It’s occasionally advertised locally, usually around the holidays and late spring, early summer as a tourist attraction. I’ve been there once; it’s not something you should rush through. And IIRC, they have (or did have) an area for small parties, birthdays and the like. There used to be a train store. I would imagine the cost to operate that enterprise is large. But, maybe, the owners want to retire.
@@deepsleep7822 Sad that a group of modelers can't raise enough money to buy it. Our club is a 501c3 as a museum & historical society. We learned that if a club qualifies as an educational charity, too, there are many grants available. Perhaps someone can pass that info along to some people that are local to this wonderful display. It could easily be used to demonstrate to classes of children how trains influenced cities and culture.
This display is unique because it represent the history of railroads, a valuable learning experience. It shouldn't be compared to the immense layout in Germany. Beautifully detailed exhibits like this are a labor of love and costly to maintain, but perhaps a dedicated rail buff with sufficient means will buy it and perhaps add to it. This video should be promoted to advertise it!
hm. what details you mean??? and the boys in Hamburg making good money with it, having over 1 million people from all over the world per year... and the thing in Hamburg isnt finished, you can walk your thing in 2hours....in Hamburg, you need 2 days...!
One of my grandson's favorite places to visit. I don't know if his memories of this place and Pop Pop's trains will inspire him to get into model railroading later in his life. The people who put this attraction together put their railroading souls into it for sure. It will be a big loss to an area that has so few affordable children's wonderlands. Have you checked the rates on a King's Island admission lately? Not to mention Entertrainment Junction is inside and air conditioned with a playground inside and toy trains everywhere.
As a Brit who's been spoiled by being in Yurp and able to bathe in the brilliance of Hamburg's MiniaturWonderland a doz times, I'm sad that I'm not going to be able to do the same here. Thank you for the video, great to be reminded of and to see Tom Thumb too.
I live 10 minutes’ drive away and had no idea it was set to close, so thanks for doing this video. I’ve been there with my son three or four times over the years, I think - maybe more. It is pretty awesome. I agree that the lack of new / refreshed exhibits over time probably didn’t help with repeat visits. It should be noted that Cincinnati has a big thing for model trains. The Cincinnati History Museum at Union Terminal has a huge layout modeling the Cincy area in probably the 1940s or early ‘50s. Another BIG tradition are the Christmas trains, which are probably on an even larger layout and are also now housed at Union Terminal/Museum Center. Much greater per capita interest in model trains here than in my native Chicago. The Coney Island layout is a really heartfelt tribute to a huge piece of real-life Cincinnati history that is totally disappearing (the last remaining pieces of real life Coney - a water park and one of the world’s largest swimming pools - closed last year). So to see that the Coney layout could disappear too would really be sad.
Colonial Williamsburg, VA had a model train displaying the late 1990s that was spectacular. Sadly it’s long gone. San Diego, CA still has a model train display in Baboa park worth visiting
Went past this place thousands of times and always wanted to go but always said next time . I guess I'll have to make time before the year is out. Might be a good time to take my great grand daughter when I go up there for Christmas. Thanks for letting people know about its closing.
Northlandz was almost lost when the original owners retired and sold it, and the new owner was going to tear it out and use it for warehouses but had a change of heart when he saw it and decided to reopen it. Roadside America in Shartlesville, though closed for good and the layout dismantled and pieces auctioned off.
@robkrasinski6217 yes, I know the Northlandz story, I enjoyed going and seeing that place, Roadside America I never had the opportunity to go so that's why I would like to take advantage of this opportunity
@@robkrasinski6217 For people that don't know the whole backstory for Northlandz parts of it were originally in the basements of Bruce Williams's house. They used to have a yearly exhibition around Christmas time of the setup with proceeds going to the local fire department. Sold the most delicious meatball subs ever. Some yuppie-type neighbors moved in and complained about the crowds so Bruce and wife had to move. That resulted in the creation of Northlandz and re-using parts of the old layout like some of those huge bridges.
After watching this video we immediately bought airplane TIX and headed to CVG (Cincinnati, OH) Well worth the visit, the place is amazing to see "in person"! Sorry to know that it's closing. Nicely done video, too. Greetings from Portland, Oregon. (A little too far for regular travel to this venue)
to bad they are closing down. The layout looks great ! , i have seen the big layout Miniaturwunderland in Hamburg, Germany, and i think that one of the reasons to why they succeeded is that they have lots and lots of moving objects on the layout, the cars are running around everywhere thousands of them, police and firefighters with flashing lights, burning castle, trains are running everywhere , They are so good at giving you a great show, almost like visiting a big cirkus. Finally Miniaturwunderland is in the middle of a very big city so they get a big part of all the tourists that a visiting Hamburg. I like the realism in West Chester but there isn't much of a show and maybe they should move it to a big city ? Thanks for the interesting video !
Not only is it localised in the middle of Hamburg, it is also the number one tourist attraction in Germany. The sad thing for American scale model railroad, is the American monotony of their railroads. Endless lines trough flat wasteland, in comparison with European scenery. I watch a lot of these you tube films, and the difference between the two continents is baffling. I hope these guys can survive, any model railroad is worth to be treasured.
@@Peugeot5008.Yeah Imagine a train line in the middle of multi kilometer tall mountains. Oh wait the US has several unlike German and French rail through that same flat land.
@@txquartz no my friend, I am only comparing US railroad to European, and Europe got more colour full landscapes, have a look at Miniature Wunderland in Germany. I am a miniature railroad fan
A short time ago, Someone posted a video asking what’s the future of the model railroading. I remember he concluded that it was bright. A few people, including me, didn’t agree with him. All of us said that it didn’t look good in the USA, whereas it had rather a good future outlook in the continental Europe. Unfortunately, Your video supports our point of view. The model railroading has entered a very slow chapter in the USA.
Unfortunately, I agree. It seems that Entertainment Junction didn’t change much from its opening 16 years ago. Wunderland Germany however kept opening exhibit after exhibit of different places in Europe as well as moving cars and planes. It eventually surpassed Entertainment Junction as the real longest railroad in 2019. Wunderland is still growing, and sadly Entertrainment Junction died on the vine. I wish that wasn’t the case.
@@LordBenjamino the difference is, you US exhibit is only for Americans, while the MiWuLa is for people around the world, located in a World city, on the crossroads of Europe! we have 7 billion possible costumers, you are just 300 million!
It is sad this place is closing. If i could, I'd bring it to Minnesota and try to integrate it into the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul. If you are a train enthusiast and ever make it to Minnesota i recomend checking it out. My nephews liked it so much growing up, they each at least one birthday party there. There is also the Twin Cities Model Railroading Museum in St. Paul. Maybe all three could be combined.
This is neat and while I probably won’t be able to get there before January I’m glad RUclips recommended this video and your channel therefore to me. Also, I enjoyed all the butthurt comments on this video about how the one in Germany is better… cool beans.
To my knowledge, the owner (Don Oeters) has been seeking to retire for roughly the last two years and put the place up with a list price of $4 million. Maybe the price tag was what turned off potential buyers, but personally (I'm biased) I think they're bs Also, ETJ do specify that they're the world's largest _indoor_ model railroad display ;)
As alway some people over price their business, if it’s not making a big profit or none than it value is reduced a lot. The only thing that is of value are the trains than you are looking at prices of 20% to 50% if he’s lucky. If he owns the building that ups the value because that is where the big money is at as far as a business.
Just looked it up, Roadside America closed too. It was very cool until interrupted by The Pageant. The single most bizzare slide show Star Spangled Banner ending with Giant Jesus looking down from on high at the display ever.
@@billwendell6886 Roadside America had the same problem as this display. An older owner and located not in a major tourist area. While it was well known in the area it just was not popular enough to continue.
@@ToddWerner-vp3vcI agree with you. I think this layout is fantastic. I didn’t know it existed. I will be making the 5 hour trip from Cleveland to see it and hope that it can be saved. I won’t be flying to Germany regardless of how “sophisticated” that layout is.
@@tskjr1 because you dont have a passport and 1 week vacation per year is a little bit short... i went one time for 8 weeks to the USA, vacation time! and i own a passport since i am 16! and my country got health care for 140 years! so, there are reasons we got the best model train exhibit...being in the center of Europe is one of them! i know, you dont know where that is, you cant find us on a map of Africa, and no, Africa isnt a country!
They should move this to Beach Boulevard in Buena Park CA by Knott’s Berry Farm. The city had an agreement with a company to open a butterfly sanctuary attraction, but that never came to fruition and the city took back the land. Maybe this could fill the void.
That is not easily done, the baseboards that the layouts are built on are tailored to the site and usually in one piece, the buildings and track are fixed down, and the scenery is built into the base boards. The damage done in cutting and removing it in sections wouldn’t be repairable on reassembly. A new site has to be prepared and the baseboards have to be reshaped to fit. The rolling stock and the road vehicles etc can be removed and stored, some building can be recoverable without damage, but not all. The baseboards and scenery just junk it all. Acquire a new building, build a whole new baseboard and scenery, the recovered buildings bridges etc can be reincorporated into the new, the rolling stock would be the only survivors in bulk. What’s more is the time required lots of it, along with the wages of the army of professional model makers, lots of money and no income.
Sad that there isn't much future for this. It reflects at least two things: the culture for this type of craft is evaporating in the US, even though it's a great jumping off point for future careers. And, it shows the effects of a decentralized country. If this exhibit were in a large metropolitan area, it would have more visitors and more incentive to grow, like Hamburg's Miniature Wunderland.
It grew from it Mall of America Days. It was originally an Lionel layout. Also it's Subway seems confused.....NYC Subway Redbirds running in what looks like a DC Metro Waffle Station.
Like most model railroad exhibits there appears to be little interest in preserving them. There may be hope if the exhibit was donated to a state museum,
I can’t say for sure but most large model,train displays fail due to the fact they are very seasonal in business unless they are near real train attractions. If it is freestanding like this it most likely is busy between Thanksgiving and into the beginning of the New Year. That’s when family’s think about trains and the Christmas holidays. If it is located where there is good summer vacation travelers it may also do ok then. But it is expensive to operate and maintain it on a year round basis. Also if they do not make many changes over the years it is most likely a once and done attraction. In this case if the owner is older he most likely does not want to put in the time to keep it running. I hope some younger train investors may buy and continue to run it but as noted it would be expensive to buy it as is. Thanks for showing it to us.
maybe, to have it in a place where people have 6 weeks vacation per year or great real rail road connections to visit this place.... MiWuLa isnt far away from Hamburg Central station! Europeans can walk between them, Americans need a taxi!
Needs to be saved. They must send someone to Minature Wunderland in Hamburg ASAP, I'm sure they would give good advice. Minature Wundeland has queues every day and is really busy, when we went we left at 10 pm and it still not closed. Marketing, interactive parts of the layouts, humour (in Germany!) you can make a model train display into a really popular attraction.
With enough publicity and maybe some properly placed ads on billboards along the highways nearby this place could do ok. But I have seen too many comments that even local area people do not know this place exists. They also should work with out of town bus tours to see if they could get tour groups to stop and see it at low group rates. However the immediate problem would be trying to get a new owner willing to invest in an apparently failing business.
I agree and as they advertised EJ as the world’s largest, it turned me off. It’s clear that the Hamburg Germany is much more advanced and bigger. The detail here lacks by far in comparison though one can see a lot of work and planning went into this project. I am sad to see it go being in the US.
Sad state of events happening there. The new generations mostly don't enjoy trains or the craftsmanship that is needed to build such layouts. There are just to many other activities and distractions these days. I would hope the owner could work with the price with a potential buyer. He may take less , but keep the knowledge and experience for people going. Also it should be considered a Museum i would think and serve a historical source of information. Hopefully it won't come to an end.
Those internet billionaires photographing the sights, pieces of art etc. should open up a cultural and heritage funds to support this type of history preserving venues.
They quit selling trains in Toys R Us back in 2009? Trains are “too dangerous” for children because small parts and ELECTRICITY. Not a single model railroad shop around, last one closed in spring 2020, not that any kid could even afford any trains even with 5 years worth of allowance. It has become a “luxury hobby” for collectors only.
@@Trainboy1EJR It depends if your buying a starter set for kids or trying to buy higher end stuff. Also a lot of big box hobby stores carry starter sets at reasonable prices. If a person wants higher end they can buy online from online hobby suppliers. They can also buy of eBay or Facebook and go to shows to find deals. The Higher end stuff will always be costly due to the target market. Either way a beginner or expert is going to have to spend money.
no comparison to Hamburg. Ohio is nice but completely different to Miniatur Wonderland. There are no running cars or other functional models. Trains that stop for each other? Every kid with its model railroad can explain how this works :-) Ohio is more a static scenery and in Hamburg is more movement. The worlds largest ist Hamburg. Sorry
Ohio misses some level of detail here and there. It's built big, but sometimes there are flat areas like when I had some rail tracks on the ground as a kid. Other places there look good, but still could have more details. 4:38 and at some places it looks as if someone quickly laid street mats over the ground. There's even a gap visible under it at the edges of those street mats... (to the top left of the railroad crossing in this view). But it shows some points in history of US trains. That's unique.
According to Guinness World Records, the Miniatur Wunderland is the largest model railway complex in the world. It is located in the historic Speicherstadt in Hamburg and is operated by Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg GmbH.
You are correct, Wunderland is actually the world's largest train display. Although, Entertrainment Junction was at one time, I put that part of the title in 'quotes' to show it was their words not mine.
They haven’t shared why unfortunately. It was put up for sale earlier in the year, but they failed to find a buyer. My best guess would be due to financial difficulties.
The building is a relatively modern building, kind of pole barn in nature but it is a really nice building. I doubt they would tear it down. The inside would most likely e gutted. Would make a decent size warehouse. I’m sure it’s a money thing. Expensive to operate and not enough gate receipts.
I've been to the place in Hamburg. This doesn't look like it is even in the same league. Still looks nice though. Wish I knew it was there when I lived closer.
Yeah, I think the difference between the two was that Wunderland, Germany kept innovating and doing new things, whereas Entertrainment Junction was the same since opening in 2008. It brought people in, but not back.
@@LordBenjamino As a regular visitor almost each year for over 10 years at Entertraiment Junction there has been updating and changes. There has been a lot of details on the layout added. Many structures now have interiors, crossing signals have been added over the years, exhibits change almost every other month. Not to mention over the past year a large Amish Farm scene has been added. In the kids section a very comprehensive Thomas The Train exhibit has been added in recent years. People return regularly to Entertainment Junction and stuff does change. Not to the level of miniature wonderland but credit should be given as they have had changes over the years at Entertrainment Junction
They may both be right. This could be the world's largest permanent model railroad display (with several layouts). Miniatur-Wunderland in Hamburg is the world's largest single layout. All the parts are connected by rail.
That happens when you have a family run business and the owners get older and their kids have no interest in taking it over. The business comes to a sad end if they can't find a buyer.
This place needs to be advertised more! No clue it existed.
I remember always seeing it advertised in Model Railroader magazine. So sad I might never get to see it.
It’s occasionally advertised locally, usually around the holidays and late spring, early summer as a tourist attraction. I’ve been there once; it’s not something you should rush through. And IIRC, they have (or did have) an area for small parties, birthdays and the like. There used to be a train store. I would imagine the cost to operate that enterprise is large. But, maybe, the owners want to retire.
@@deepsleep7822 Sad that a group of modelers can't raise enough money to buy it. Our club is a 501c3 as a museum & historical society. We learned that if a club qualifies as an educational charity, too, there are many grants available. Perhaps someone can pass that info along to some people that are local to this wonderful display. It could easily be used to demonstrate to classes of children how trains influenced cities and culture.
Hope they can find a buyer. It would be terrible to lose such a unique attraction.
Ikr I never knew this place existed and to think so much thought and effort has been put Into this place 😢
@@EricPlayzGamessame
I never knew this place existed until watching your video; it looks very nice! Thanks so much for showing it to us!
i didnt knew Ohio existed....
but i am in Europe!
we have 44 countries!
😅 fair enough
@@Arltratlo And we have 50 states in 1 country
This display is unique because it represent the history of railroads, a valuable learning experience. It shouldn't be compared to the immense layout in Germany. Beautifully detailed exhibits like this are a labor of love and costly to maintain, but perhaps a dedicated rail buff with sufficient means will buy it and perhaps add to it. This video should be promoted to advertise it!
hm. what details you mean???
and the boys in Hamburg making good money with it, having over 1 million people from all over the world per year...
and the thing in Hamburg isnt finished, you can walk your thing in 2hours....in Hamburg, you need 2 days...!
Thanks for taking the time tape this wonderful lay out. JH
I've been there 3 or 4 times now. It's an awesome display.
I lived in Mason and worked in West Chester for a couple of years and didn’t know this place even existed. Will be a shame if it goes away!
One of my grandson's favorite places to visit. I don't know if his memories of this place and Pop Pop's trains will inspire him to get into model railroading later in his life. The people who put this attraction together put their railroading souls into it for sure. It will be a big loss to an area that has so few affordable children's wonderlands. Have you checked the rates on a King's Island admission lately? Not to mention Entertrainment Junction is inside and air conditioned with a playground inside and toy trains everywhere.
Thanks for the tour, if I never get there, at least we now know what it looked like 😀😀
I am impressed with the site of all those trains moving at SCALE speed not the MACH 1.87 normally viewed on UT.
Big WOW! Did not know this huge delightful display existed. Thankee very much for the video.
Thank you for sharing, Ive seen the one in Germany and I agree with you it's a massive display,, my compliments sir
As a Brit who's been spoiled by being in Yurp and able to bathe in the brilliance of Hamburg's MiniaturWonderland a doz times, I'm sad that I'm not going to be able to do the same here.
Thank you for the video, great to be reminded of and to see Tom Thumb too.
I live 10 minutes’ drive away and had no idea it was set to close, so thanks for doing this video.
I’ve been there with my son three or four times over the years, I think - maybe more. It is pretty awesome. I agree that the lack of new / refreshed exhibits over time probably didn’t help with repeat visits.
It should be noted that Cincinnati has a big thing for model trains. The Cincinnati History Museum at Union Terminal has a huge layout modeling the Cincy area in probably the 1940s or early ‘50s. Another BIG tradition are the Christmas trains, which are probably on an even larger layout and are also now housed at Union Terminal/Museum Center. Much greater per capita interest in model trains here than in my native Chicago.
The Coney Island layout is a really heartfelt tribute to a huge piece of real-life Cincinnati history that is totally disappearing (the last remaining pieces of real life Coney - a water park and one of the world’s largest swimming pools - closed last year). So to see that the Coney layout could disappear too would really be sad.
Colonial Williamsburg, VA had a model train displaying the late 1990s that was spectacular. Sadly it’s long gone. San Diego, CA still has a model train display in Baboa park worth visiting
San Diego also has one in the Old Town neighborhood. I know cause I am a San Diego Native who wishes more ppl knew about our display besides toddlers
I was there about 2 weeks ago. It's a REALLY great display, plus they have a model train store and gift shop. They even had a huge display on marbles.
Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.
Thanks, you too!
Went past this place thousands of times and always wanted to go but always said next time . I guess I'll have to make time before the year is out. Might be a good time to take my great grand daughter when I go up there for Christmas. Thanks for letting people know about its closing.
I promise, your great granddaughter will love it. The owner wanted to give the kids one more Christmas with the place.
I definitely want to stop out there before they close. Thank you for the video and info.
Northlandz in NJ is also a great place to see.
Northlandz was almost lost when the original owners retired and sold it, and the new owner was going to tear it out and use it for warehouses but had a change of heart when he saw it and decided to reopen it. Roadside America in Shartlesville, though closed for good and the layout dismantled and pieces auctioned off.
@robkrasinski6217 yes, I know the Northlandz story, I enjoyed going and seeing that place, Roadside America I never had the opportunity to go so that's why I would like to take advantage of this opportunity
@@robkrasinski6217 For people that don't know the whole backstory for Northlandz parts of it were originally in the basements of Bruce Williams's house. They used to have a yearly exhibition around Christmas time of the setup with proceeds going to the local fire department. Sold the most delicious meatball subs ever. Some yuppie-type neighbors moved in and complained about the crowds so Bruce and wife had to move. That resulted in the creation of Northlandz and re-using parts of the old layout like some of those huge bridges.
The S-scale layout in Cincinatti Union Terminal is awesome too: complete with a 1:64 scale Cincinatti Union Terminal IN CINCINATTI UNION TERMINAL!
I think it’s the largest G scale layout. As cool as it is, no one really goes there to see it. Heck, there are more posts here than visit daily…
Nicely done,,excellent layout nice design and details,,sadly not going forward in US ,,thanks for sharing,,😊
I remember going to this place. I’ve heard that it’s rumored to close down a few times but just barely made by. So sad
I've been to Kings Island numerous times over the years, in fact i was 8yo on my first visit in the summer of 1972. 2009 was my last visit.
This is still a pretty cool place to visit and not terribly expensive. Would like to go back before it closes.
After watching this video we immediately bought airplane TIX and headed to CVG (Cincinnati, OH) Well worth the visit, the place is amazing to see "in person"! Sorry to know that it's closing. Nicely done video, too.
Greetings from Portland, Oregon. (A little too far for regular travel to this venue)
I’m glad you got to see it before it disappeared. It will certainly be missed.
I Hope it can be saved, outstanding display that deserves to be saved.
We already lost Roadside America over in Shartlesville, PA. a couple years back. I won't be able to visit this place sadly :( .
Wish it was there when I lived in Cincinnati. I would have spent all day there.
Great job sir--very informative.
Why thank you! It sure warms my heart to hear that.
I love that place
Actually there are five Fox Theaters built by William Fox in the similar shape: Atlanta, San Francisco, St. Louis, Brooklyn, and Detroit.
That’s true, there are many Fox theaters, but Entertrainment Junction’s website says this is modeled after the one in Detroit.
Beautiful!Its a putzen,when it must close!
to bad they are closing down. The layout looks great ! , i have seen the big layout Miniaturwunderland in Hamburg, Germany, and i think that one of the reasons to why they succeeded is that they have lots and lots of moving objects on the layout, the cars are running around everywhere thousands of them, police and firefighters with flashing lights, burning castle, trains are running everywhere , They are so good at giving you a great show, almost like visiting a big cirkus. Finally Miniaturwunderland is in the middle of a very big city so they get a big part of all the tourists that a visiting Hamburg. I like the realism in West Chester but there isn't much of a show and maybe they should move it to a big city ? Thanks for the interesting video !
Not only is it localised in the middle of Hamburg, it is also the number one tourist attraction in Germany. The sad thing for American scale model railroad, is the American monotony of their railroads. Endless lines trough flat wasteland, in comparison with European scenery. I watch a lot of these you tube films, and the difference between the two continents is baffling. I hope these guys can survive, any model railroad is worth to be treasured.
@@Peugeot5008. Just keep in mind a good part of that "flat wasteland" in the U.S.A. helps feed much of the world.
@@Peugeot5008.Yeah Imagine a train line in the middle of multi kilometer tall mountains. Oh wait the US has several unlike German and French rail through that same flat land.
@@Peugeot5008.You only want it to survive, so you can disdain it
@@txquartz no my friend, I am only comparing US railroad to European, and Europe got more colour full landscapes, have a look at Miniature Wunderland in Germany. I am a miniature railroad fan
A short time ago, Someone posted a video asking what’s the future of the model railroading. I remember he concluded that it was bright. A few people, including me, didn’t agree with him. All of us said that it didn’t look good in the USA, whereas it had rather a good future outlook in the continental Europe. Unfortunately, Your video supports our point of view. The model railroading has entered a very slow chapter in the USA.
Unfortunately, I agree. It seems that Entertainment Junction didn’t change much from its opening 16 years ago. Wunderland Germany however kept opening exhibit after exhibit of different places in Europe as well as moving cars and planes. It eventually surpassed Entertainment Junction as the real longest railroad in 2019. Wunderland is still growing, and sadly Entertrainment Junction died on the vine. I wish that wasn’t the case.
A shame Entertanment Junction is closing. Long livz model rairoading all ovee the world.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇲🇺🇸
“The Pontiac Aztec didn’t sell, cars are finished !”
@@LordBenjamino the difference is,
you US exhibit is only for Americans,
while the MiWuLa is for people around the world,
located in a World city, on the crossroads of Europe!
we have 7 billion possible costumers, you are just 300 million!
@@G_de_Coligny
And Pontiac went the way of the dodo bird in 2010
I have been there and it is worth the admission to the attraction.
If only most cities had the streetcars like back in the 30s, that would be so cool!
The tire companies made them go away.
It is sad this place is closing. If i could, I'd bring it to Minnesota and try to integrate it into the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul. If you are a train enthusiast and ever make it to Minnesota i recomend checking it out. My nephews liked it so much growing up, they each at least one birthday party there.
There is also the Twin Cities Model Railroading Museum in St. Paul. Maybe all three could be combined.
Yes the Fox Theatre is in Detroit. I’ve been there, it’s beautiful inside!
Walked passed that theater many times on my way to a Tigers game. Never got to peek inside though.
A smaller but very nice model railroad attraction closed in Penn. a few years ago too.
This is neat and while I probably won’t be able to get there before January I’m glad RUclips recommended this video and your channel therefore to me.
Also, I enjoyed all the butthurt comments on this video about how the one in Germany is better… cool beans.
I had no idea this existed I'll be making the trip from youngstown!
Such a shame to close a place like that.
To my knowledge, the owner (Don Oeters) has been seeking to retire for roughly the last two years and put the place up with a list price of $4 million. Maybe the price tag was what turned off potential buyers, but personally (I'm biased) I think they're bs
Also, ETJ do specify that they're the world's largest _indoor_ model railroad display ;)
As alway some people over price their business, if it’s not making a big profit or none than it value is reduced a lot. The only thing that is of value are the trains than you are looking at prices of 20% to 50% if he’s lucky. If he owns the building that ups the value because that is where the big money is at as far as a business.
Never heard of the place. Looks great. Wish i could go. Sad to see it close.
Just went there last weekend. Pretty neat. Unfortunately, its "Thomas" month so a lot of the good trains were removed in favor of Thomas stuff.
thank you for sharing ....nice layouts there ! 👍
it seems to me that the local electric company in Cincinnatti had that display - 1970's
Just looked it up, Roadside America closed too. It was very cool until interrupted by The Pageant. The single most bizzare slide show Star Spangled Banner ending with Giant Jesus looking down from on high at the display ever.
@@billwendell6886 Roadside America had the same problem as this display. An older owner and located not in a major tourist area. While it was well known in the area it just was not popular enough to continue.
I love the modern section. What a shame that the exhibition might have to be dismantled and just packed away.
How are they going to disassemble all that? And where is it going?
So sad to see that close!
The exhibit in Hamburg is much much bigger.....and more sophisticated in electronics and design.
Who cares?
@@ToddWerner-vp3vcI agree with you. I think this layout is fantastic. I didn’t know it existed. I will be making the 5 hour trip from Cleveland to see it and hope that it can be saved. I won’t be flying to Germany regardless of how “sophisticated” that layout is.
@@ToddWerner-vp3vc the over 1 million visitors per year do care!
its not made by Americans,
Americans do it only for the money...
Germans just want to see what they can do if no breaks are attached!
@@tskjr1 because you dont have a passport and 1 week vacation per year is a little bit short...
i went one time for 8 weeks to the USA, vacation time!
and i own a passport since i am 16!
and my country got health care for 140 years!
so, there are reasons we got the best model train exhibit...being in the center of Europe is one of them!
i know, you dont know where that is, you cant find us on a map of Africa, and no, Africa isnt a country!
They should move this to Beach Boulevard in Buena Park CA by Knott’s Berry Farm. The city had an agreement with a company to open a butterfly sanctuary attraction, but that never came to fruition and the city took back the land. Maybe this could fill the void.
That is not easily done, the baseboards that the layouts are built on are tailored to the site and usually in one piece, the buildings and track are fixed down, and the scenery is built into the base boards. The damage done in cutting and removing it in sections wouldn’t be repairable on reassembly. A new site has to be prepared and the baseboards have to be reshaped to fit. The rolling stock and the road vehicles etc can be removed and stored, some building can be recoverable without damage, but not all. The baseboards and scenery just junk it all. Acquire a new building, build a whole new baseboard and scenery, the recovered buildings bridges etc can be reincorporated into the new, the rolling stock would be the only survivors in bulk. What’s more is the time required lots of it, along with the wages of the army of professional model makers, lots of money and no income.
Sad that there isn't much future for this. It reflects at least two things: the culture for this type of craft is evaporating in the US, even though it's a great jumping off point for future careers. And, it shows the effects of a decentralized country. If this exhibit were in a large metropolitan area, it would have more visitors and more incentive to grow, like Hamburg's Miniature Wunderland.
5.55 is that Thomas being kidnapped? 😂😂
It grew from it Mall of America Days. It was originally an Lionel layout. Also it's Subway seems confused.....NYC Subway Redbirds running in what looks like a DC Metro Waffle Station.
Why is it closing? Not enough visitors? Looks great
70k nuts!
What is the reason for closing?
Like most model railroad exhibits there appears to be little interest in preserving them. There may be hope if the exhibit was donated to a state museum,
I can’t say for sure but most large model,train displays fail due to the fact they are very seasonal in business unless they are near real train attractions. If it is freestanding like this it most likely is busy between Thanksgiving and into the beginning of the New Year. That’s when family’s think about trains and the Christmas holidays. If it is located where there is good summer vacation travelers it may also do ok then. But it is expensive to operate and maintain it on a year round basis. Also if they do not make many changes over the years it is most likely a once and done attraction. In this case if the owner is older he most likely does not want to put in the time to keep it running. I hope some younger train investors may buy and continue to run it but as noted it would be expensive to buy it as is. Thanks for showing it to us.
maybe, to have it in a place where people have 6 weeks vacation per year or great real rail road connections to visit this place....
MiWuLa isnt far away from Hamburg Central station!
Europeans can walk between them, Americans need a taxi!
@@Arltratlo Somebody has to support the German taxi drivers.
This crazy place has never been even close to being the largest 😂 Just come to Hamburg, Germany, if you want to see a large model railway.
is it for sale and if so where can i call
Needs to be saved. They must send someone to Minature Wunderland in Hamburg ASAP, I'm sure they would give good advice. Minature Wundeland has queues every day and is really busy, when we went we left at 10 pm and it still not closed. Marketing, interactive parts of the layouts, humour (in Germany!) you can make a model train display into a really popular attraction.
With enough publicity and maybe some properly placed ads on billboards along the highways nearby this place could do ok. But I have seen too many comments that even local area people do not know this place exists. They also should work with out of town bus tours to see if they could get tour groups to stop and see it at low group rates. However the immediate problem would be trying to get a new owner willing to invest in an apparently failing business.
"World's Largest Train Display" - You can only fool Americans with that.
The subway: DC station, NY train. Amtrak is a German ICE train.
Fact check This is not the largest model railway in the world. That title belongs to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg.
I agree and as they advertised EJ as the world’s largest, it turned me off. It’s clear that the Hamburg Germany is much more advanced and bigger. The detail here lacks by far in comparison though one can see a lot of work and planning went into this project. I am sad to see it go being in the US.
Sad state of events happening there. The new generations mostly don't enjoy trains or the craftsmanship that is needed to build such layouts. There are just to many other activities and distractions these days. I would hope the owner could work with the price with a potential buyer. He may take less , but keep the knowledge and experience for people going. Also it should be considered a Museum i would think and serve a historical source of information. Hopefully it won't come to an end.
Those internet billionaires photographing the sights, pieces of art etc. should open up a cultural and heritage funds to support this type of history preserving venues.
They quit selling trains in Toys R Us back in 2009? Trains are “too dangerous” for children because small parts and ELECTRICITY. Not a single model railroad shop around, last one closed in spring 2020, not that any kid could even afford any trains even with 5 years worth of allowance. It has become a “luxury hobby” for collectors only.
@@Trainboy1EJR It depends if your buying a starter set for kids or trying to buy higher end stuff. Also a lot of big box hobby stores carry starter sets at reasonable prices. If a person wants higher end they can buy online from online hobby suppliers. They can also buy of eBay or Facebook and go to shows to find deals. The Higher end stuff will always be costly due to the target market. Either way a beginner or expert is going to have to spend money.
@@adriengadson3544 Hobby Lobby still sells trains.
no comparison to Hamburg. Ohio is nice but completely different to Miniatur Wonderland. There are no running cars or other functional models. Trains that stop for each other? Every kid with its model railroad can explain how this works :-) Ohio is more a static scenery and in Hamburg is more movement. The worlds largest ist Hamburg. Sorry
Ohio misses some level of detail here and there. It's built big, but sometimes there are flat areas like when I had some rail tracks on the ground as a kid. Other places there look good, but still could have more details.
4:38 and at some places it looks as if someone quickly laid street mats over the ground. There's even a gap visible under it at the edges of those street mats... (to the top left of the railroad crossing in this view).
But it shows some points in history of US trains. That's unique.
Wonderland in Germany dwarfs this place
Tom Thumb might be the fist locg that the US invented, it certainly is not the first loco. (It is not a "Train" )
Why are they going to close ?
😢I love model trains they can’t do this😢
Impressive. Sad it's closing
I hate to burst bubbles, but this place doesn't measure up to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany.
According to Guinness World Records, the Miniatur Wunderland is the largest model railway complex in the world. It is located in the historic Speicherstadt in Hamburg and is operated by Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg GmbH.
You are correct, Wunderland is actually the world's largest train display. Although, Entertrainment Junction was at one time, I put that part of the title in 'quotes' to show it was their words not mine.
@@LordBenjamino jip, Americans always say they are the greatest, while everyone else knows, they are not!
@@Arltratlo Everyone is entitled to their own personal biased opinion .
Why only an hour?
Why are they closing ??
The owner wants to retire. He put it up for sale, but no takers.
Try some close ups in your video. When you mentioned the FOX theater, a close up would of been good. Otherwise nice job.
where is the airport??
It’s south, in northern Kentucky, the Hebron area. . . 😊 The Entertainment, however, does not have one.
I sure hope they move all that stuff to a different museum before its gone for good
Do you know why it's closing? Sorry if I missed that in the video.
They haven’t shared why unfortunately. It was put up for sale earlier in the year, but they failed to find a buyer. My best guess would be due to financial difficulties.
@@LordBenjamino That's really sad, looks like a really cool place! Great video, thanks for showing it!
I was told by an employee that the owner wanted to retire. It has been up for sale.
@@bg45420 I hope they can find a buyer soon!
Do you know why it’s closing?
UNLESS someone buys it. It is closing because the guy who ran it wanted to retire. He says he’s selling it.
Why is it closing? Is it going to be demolished?
The building is a relatively modern building, kind of pole barn in nature but it is a really nice building. I doubt they would tear it down. The inside would most likely e gutted. Would make a decent size warehouse. I’m sure it’s a money thing. Expensive to operate and not enough gate receipts.
#SaveEnterTRAINmentJunction
Its a pity!!😮😢
So WHY is it closing?
In the list of "bad guys," I wonder if they list "Rabe Basrrow." He did what no one else had done before or since - he robbed a train SINGLE-HANDED!
This isn’t the largest by far as there are many larger ones but it is sad that it is closing
I’ll save it if I have the funds
I thought the largest train display was the Captain Kangaroo Show!😊
I've been to the place in Hamburg. This doesn't look like it is even in the same league. Still looks nice though. Wish I knew it was there when I lived closer.
Yeah, I think the difference between the two was that Wunderland, Germany kept innovating and doing new things, whereas Entertrainment Junction was the same since opening in 2008. It brought people in, but not back.
@@LordBenjamino As a regular visitor almost each year for over 10 years at Entertraiment Junction there has been updating and changes. There has been a lot of details on the layout added. Many structures now have interiors, crossing signals have been added over the years, exhibits change almost every other month. Not to mention over the past year a large Amish Farm scene has been added. In the kids section a very comprehensive Thomas The Train exhibit has been added in recent years.
People return regularly to Entertainment Junction and stuff does change. Not to the level of miniature wonderland but credit should be given as they have had changes over the years at Entertrainment Junction
Who fuckin cares!
I care! With a model train you can learn many basics about wiring, different types of trains and how you can design a model city/landscape.
@@ToddWerner-vp3vc salty murican much? xD
They may both be right. This could be the world's largest permanent model railroad display (with several layouts).
Miniatur-Wunderland in Hamburg is the world's largest single layout. All the parts are connected by rail.
rails connected, sound so communist for Americans!
I’d like to watch the video but the music makes it unwatchable. Everyone should go before it closes
Hold up, what is that train @ 6:41? some fictional DMU? because Amtrak never had any thing that looked like that.
NOT A STREETCAR, A TROLLY
Entertrainment Junction is going to be closed forever? But why?
Supposedly the owner wanted to retire and they couldn’t find a buyer. I guess 4 Million was too high a price.
@@LordBenjamino I see. If he doesn't find a buyer to keep Entertrainment Junction running any time soon, they'll probably have to tear it down.
That happens when you have a family run business and the owners get older and their kids have no interest in taking it over. The business comes to a sad end if they can't find a buyer.
@@robkrasinski6217 Yeah, but still I hope they'll find a buyer who is more than willing to take over the business. This is a serious matter.
And sometimes it's just that the numbers don't work anymore for the next generation.
You will sadly find that in retail, small factories etc..
The Cincinnati Railroad group should by it
Didn't make Warren Buffett make a fortune with railroad stocks?