Choo Choo Barn

What a cool place!!! The layout they have is incredible! Their imagination is awesome! They have a night and day display. a definite stop for the little train lover in you… and for your kids. They also have a military discount, which was great. Highly recommended!

I brought my kids here a couple of years ago. We LOVED it. The displays are AMAZING, from ski lifts and tiny skiers to police car stops and flying planes. It was a sight to see!

I have been going there for a number of years. So many things on display you really need to walk around at least twice to see everything. Summer time it gets busy and it is hard to walk around and enjoy, so better to go during off season. I am in the area once or twice a year, but you really do not need to go every year. Even though they change some of the displays, unless you are taking someone who has never been there before you can probably go every few years if you want, especially since it can be pricey to take the whole family for something that takes less than an hour to see.

Neat place to check out with the family. Don’t expect to spend a whole day there, but it’s a great stop for an hour-​ish for both kids and adults to check out. Warn the kids that it’s a looking, not playing, type of place, but my 6 year old was very interested and excited (and this was his 2^nd visit here). Take your time and make multiple laps around the display so you don’t miss anything. The fire scene was especially neat, and I enjoyed having the list to follow for specific things to try to find.

This place is amazing! This model train layout is unbelievable! It’s right down the road from Strasburg Railroad and even has a small gift shop, and the loveliest staff. Our family has been coming here every summer since 2008 and we buy a Christmas ornament every time. This is definitely a must see! You can easily spend an hour here walking around and around to catch every detail of the different scenes. Every few minutes the lights go down like night to show the scenes lit up. Even if your not into trains, it is impossible not to be amazed by this set up! Definitely a must see while your in Strasburg!

Jaded hipster dad reports: this place is incredible. Not just for four-​year-​old but for daddy too. The animation, the imagination, the attention to detail is just… well… Wow.
Get the 50¢ coupons from the Travelhost if you can but honestly this is well worth the regular price. This guy deserves a MacArthur grant for ingenuity.

Fun! Very impressive. My ten year old loved it. He had a blast finding everything on the list they give you.

For a kid who likes trains this would be a great pit stop after taking the train ride up the street. There is definitely a lot going on. The barn has also set it up so you could have older kids try to find all the hidden santas in the display. The only thing is… we spent probably a good hour-​not because the display was that engrossing-​but because the line was soooo slow. The «barn» is more just a business room with its large train tracks in the middle with visitors moving around periphery in a single file line. There isn’t a lot of room to ass people and it can be a bit much for those that are claustrophobic. I don’t mind we did this and for children who love trains, this really would be a fun side trip for them. I would just say keep expectations low and go in knowing the walk thru can take a while depending on the people in front of you-​and you are set!

Small display but very detailed. Good for my 2 ½ year old’s attention span. Wouldn’t go back though. Thought $ 7.50 pp was a little much for the half hour we spent in there. Get much more for your money at the railroad Museum which is $ 10pp.

The amount of time that it has to take to not only build, but do upkeep on this setup is mind boggling. The amount of detail is so great that we have been here a few times and every time I see something new. They even have little step stools for little kids to be able to see through the glass, which I thought was very thoughtful. If you are anywhere near Strasburg, you HAVE to check this place out!

Place is incredible for kids if they like trains. Price to get in is extremely fair. Don’t plan to be there for more and an hour max but a great stop if you are going to the Strasburg train. Also if you buy tickets at the Strasburg station for choo choo barn you get tickets for a buck less.

So on our now annual pilgrimage to Strasburg, we decided to give the Choo Choo Barn a whirl. You can get discounted tickets if you purchase them in conjunction with your Strasburg RR train tickets. I think it saves you a buck each.
The 4 year old was entranced by the meticulously detailed displays of not just model trains, but all sorts of intricate set-​ups like a zoo, construction site, carnival, Amish stuff etc. The display itself is pretty big, but the walkway around it is a pretty tight squeeze.
The 18 month old was a bit too young, so I’m glad he was free. I had to ditch the rest of our group to chase after him. Luckily there is a nice ice cream & candy shop next door for bribes. Also a model train store & sandwich shop are in the same shopping center. CCB is located just a ¼ mile down the road from the Strasburg RR. Worth going to see at least once if you have a major train tyrant in tow.

AMAZING! We stopped in on the way back from a quick trip based on the great reviews. Upon getting there, it looked like a small little store. Hubby and I debated going in and the cost based on initial appearance.
Let me tell you. The lady working in the store is the best salesperson. All she said was «stick your head in and take a peek». SOLD. This place is amazing. The level of detail that went into each part of the exhibit was spectacular. I loved watching the different scenes that told a holistic story.
Definitely stop in and take a peek. Well worth it.

If you have a toddler who likes trains, he/​she will absolutely love the Choo Choo Barn. My son and I spent about an hour inside looking at the huge model train layout and all the different scenes that were going on. You could do 10 laps around it and still find something new every time. My son has been talking about it non-​stop ever since!
The only «con» about the Choo Choo Barn is the small amount of space you have to walk around the outside, which I would imagine would be a problem if the place was somewhat crowded. Luckily, we were pretty much the only people in there since it was a weekday afternoon.
If you’re planning a day in Strasburg with the kid (s), I would definitely recommend swinging by the Choo Choo Barn for an hour.

This place is amazing! All that it is, is one big train layout that fills up an entire room. That said, you could easily spend 30 to 60 minutes in here just enjoying the layout and all of the amazing details that went into it.
Even if you’re not a train/​trolley layout person, you’ll find something in here to appreciate. Just seeing the mechanics of the whole thing in operation is worth the price of admission. The set-​up is incredible and elaborate, and every train and trolley is timed perfectly. There’s even multiple trains running on the same tracks, so be sure you take the time to observe everything — you never know what will appear next!
Another reason to take your time is to take in all the little details. The zoos, the ferry, the moving people, even a model of the Red Caboose Motel and the Strasburg Railroad that perfectly are in here, just to name a few things you can spot if you take the time!
Step on it during your day in Strasburg — you’ll enjoy it! The gift shop isn’t too bad, either — I got a cute Christmas ornament to give to my family when the holidays roll around.

All of those people saying «Well this place is better» or «I’ve seen this before at…» shouldn’t let the fact that other places exist like this affect their review.
Just because other restaurants exist that also serve steak doesn’t mean they’re all mediocre.
This place is amazing. The amount of work that goes into the ridiculous level of detail is mind boggling. I would LOVE to get a look at what the inner workings of this setup look like underneath the floor of this display. I’m still amazed that it works flawlessly. I’m no train enthusiast, and to tell the truth, the trains are an afterthought in this place. There are literally a thousand things to look at from any point in the room and I felt like a little kid in there the entire time.

Don’t get me wrong, the Choo Choo Barn is a very unique piece of Lancaster County kitsch but at the same time what they post on their website is a lie where they claim something to the effect of «This place is like nothing you’ve ever seen».
Well I guess it is like nothing you’ve ever seen unless of course you’ve never been to Roadside America and then you realize that the two places are the exact same in theory and the fact is that Roadside predates CCB by twenty years.
Now the thing the does make CCB different from Roadside or from Northlandz is that this place closes every year for about two months to do some rehab to the displays and to even change some things around where as at the other places they in essence have been doing the same shtick for years and that’s why they look more dilapidated than CCB does.
CCB is currently charging $ 7.00 for adults and $ 4.00 for children and at the most you need 45 – 50 minutes to see everything.
Worth noting is that they do offer free admission on three Fridays in December every year with a donation of one non perishable food item. Although I would not recommend going on those Friday’s or during the three times a year that the Strasburg Railroad has Thomas on site as the CCB can get very, very busy.
They are also located in the Traintown USA shopping center that also has an Issac’s, the Thomas’ Trackside Station and model train supply store owned by the Strasburg Railroad.

I gave this 5 stars because it is the best train layout I’ve ever seen. It is absolutely huge and packed with all kinds of scenes. It is worth visiting at least once. When you are halfway around the layout they shut off the lights so you can see it all lit up. My kids have a lionel and they loved it. They kept saying they were going to save thier money to buy new parts.
Next door is a large shop of trains and the second floor has used parts. Great for Xmass gifts.

Great place for kids, The nice thing is you can walk around as long as you like. If you’re into this type of model train display, check out Northlandz in NJ.

I was worn out but am glad we didn’t miss this: An evolving toy-​train replica of the Lancaster area, complete with animations of Amish house-​building, riding lawn mowers and marching bands.