We recently had the joy of discovering the Toy Train Barn in Argyle, Wisconsin. It was a great experience and one of our favorite new finds.
The Toy Train Barn is a family run model railroading museum set up in the lower level of a large barn. There are five or six complete layouts in several different scales spread throughout the space. The level of detail in each layout is impressive and includes people flying kites, firetrucks rushing out of a firehouse, and a man diving off a cliff into a river. It is simply mesmerizing to inspect each layout and to look for all the little treasures hidden throughout.
To make the treasure hunting even more fun and interactive, visitors are given scavenger hunt sheets to see what they can locate in individual sections. Each layout also has several push buttons along the edges that allow visitors to activate various special action parts- make a ferris wheel turn, or a person pop out of a house. These buttons make the experience very interactive and raise the level of fun. We loved that we weren’t simply viewers of the displays, but actually involved in operating aspects of each one.
The owners were busily making additions to a new section while we were visiting. It was interesting to see their dedication to making each element as perfect as possible, and to see the process involved in creating these large layouts. The owners were happy to chat with us about their ongoing projects and how long different aspects took to complete.
The friendliness of the owners made it all that much easier for us to pay the small fee($5 for adults, $3 for children over 10) for entry. We felt that our admission was going directly to the further upkeep and expansion of the museum.
We look forward to our next visit. In addition to seeing the development of the barn displays, we also hope that the outdoor rideable train will be operating. We were sad to hear that it had cracked a wheel and was currently in the shed for repairs. But we were able, thanks to our young guide, to get into the shed and check out the train up close. It was a perfect way to end our visit to this delightful spot! 