Where to see model trains for the holiday season in and near Delaware

Model trains and toy trains, including some free exhibits, can be seen throughout Delaware and surrounding states.
Check out different ideas for how visitors can get out and about at exhibitions in November and December.
Some places offer special children's events and sensory hours.

A model train can be a fond childhood memory or hobby for teenagers and adults, and a train display centered around the Christmas tree can be fun for all ages.

During the holidays you can relive magical moments at railway exhibitions or get ideas for your own train sets.

Here are some ideas for the tracks in and around Delaware:

First state model railway club

Near Felton, the First State Model Railroad Club will host train demonstrations Nov. 29 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The club's headquarters is the Willow Grove Community Center at 624 Horsepen Road, an address in Felton, approximately 7 miles west of Route 13 between Woodside and Felton.

The events are free, but donations are accepted.

The club will display two HO systems featuring Delaware landmarks.

“You will see the old along with the new, state-of-the-art exhibit,” said club president Jim Thompson.

The older system is powered by traditional tabletop transformers, while the new system has computer chips in the motors that are controlled via a smartphone or other handheld device.

The club will offer model railroad equipment for sale.

Thompson also recommends attending the free Festival of Trains at the Kent Narrows Outlets on Route 50 near Kent Island, Maryland. His club will host exhibitions along with about 10 to 12 other groups on December 6, 7, 13 and 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is presented by the Queen Anne's Railroad Society.

Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

The Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library features a toy train exhibition and a gingerbread station during the holiday season.

The exhibition features standard gauge trains introduced in 1906 that were popular in the 1920s and 30s, when Winterthur was in its heyday as the private home of Henry Francis du Pont and his family. The trains are large, their engines measuring up to 48 inches and weighing over 25 pounds. These toy trains are a symbol of luxury and were made for wealthy families.

Both originals from the pre-war period and modern toy trains run in the Winterthur Brown Horticulture Learning Center.

The exhibit is open at Brunch with Santa on December 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st and on Christmas Eve from 10am to 2pm. Trains also run on the tracks on December 23rd, 26th, 28th, 30th, 31st and January 1st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m

On December 27th, the exhibition will be open with extended hours from 2pm to 8pm and will feature outdoor lighting, fire pits and customs, specialty cocktails and mocktails, and the Christmas House tour. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. on December 27, members of the Standard Gauge Module Association will take a behind-the-scenes look at how this toy train setup came to be and how they started collecting toy trains.

Tickets can be purchased at the museum or online at winterthur.org.

Marshall Steam Museum in Auburn Heights

At the Marshall Steam Museum in Auburn Heights, 3000 Creek Road, Yorklyn, near Hockessin, model trains will be the focus of special holiday celebrations Dec. 5 and 6 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Events include operation of model train layouts decorated for the holidays, rides on the larger Auburn Valley Railroad to view the holiday decorations around the majestic Victorian estate, a free photo op with Santa in an antique car from the Steam Museum's collection, hot chocolate, live music, gift sales from local craft vendors, and food and beverage sales.

Advance registration is recommended as the number of tickets is limited. See the website auburnheights.org.

Homestead Gardens

In Smyrna, the Homestead Gardens lawn and garden center hosts a Shore Line Garden Railroad Club exhibit with model trains winding around beautifully decorated trees at 5580 Dupont Pkwy. (Route 13 North).

Customers can tour the miniature train for free while purchasing holiday decorations and gifts. The layout already on display will be on display for the remainder of November and December.

The store's opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m

Georgetown Public Library and Delaware Seaside Railroad Club

The Georgetown Public Library and the Delaware Seaside Railroad Club are teaming up for the 14th annual Christmas model train exhibit at the library, 123 W. Pine St., Georgetown.

The free exhibit is open Saturdays November 29 and December 6, 13 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and features hands-on Thomas the Tank Engine, the Polar Express, Delaware Historic Landmarks, S Gauge and Brio wooden trains.

The association also offers guided tours of the exhibition for school classes by appointment.

For more information, call 1-302-856-7958 or email dsrc.museum@gmail.com.

DelMarVa Model Railroad Club

In Delmar, the DelMarVa Model Railroad Club hosts free model railroad exhibits on the second floor of Camelot Hall, 103 E. State St. (Route 54), west of Route 13. Stairs only are available, no elevator.

Events will take place on Saturdays November 29th, December 6th, January 3rd and 10th from 11am to 4pm and on Sundays November 30th, December 7th, January 4th and 11th from 12pm to 4pm.

The exhibit includes 8,000 square feet of model trains in 10 sizes across seven floor plans and a scavenger hunt to find items in the exhibit.

Model trains and other items are for sale at the white elephant table. The club will hold a raffle with prizes and refreshments will be sold by the youth group at St. Stephen's Church.

Brandywine Museum of Art

North of the Delaware Line in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, the Brandywine Museum of Art at 1 Hoffmans Mill Road displays model trains and toy trains for the holidays.

The Brandywine Railroad exhibit includes 2,000 feet of tracks with locomotives, trolleys, passenger and freight trains running through a small village, farm, factories, drive-in theater and carnival. Visitors can see what happens when they press buttons and foot pedals to engage with the display.

The trains will be open November 15 through January 4 and will operate during museum hours, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Christmas Eve the museum closes at 1:00 p.m.

The exhibition is included in the regular museum ticket, available at the museum or online at brandywinemuseum.org. For more information, call (610) 388-2700.

Free sensory-friendly hours are available on November 20th and January 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with prior registration. After hours, people with autism or sensory processing disorder and their families have access to the Brandywine Railroad.

Special events with varying fees include “Breakfast on the Trains” on November 23, December 20 and January 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and “Polar Express Reading Pajama Night” on December 3 and 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., where children are invited to dress up in their pajamas with hot chocolate and cookies during the reading of “The Polar Express.” wear.

Contact reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.