s event is sponsored by the San Bernardino County Museum and Conductor/Supervisor Curt Hagman.
At the Redlands museum, model train layouts will be running throughout the museum and a trackless train will be available for ticketed rides on the weekends. Train clubs participating include the ZoCal Z-scale Group, N-Land Pacific Modular Club, Green River Junction Railroad, Pacific Coast Modular Club, and the Orange County N'Gineers who will be leading instructions on module building for visitors. Additional family programming is scheduled on weekends between 12 and 4 p.m. Food will be available for purchase on Saturdays and Sundays.
At Victor Valley Museum, the Antelope Valley N-scalers return and will be joined by a local group of train enthusiasts who will add a second layout in the galleries. In addition, a trackless train will be available for ticketed rides, and other family activities on the weekends. Train Days at this county museum branch in Apple Valley will be open the weekend of April 7 and 8, and reopen Wednesday, April 11–April 15. The Victor Valley Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
“All aboard again at the County Museum!” said Melissa Russo, the Museum’s director. “It’s a special time of year for us to host these amazing makers of train artistry, and we love seeing the faces of visitors exploring the tiny transportation cities that these clubs have built.”
Train Days and the County Museum’s other exciting events and exhibits reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.
The San Bernardino County Museum is at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. The Victor Valley Museum is in Apple Valley at 11873 Apple Valley Road. This branch museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays; admission is $5 (adult), $4 (military or senior), and $2.50 (student or child). Train Days is included with museum admission. Parking is free. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.