September 1 - National Toy Museum, Lancaster County, PA

We arrived August 31 and our first visit was on September 1 when we drove to the National Toy Train Museum.   When we entered the museum, my first thought was that it was like the Dyersville, IA toy tractor museum, but the tractors had been replaced by toy trains.    There were rows and rows of shelved cases containing all manner and size of toy trains.   Some of the trains dated back into the early 1800's!.   Besides the walls lined with cases of trains, there were also many nice layouts to view of all sizes from the tiny n gauge to the large garden sized trains.

On September 2 we drove to the Railroad Museum of PA in Strasburg.   When we got close, it was evident something big was happening.   We were directed to park in a field adjacent to some railroad tracks and then entered a huge white tent filled with parents with little ones who were going to the Imagination Station, the food vendors, or the Thomas the Tank Engine souvenir displays.   Ahhhh!   Thomas the Tank Engine was here and giving rides!    After wading through the crowd of little people we crossed the steet and entered the Railroad Museum, a beautiful building containing 4 rows of tracks with beautifully refurbished trains.   It was a treat to see such beautiful trains.   The museum also contained many displays along the tracks and at one end of the barn was a building with layouts and hands on activities for children.

We treated ourselves to dinner at the Bird-in-Hand restaurant.