Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
511 reviews
Excellent
294
Very good
144
Average
63
Poor
7
Terrible
3
Lori T
Dawsonville, GA2,502 contributions
Sep 2020
This is one of the largest and nicest displays of model trains that we have visited, though it is primarily "O" scale Lionel trains. There are a few larger G scale trains in the back room, but we didn't really see much representation of the small scales such as HO and N. The advantage to the O scale and larger layouts is that they are easy for visitors to see, and therefore enjoy. Entrance to the museum is free with your train ticket, so highly recommend all train passengers pop in here for a browse. Kids and model railroaders in particular seemed to enjoy it.
Written September 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BILLB47
Charlotte, NC325 contributions
Jul 2020
If you love Lionel Trains, you will love this place. Tour is self guided and due to Covid not all the train sets were operational. Admission was included as part of Smokey Mount Train ride. It brought back memories of when I was a kid. My friend has Lionel Trains and always got a new train car for Christmas. I enjoyed being invited to his home to play with the trains. He had a smoking steam locomotive and many cars that carried logs and loaded cattle into the cattle car. What memories! I was astounded at the price some of the trains cost today remembering that they are antiques..
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
margaretrenewilliams
Holly Springs, GA38 contributions
Jul 2020
This museum features an extensive collection of mostly Lionel trains. The display cases are ordered by rail lines and show models that were used on a particular service. The working display features multiple tracks with trains running through tunnels, up a mountain and through town-all made to resemble the local area (right down to the mudslide on the mountain!). The price of admission is included with your train ticket and there is time before boarding and after the train returns to tour here. A very FUN exhibit that brings out the little kid in all of us!
Written July 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa G
Aurora, IN537 contributions
May 2021
We are model railroaders ourselves and spend a lot of time and energy and the layouts (the scenery and buildings) and so were disappointed in this museum because that is clearly not a priority for them. If you are into seeing hundreds of Lionel engines, it might be your thing. It is free to enter if you take one of the train rides and so is probably worth the visit if it is free. The train rides are definitely worth it.
Written May 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ManningAvenger
Sellersburg, IN1,401 contributions
Jun 2022
If you want to see miniature trains this is the place to come. The trains here are well done along with the landscaping. There are also smaller setups of train towns and trains along the walls. If you get a bag from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad you will get free admission to the museum.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA901 contributions
Feb 2021
The Smoky Mountain Trains Museum is an average model train exhibit when stacked up with others. There are three sections of the museum: an interactive train area, a static train display area, and a large working train display. The interactive space is currently deactivated because of the pandemic. So this section is mainly just a miniature display with nothing moving. There is a whole room of various train models, along with train models in the other rooms. This probably won't be too interesting unless you are really into model trains. Most of the interest for these attractions, for me, is the moving exhibits. The one section that does have working trains is fairly large with several trains circling. The display has detail but lacks the intricate detail I have seen in other model train attractions. This is a nice attraction, but perhaps a little overpriced ($9) for what it delivers.
Written February 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BILLB47
Charlotte, NC325 contributions
Jul 2022
If you love model trains, you will really enjoy this museum. I have never seen such a large collection of model trains. Entrance was included as part of train ride on Great Smokey Mountain Railway. Would not have paid $9 admission fee. Caveat... gift shop is price!
Written July 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim
Charlotte, NC275 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We don’t have kids but needed something to do. We visited the train museum and enjoyed our time at the museum.
Lots of model trains under lock and key- which I can understand because the prices of some of the trains were very high.
We liked seeing the model trains moving around. The people are very talented.
Would have liked to have learned more about trains through pictures or more hands on experiences.
Overall, a good time and well worth the money.
Lots of model trains under lock and key- which I can understand because the prices of some of the trains were very high.
We liked seeing the model trains moving around. The people are very talented.
Would have liked to have learned more about trains through pictures or more hands on experiences.
Overall, a good time and well worth the money.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting our Lionel, model train museum. Under normal circumstances the first three layouts in the museum are button operated by our visitors. Unfortunately we can not physically sanitize every button after it is pressed, especially when some of our young visitors go from button to button. Well, we have some adult visitors who do the same thing. Who can blame them? We look forward to the day we can activate it again.
Our scavenger hunt is enjoyed by young and old. We hope you tried that.
Written September 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RJBAQ
Miami, FL68 contributions
Sep 2021
Got a free entrance with the Smokey Mountains Train ride. Museum is filled with displays that locomotive fans will enjoy. Personally not into trains but really amazed with the attention to details on all exhibits and decoration. Thay have interactive train sets that you can control with a push of a button.
Very educational for kids, brings out memories to all of us who had a train set in our younger years....
Very educational for kids, brings out memories to all of us who had a train set in our younger years....
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan H
Atlanta, GA31 contributions
Oct 2020
Your GSMR train ticket gets you in the museum for free, and it's well worth stopping in. Skip the touristy gift shop and head on back to the big model train setup in the rear. Three levels, many trains running at once; lots of fun. Ordinary folks can't afford model training any more, so it's especially fun to see a good modeling job like this.
Written October 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JackABrinker
Cornelius, NC
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
Tim R.
Murfreesboro, TN4 contributions
Yes it is. I remember it as being handicap accessible even if you just visit the museum and going to website confirm this. If you ride the train admission to museum is included and that entrance is handicap accessible.
Mike G
Goodlettsville, TN
How much are tickets and what are the attraction hours? Is there an exit off the blue ridge to Bryson City?
SassyJ13
Bryson City, North Carolina, United States8 contributions
Beginning Aug 10th: 9am - 4:30pm Daily
Price was about $10
Free with a train ride ticket
While in Bryson City, visit Cowboy at the Sagebrush Coffeehouse. We really enjoyed the down home western atmosphere. I've heard he now has a comedy & magic show on weekends.
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum (Bryson City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
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