The annual Model Train Festival is set to return to the Washington State History Museum from December 22, 2023, through January 1, 2024. Model train clubs from throughout the region will share incredibly detailed and expansive layouts throughout four floors of the museum. This Tacoma holiday tradition has brought together generations of families, friends, and train enthusiasts from throughout the Pacific Northwest for 27 years.
“I always enjoy seeing people experience Model Train Festival for the first time,” said the museum’s director, Jennifer Kilmer. “From infants to grandparents, they all seem to share a universal look of amazement.”
The theme of this year’s Model Train Festival is the
150th anniversary of the Northern Pacific Railroad’s
arrival in Tacoma. Visitors can see the final days of the
exhibition Collections Selections – End of the Line: The 150th Anniversary of the Northern Pacific Railroad in Tacoma and other railroad artifacts throughout the museum. This exhibition showcases original documents, objects, and photographs related to the railroad and its impact on Washington.
Guests who attend the festival can expect to see a wide variety of model trains of different sizes and scales, presented by eight clubs. One of the highlights of the festival is the largest permanent layout in Washington, which depicts a miniaturized Tacoma in the 1950s. Throughout the event, Seymour History, the museum’s Olympic marmot mascot, will make special appearances; the schedule can be found at www.ModelTrainFesitval.org. Guests can also capture memories at the train depot photo setting. In addition, model train videos will be screened in the auditorium, which is a perfect family activity to enjoy.
The Model Train Festival opens on Friday, December 22, 2023, and operates daily from 10 AM to 5 PM through January 1, 2024. Please note that the museum will be closed on December 24 and 25 and will be open on January 1.
Washington State Historical Society members enjoy free admission and a 10% discount in the new museum store. General admission visitors can experience the Model Train Festival at regular museum rates, along with the other exhibitions on view. Advanced tickets are recommended and available online or at the door. Get all the details at www.ModelTrainFestival.org.
About The Washington State Historical Society and History Museum
The Washington State Historical Society partners with our communities to explore how history connects us all. The Society’s most visible activity, the Washington State History Museum is located in downtown Tacoma on Pacific Avenue among a thriving cultural scene. The museum features interactive permanent exhibitions about Washington’s past in the Great Hall, unique rotating exhibitions highlighting the Society’s collections, and dynamic feature exhibitions, and hosts events and programs on a wide range of historical topics. The WSHS also offers curriculum, downloadable exhibitions, and statewide educational support as well as consultation, support and resources for museums and heritage organizations across the state.
Address: 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402
Hours: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Tues.-Sun. Open daily 10:00 AM-5:00 PM and closed December 24 & 25 during Model Train Festival