All-Aboard! Grab your little train lover and head to one of these fun train destinations, whether you want to buy, ride, climb or watch trains in Metro Detroit!
Chi-Town Union Station (Commerce)
The Chi-Town Union Station is the World’s largest O-scale model railroad and home of the World’s Longest Model Train. The 10,000+ square foot building has more than 12,000 ft. of track stacked many layers deep from the floor to the nine foot level, and the all-volunteer staff opens the doors to the public on weekends, Friday – Sunday from 11am – 5pm.
The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (Dearborn)
This museum and village in Dearborn offer multiple ways to enjoy trains! At the Henry Ford Museum, you learn all about trains from different eras as you stand next to them in all their full-scale glory.
Detroit Historical Museum (Detroit)
There’s lots to explore at the Detroit Historical Museum and your littles will surely get entranced by the model train set on display.
Train Depot and Museum (Flat Rock)
Check out the model trains displayed by the Flat Rock Model Railroad Club. The museum is open twice a month. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for kids ages 11 to 18, all other children are free!
Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad (Flint)
Sit in a stunning vintage passenger car or a converted open air hauler for the 40-minute train ride on the Huckleberry Railroad along Mott Lake and around Crossroads Village in Flint! Crossroads Village opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend and closes Labor Day weekend (except for their special Halloween & Christmas events). And returning this August is A Day out with Thomas!
Michigan Transit Museum (Mount Clemens)
Ride on a vintage passenger car pulled by a diesel locomotive every Sunday at 1, 2, 3 and 4pm at the Michigan Transit Museum.
The newly renovated Children’s department at the Mount Clemens public library is a train lover’s delight! There’s a train ticket counter, train table for the littles to play with, a full wooden train just their size that they can sit in and of course you can always read books all about trains while you’re there!
Play any day on a massive wooden train set at Shepherd Park. From the locomotive to the caboose kids will have fun climbing on the colorful train.
Plymouth Township Park (Plymouth)
Plymouth Township Park aka McClumpha Park has a stationary train playset that your littles can climb all over! And while you’re there, you can take a short walk along the paved trail to find a wooden kingdom with a castle, barn and pirate ship! The wooded structure also gets plenty of shade making it a great place to play on hot summer days.
Mae Stecker Park (Shelby Township)
Sitting on the Shelby Township Municipal Grounds is this 14-arce park home to playgrounds, a large pond, hiking trails and most importantly, a climbable full-size 1920’s steam train display!
Great Lakes Live Steamers (Southgate + Royal Oak)
All aboard! Great Lakes Live Steamers offers FREE mini train rides at Starr Jaycee Park in Royal Oak and Kiwanis Park in Southgate each month from May through October. Kiwanis Park also has a fun new train themed playground kids will love 365 days a year.
Great Lakes Hobby & Train (Sterling Heights)
Boasted as one of the largest hobby stores in the Midwest, you can find any type of train (or vehicle toy) you desire at Great Lakes Hobby & Toys. They not only have a kids wooden train table they can play with, they also have a big model train attraction in the middle of the store. Your kids can push the big red button and it will bring Thomas & James around the train track! as many times as they want!
