Located in the heart of Lancaster County, the Choo Choo Barn is a long-running model railroading attraction in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The site features a 1,700-square-foot layout that depicts towns, industries, and landmarks from across the region through trains, hand-built scenery, and dozens of animated scenes. Visitors will find O-gauge trains running throughout the display, along with a few HO and N-gauge models operating on dedicated tracks.
The origins of the Choo Choo Barn trace back to 1945, when World War II veteran George Groff purchased a $12.50 Lionel train set as a Christmas gift for his young son. What began in the family basement soon expanded into an elaborate holiday display for neighbours and school groups. In 1961, the Groffs moved the growing layout into a former township maintenance building along Route 741, adjacent to the Strasburg Rail Road, and opened it to the public on Thanksgiving Day. The exhibit continued to evolve from that point forward. A gift shop was added, and by the late 1970s, the operation had passed to the Groffs’ son, Thomas, and his wife, Linda, who oversaw further expansions and later established the Strasburg Train Shop for hobbyists. Additional shops and amenities joined the complex over time, reflecting the region’s long-standing interest in both model and full-scale railroading.
Today, the Choo Choo Barn continues to be maintained as an evolving, highly detailed miniature environment. The layout features more than 150 handmade figures, 22 operating trains, and numerous moving scenes, many of which are updated or replaced each winter during a multi-month renovation. Photography and video are permitted, and the operators suggest allowing at least an hour to explore the display.
The Choo Choo Barn remains open seasonally, with schedules varying throughout the year.
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