# Balboa Park Miniature Railroad & Historic 1910 Carousel

> Place to go for families in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad area (CA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Weekends & holiday school breaks daily; 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM (weather permitting)
- Dates: Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Feb 28
- Where: Balboa Park (outside Zoo Entrance), 1800 Zoo Pl, San Diego, CA 92101
- Ages: All ages; quintessential toddler and young child tradition; parents ride alongside toddlers
- Price: $3 per train ride; $3 per carousel ride; free for infants under 1 year
- Schedule: Weekends & holiday school breaks daily; 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM (weather permitting)
- Organizer: Balboa Park Conservancy
- Official page: https://balboapark.org/
- Last checked: Wed, Nov 4

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-diego/activities/balboa-park-miniature-railroad-and-historic-1910-carousel--listing-7755fe098fc4ad89506d13bf

## About

Operating outside the San Diego Zoo exit in Balboa Park, this charming G-16 scale miniature train has delighted generations of children since 1948. Families board open-air passenger coaches for a delightful 3-minute, half-mile loop through four acres of eucalyptus and cypress groves.

Just steps away, the historic 1910 Herschell-Spillman Carousel features 52 hand-carved wooden animals—including horses, camels, giraffes, and dragons—spinning to classic military band organ music. Children under 42 inches can ride with a parent, and paved plaza paths accommodate strollers.

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