1800 Zoo Pl, San Diego, CA 92101 (Physical Address)
Hours: Monday-Sunday (11 AM-6:30 PM)
Train Ride Pricing:
- $3 per ride (All Ages Over 1)
- Children Under the Age of 1 Ride for Free
- Children Under the Age of 5 Must be Accompanied by an Adult
Overview
The miniature train in Balboa Park is a must for families with children that love trains. If visiting Balboa Park, this quick train ride shouldn’t be missed. The price is very reasonable, the ride is fun and an added bonus is that it takes up little time. The train station is located outside of the zoo’s exit, as well as outside of the Spanish Village Art Center and just across the street from the Natural History Museum. Additionally, the miniature train is operated by The San Diego Zoo
The train ride makes a quick 4 minute loop around a half mile of track. Passengers will pass by animal sculptures and through a tunnel along the way. While visitors are surely not gonna be blown away by this attraction, they will however, thoroughly enjoy it. The smaller kids will especially love it. The ease of visiting and the other sites in close proximity make this an easy choice for families.
Scout’s Story
Our daughter, Scout, is now 2 and has currently been cancer free and in remission for nearly two months. A lot of things proceeded Scout being placed into remission, such as surgery for her central line to be removed, scans, doctors visits and her end of treatment ceremony, which most of our family were able to come out and take part in. This would be our first chance to really take a trip and spend some time away from home with Scout since she was declared cancer free. San Diego is only about two hours from where we live so we decided to take a short, three day trip.
After spending a long, fun packed morning at the amazing San Diego Natural History Museum, we made our way across the street to the Spanish Art Village to walk around the colorful streets and check out some of the shops.
As we neared the back of the Spanish Art Village and were exiting, we heard a train horn. This of course made Scout go crazy and started with her boop boop noises. Unknowingly to us, the Balboa Park Railroad and miniature train was directly in front of us now.
Scout’s Ride on the Balboa Park Train
Trains have been Scout’s favorite thing for some time now and riding on any outdoor miniature train we could find, has been a major theme for us throughout Scout’s cancer treatment. My wife and I made our way over to the train and took turns riding on the train as we allowed Scout to take multiple rides.
The ride is about seven minutes but is very nice and enjoyable. Along the way, we passed by multiple animal sculptures, a small town and through a tunnel.
Scout had a wonderful time and I thought it was so awesome that we were able to do this even though we had no idea that the miniature railroad was here and no original intention of visiting it. This absolutely made our day. Balboa Park is such a fantastic place and at every turn there is something different and fantastic to indulge in.
July 18, 2023
Getting to the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
I find the best option for getting to the Balboa park miniature railroad is to park at the Natural History Museum parking lot. From there, visitors can make the short walk towards the massive fig tree and village place. Village place leads directly to the colorful streets of the Spanish Village Art Center. Follow through the Spanish Village passing by the many shops. After exiting the back of the Spanish Village, cross through the small parking lot and the miniature railroad will be directly in front of you.
1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 (Parking Address)
1800 Zoo Pl, San Diego, CA 92101 (Physical Address)
