Griffith Park & Southern Railroad: A Miniature Train Adventure

The Griffith Park & Southern Railroad opened in 1948 and has been a family favorite since that day. Your journey begins at the Los Feliz passenger station, where you purchase train tickets.

The trip aboard the miniature train is about a mile long and takes 15 minutes to complete. The train ride takes you over a fifty-year-old creaking bridge and into the woods of Griffith Park. Sights you will see include an old western town and an Indian village.

The miniature trains depart from the station every 30 minutes on weekends and summer season and can carry up to 70 passengers.

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad operated three trains: Colonel Griffith, a replica western steam train; the Stanley Diamond, a narrow gauge locomotive; and the Freedom Train streamliner, which is only used on special occasions.

The railroad track is approximately one mile long, with most structures built in the early 1960s. Although the scenery is a little dated, it adds to the charm of riding the train.

Pony rides were closed because The Los Angeles Alliance for Animals successfully lobbied for an ordinance banning them.

If you’re looking for the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad, you can find it at 4400 Crystal Springs Drive, close to Los Feliz and Riverside, in Los Angeles, CA. The location has free parking in the lot adjacent to the pony rides. You can purchase tickets to ride the trains at Griffith Park Southern Railroad for a few dollars.

If you want to add more train rides to your day trip, Griffith Park offers two additional options for kids.

Travel Town Train Ride Griffith Park

The Travel Town Museum is located nearby. It is just a short drive down the road, and it offers a train ride and full-size train engines and cars on display. Children can climb aboard some locomotives and experience what it would be like to be an engineer on one of these massive train engines.

Los Angeles Live Steamers Griffith Park

Join us for a delightful experience on our beautifully crafted 7½” gauge model trains with small railroad passenger cars. With a donation of $3 per person, passengers can enjoy a 15-minute ride on more than two miles of tracks, passing through a miniature world that includes tiny towns, low-hanging tunnels, and dainty bridges. The trains are well-maintained, and the journey will surely be memorable!

Los Angeles Live Steamers operates model trains that can be ridden every Sunday, from 11 am to 3 pm, except for the Sunday before Memorial Day and the first Sunday in October. The gate opens at 10:45 a.m. and closes at 3 pm. Train rides commence at 11 a.m.

Griffith Park Attractions

Southern California Train Rides

Irvine Regional Park Railway