Museum Hours
Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
CLOSED Monday, except for certain special operating days.
See the calendar below for our full operating hours, including special open dates.
ADMISSION
General Admission
Adult: $20.00
Child (ages 12 and under): FREE with legal adult supervision* & paid admission
Senior (ages 65+): $12.00
Military (Active-Duty, Veterans, Spouses of uniform service, with military I.D.): $12.00
Student (ages 13-18, or with valid student I.D.): $10.00
Ticket Policies
Tickets may be purchased online or on-site in the gift shop. Online tickets are only valid for the date purchased and are not refundable. Online tickets may be redeemed up to one hour prior to closing. All guests are asked to exit the museum by the posted closing time.
Got a group of 20 or more? Please read our policy and request a reservation here
*May not exceed ratio of 4 children per 1 adult
Free for Residents Day
On the first Tuesday of every month, San Diego County residents, including college students and active-duty military members, are welcome to visit us for free.
Make sure to bring something to verify you live locally, like your I.D. with a local address, school I.D., or active-duty military I.D.
The Fleet Science Center and the Natural History Museum are also open free to residents on the first Tuesday of every month!
SDMRM is proud to participate in Museums for All. Present your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) card, or Women, Infants & Children (WIC) card and photo ID at the Admissions Desk to receive admission at $2 per person for up to 4 people.
Museums for All is a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. Similar free and reduced admission is available at more than 850 museums across the country.
Directions
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA, 92101
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is located in Balboa Park, inside the Casa de Balboa Building on the lower level. We share a parking lot with the Fleet Science Center. Our major cross street is Park Blvd and Space Theater Way.
An elevator is provided to the public, located in the Western part of the Casa de Balboa building lobby, which can be entered into from the Prado.
Parking
Parking at Balboa Park is free, public, and managed by the City of San Diego. For additional information, click here.
ACCESSIBILITY
Wheelchair Accessibility
Throughout SDMRM, the galleries and facilities are accessible for wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other power-driven mobility devices, with safety railing and access ramps compliant with the ADA clearance specifications.
Service Animal Policy
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum follows the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), which defines service animals as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. SDMRM allows service dogs to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.
The service animal must be supervised and regulated by its handler. Under the requirements of the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of tasks. If the service animal cannot be controlled or is not housebroken, the handler will be asked to remove the dog from the museum.