Help Make a Difference at SDMRM
Vision for a new kitchen in 2025
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum needs your help raising $50,000 To renovate the museum’s Kitchen and Kitchen Façade
So Far we’ve Raised $21,430 - WOW!
Events take place at SDMRM all year round, and the kitchen sits at the center of how we welcome guests.
The kitchen is used to celebrate exhibit receptions, our annual fundraiser Ales N’ Rails, Family Days, host model railroad conferences and meets, Balboa Park-wide events, and private gatherings in addition to its everyday function for staff and volunteers.
After 30+ years of dependable use, it is time to upgrade...
For this project, SDMRM seeks to:
Purchase new kitchen appliances for event use
Upgrade storage needs
AND remodel the kitchen façade facing the Pacific Beach Room Gallery with a brand new look resembling a silver Santa Fe passenger car!
A new kitchen will increase event utility with modern equipment and functional storage solutions for quality community gatherings and reliable service.
In addition, a new feature wall will elevate the space and engage audiences with gallery signage and information about the history and style of the passenger car façade.
Before…
Make your year-end tax deductible gift today to help us reach our $50,000 goal!
By donating to this year’s fundraising campaign, you can make a valuable difference to the enjoyment of our visitor experience by helping us create an incredible new look for the museum’s event kitchen space.
It is essential for organizational growth to continue looking toward the future. Improvement projects like this expand our capacity to engage the community well, and that includes enhancing spaces with how we serve you in mind.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Support Our Work
What makes the San Diego Model Railroad Museum special are the people who help bring it to life. Trains are serious business here. For over 40 years, SDMRM has been a resource for model railroaders, historians, artists, engineers, and families alike in and beyond the city of San Diego. The museum’s mission is to continue engaging and serving its audiences through its unique exhibits and programs, and we need your help.
A tax-deductible gift to the museum’s general operations supports critical funding that advances programs such as education, groundbreaking exhibits, visitor experience improvements, family celebrations, and much more.
You can also give to a specific program area
Museum Education
The Educational Department provides STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning designed for students in early elementary through middle school that meets academic requirements for these age groups. Support school and summer camp programming at SDMRM, and encourage the next generation of engineers, model railroaders, and arts and culture supporters.
…New Look!
Collections
Collections & Exhibits tell the stories of the railroad through the museum’s unique collection of model trains, exhibit layouts, and extensive research library catalog. Support the Collections Department and ensure new and diverse learning opportunities are available to you each time you visit.
There are several ways you can give:
Make a one-time gift of any amount online
Set up monthly giving online using PayPal
Provide a matching gift through your employer
Planned gifts
Dedicate a donation in honor, or in memory, of a loved one
Prefer to mail in your gift? Send it to:
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Attn: Development Department
1649 El Prado, Ste 4
San Diego, CA 92101
Checks should be made payable to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum or SDMRM.
Donations make a difference, no matter the size. Your continued support ensures that we can sustain this tradition for generations to come. We invite you to help us carry on our mission and vision to ignite passion in the hobby of modeling and railroad history.