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Travel Town Museum

Museum
In Los Angeles, California
4.4 mi from Route 66

Travel Town Museum, a railway museum, sits in Los Angeles, CA, tucked into the northwest corner of Griffith Park, about 4.2 miles off the old road. Dedicated in December 1952, it tells the story of rail travel across the western states between 1880 and the 1930s, with special attention to Southern California. For Route 66 travelers, it shows the transport network that came before the highway.

What is Travel Town Museum?

Travel Town is a museum of railroading. The collection covers roughly half a century of western rail history, from 1880 into the 1930s, and gives the most space to lines around Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California.

That period matters for anyone driving Route 66. Railroads shaped where many western towns grew up, and long stretches of the highway later ran near the same rail lines. Seeing the trains helps explain why so many Route 66 towns sit where they do.

History of Travel Town Museum

The museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952, which makes it one of the long-standing attractions in Griffith Park. It opened in the years when Route 66 was busy with postwar car travel, and it looks back to the era just before, when the railroad was the main way to cross the West. The contrast is part of what makes it a good stop for road trippers.

Visiting Travel Town Museum: tips

Plan about an hour, longer with children who love trains. Restrooms are on site and the grounds are listed as wheelchair accessible.

Travel Town fits easily into a Griffith Park day. The Los Angeles Zoo is about 1.4 miles away, the Autry Museum of the American West about 1.5 miles, and the ruins of the old Griffith Park Zoo about 1.8 miles. Pack a picnic or plan lunch around the zoo and the Autry, since all three sit within a short drive of each other.

Practical info

Address: 5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: +1 323-662-9678
Website: traveltown.org
Hours: Daily 10–5
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Travel Town Museum

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Musso & Frank Grill
Los Angeles, CA · 4.0 mi from Travel Town Museum
Hollywood's oldest restaurant, operating on Hollywood Boulevard since 1919 and named for its two founders.
Diner & restaurant
Formosa Cafe
West Hollywood, CA · 4.9 mi from Travel Town Museum
A West Hollywood restaurant and bar from 1925, long a hangout for film stars from the studio lot nearby.
Diner & restaurant
Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA · 5.3 mi from Travel Town Museum
A Los Angeles hot dog stand on North La Brea Avenue, serving since 1939 at the edge of Hollywood.

On the map

Full map

Travel Town Museum with the 6 closest stops and places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Travel Town Museum

All of California

Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles, California · 3.8 mi from Route 66

A 133-acre city zoo and botanical garden, a family break near the end of Route 66.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.4 mi from Travel Town Museum

Autry Museum of the American West

Los Angeles, California · 3.9 mi from Route 66

A museum of the American West named for Gene Autry, next door to the Los Angeles Zoo.

MuseumPhoto credit

1.5 mi from Travel Town Museum

Griffith Park Zoo

Los Angeles, California · 2.9 mi from Route 66

Ruins of the old Los Angeles zoo, with empty animal enclosures, picnic areas and trails.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.8 mi from Travel Town Museum

Warner Bros. Museum

Burbank, California · 4.0 mi from Route 66

Costumes, props and animation art from Warner Bros. film and TV history, seen on the studio tour.

MuseumPhoto credit

1.8 mi from Travel Town Museum

Martial Arts History Museum

Glendale, California · 5.7 mi from Route 66

A Glendale museum tracing martial arts through the cultures of Asia, Hawaii and America, plus anime.

MuseumPhoto credit

1.9 mi from Travel Town Museum

Universal City Zoo

Universal City, California · 3.5 mi from Route 66

A vanished studio zoo that supplied animals for silent-era Universal adventure films and comedies.

Nature & parks

2.5 mi from Travel Town Museum

Questions about Travel Town Museum

Where is Travel Town Museum?

In the northwest corner of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, about 4.2 miles off the old Route 66 corridor.

What period does Travel Town cover?

Western railroading between 1880 and the 1930s, with a focus on Southern California.

Own or run Travel Town Museum? Send us a photo or a correction.

See it on the map