Choo Choo Barn

The Choo Choo Barn is a 1,700-square-foot (160 m²) train display in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States, consisting of over 177 hand-built animated figures and vehicles and 17 operating trains.^[1]^[2]

History

The Choo Choo Barn was established in 1945 by George Groff, in the basement of his family home on Franklin Street in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Groff had just returned from World War II, and had bought a $12.50 Lionel train set as a Christmas present for his two-year-old son Gary. Within a few years, the collection had expanded to occupy a large part of the family basement. In the 1950s, the family opened their display to the public and local school groups during the Christmas holidays.

In 1961, George and Florence Groff moved the display to a small township maintenance facility that became available along Route 741, just to the west of the recently reopened Strasburg Rail Road. The Choo Choo Barn opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1961, with over 600 square feet (56 m²) of detailed landscaping, six trains, and six animated figures. Over the next few years, the display continued to grow. A gift shop was added to the front of the building, and a picnic grove was constructed to the west of the parking lot.

When the elder Groffs retired in 1979, their youngest son Thomas and his wife Linda became the new owners and curators of the Choo Choo Barn. The display continues to open each spring, and is updated every year.^[3] The displays pay homage to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with miniature replicas of The Willows Restaurant, Dutch Wonderland amusement park, the Strasburg Railroad, and a scale version of the Groff family home.

References

^ Negley, Erin. "These 5 model train displays in Lancaster County stay open after the holidays." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Media Group, January 3, 2018.
^ Owen, Rob. "Railroad buffs still make tracks to Strasburg." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 15, 2015.
^ Geli, Alex. "They’ve been working on the railroad, all for your amusement." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Media Group, August 10, 2014.

External links

39°58′57″N 76°09′57″W / 39.98246°N 76.16578°W / 39.98246; -76.16578

[1] Negley, Erin. "These 5 model train displays in Lancaster County stay open after the holidays." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Media Group, January 3, 2018.

[2] Owen, Rob. "Railroad buffs still make tracks to Strasburg." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 15, 2015.

[3] Geli, Alex. "They’ve been working on the railroad, all for your amusement." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Media Group, August 10, 2014.

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v t e Museums in Pennsylvania
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Science, technology, and industry	Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University America on Wheels Carnegie Museum of Natural History Carnegie Science Center Center for PostNatural History Choo Choo Barn Da Vinci Science Center Delaware County Institute of Science Drake Well Museum Everhart Museum Franklin Institute Miniature Railroad & Village Mütter Museum National Toy Train Museum North Museum of Nature and Science Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Railroaders Memorial Museum Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Roadside America Science History Institute Steamtown National Historic Site Wagner Free Institute of Science
Children's	Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Please Touch Museum