Oklahoma Model Railroad Association & Museum(32)
- Jonathan Elmore
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 9
Tucked away near the intersection of Sewell and NW 44th is a jewel waiting to be seen by you and everyone you know. It's the Oklahoma Model Railroad Association & Museum and it is fantastic.
When you go out looking for it, and you should do just that, you may run into the problem I did. My GPS took me most of the way there, but I was sitting outside a parking lot not seeing a building that could house a museum. Then I spotted the obvious sign right in front of me that told me I was in the right place. I looked down the alley next to a warehouse and spotted the bright red 4300 address I was looking for. Down the road and into the parking lot I went. And I was amazed at what I found, model trains in all their glory. And it made me laugh that as I was approaching the building, a real train about forty feet to my right passed by and blew its horn. Ha! I'm in the right place.
This group of folks started out in Crossroads Mall when it was still going, but they had to find a new spot to set up and this has become their new home base. They began setting up in 2017 and they've been adding on ever since. This kind of minature construction has to be so detailed and precise that it takes months of planning before a single track gets set. They vote on a theme for an area, design it, change it, measure twice, and start the process of beginning to start. First they build the base. Then comes the structures that will hold the scenery. I had a great chat with Mark Gardner, one of the guys that spearheads each build and he told me some of the tricks of the trade they use to build these monstrous displays. If they need a mountain, they start with spray foam. It solidifies quickly and can be shaped with a knife or carving tools. Then, they use spray bottles full of paint and, VOILA, a mountain. Clever and effective because the scenery that they're currently building looks amazing.
The museum has two floors, accessible by stairs and an elevator. Downstairs has a great amount completed, but they're always making adjustments to make it look as good as possible and to make sure the trains make it all the way around the tracks. Upstairs is in the beginning stages of construction. They've decided on a theme of Colorado and New Mexico. They construct all the scenery and most of the buildings on site, but they occasionally have people make buildings for them like Denver's Union Station, a monumental task for sure. You can see in a couple of photos below the incredible infrastructer needed to pull this off. It's complicated and mind blowing, but these model train aficionados seem to love the challenge. I snapped a couple of pictures of the supplies they use to create these landscapes and it was so much stuff! Magazines were all around that taught you everything from how to build a tunnel to how to distress a train car. Notice one of the photos below that has some of the graffiti that you always see on trains. So great! And it was done by some younger guys that have gotten involved with this amazing hobby.
You can see this crew every Saturday and Sunday at the museum. You can also find them at model train shows like the one that's going to be in the Bennett Center at the OKC Fairgrounds November 15-16, 2025. I know I'm going to be there. The crew is finishing a traveling design that is based around Oklahoma. I can't wait to see it. If you want to see the museum, it's free of charge to look around. If you find that you really love what you see and what they're doing, they would love to have you join. You can help build, decorate, and whatever else they have going on. No experience necessary. They also take donations of all kinds to help keep the lights on and the trains running.
4300 N Sewell, Oklahoma City
Jonathan Elmore ©2025
