All aboard for one of San Francisco’s happiest Saturday traditions. The Randall Museum, the city’s free museum of art, science and the natural world in Corona Heights, invites families to Model Railroad Saturdays, when the Golden Gate Model Railroad Club opens the museum’s huge model train layout to the public, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
The layout is a miniature California in motion: trains wind through tiny towns, bridges and landscapes while club members — the volunteers who build and maintain every detail — run the railroad and share stories with visitors of all ages. For children, it is pure magic at eye level; for adults, it is a lovingly crafted work of art that keeps changing, season after season.
And the trains are only the beginning of a family day at the Randall. Admission is always free, and the museum pairs its art and science exhibitions with live animal exhibits and a hillside setting above the city. Organizers note that Model Railroad Saturdays depend on the club’s volunteers, so dates can occasionally change — a quick check of the museum’s calendar before you go is worth it. The Randall Museum is at 199 Museum Way, San Francisco.
Photo: Orin Zebest via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
