The Choo Choo Barn is a train display in

Strasburg, Pennsylvania Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It developed as a linear village stretching about along the Great Conestoga Road, later known as the Strasburg Road.Susan M. Zacher, NRHP Nomination Form Strasburg/ref> The population w ...

, in the United States, consisting of over 150 hand-built animated figures and vehicles and 22 operating trains.

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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and had bought a $12.50 Lionel

train set Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale. The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...

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 Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rai ...

. The Choo Choo Barn opened on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

Day in 1961, with over of detailed landscaping, six trains, and six animated figures. Over the next few years, the display continued to grow. A

gift shop A gift shop or souvenir shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs, memorabilia, and other items relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, toys, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collect ...

was added to the front of the building, and a picnic grove was constructed to the west of the

parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

. 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.Geli, Alex.
They’ve been working on the railroad, all for your amusement
" Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Media Group, August 10, 2014. The displays pay homage to

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...

, with miniature replicas of The Willows Restaurant,

Dutch Wonderland Dutch Wonderland is a theme park just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania in East Lampeter Township, appealing primarily to families with small children. The park's theme is a "Kingdom for Kids." The entrance to the park has a stone imitation castl ...

amusement park, the Strasburg Railroad, and a scale version of the Groff family home.

References

External links

*
History Page from the Official Choo Choo Barn Website

{{authority control Model railroads Tourist attractions in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1945 establishments in Pennsylvania Museums in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Railroad museums in Pennsylvania Museums established in 1945