Model Railroad Museum
of Hampton Roads

Inside MacArthur Center, Second Floor:
300 Monticello Avenue, Ste. 231, Norfolk, VA 23510
757-816-8399
Admission Free

Happy Spring!!

Our Newest Visitors: WAVY TV 10 !

When WAVY comes to visit, you know you've made it! Chris Reckling and his video crew came by to pay us a visit last week. We hope you saw the video, but if you didn't, here it is again. We're excited to show it to you! (It takes a few moments to load, but it's worth the wait!)

https://www.wavy.com/video/hrs-model-trains/11354086

Thanks, Chris, for your support and for showing the people of Hampton Roads what we are all about.

Our Holiday Show was Awesome! We hope you enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, the MacArthur Center will be closing later this year. Our lease will be up on June 27. So we will be in the process of moving almost everything into storage until we can find a new location. This website and our monthly newsletters will continue to provide information for you as time goes on. Beginning in May you will see some of our displays being taken down and removed. 

However, we are not going to disappear! We are establishing a small store and a few displays at a temporary location until we can find a more permanent place. So you can still come and visit us beginning on July 1st at the following address:

750 Lord Dunmore Drive, Suite 109
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
757-816-8399

Hours of Operation
Beginning July 1st, our store will be open to the public at the above address on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 12-6 PM (subject to change later). The Museum will not reopen until we find a more permanent location. At the store, we will continue to have trains running on one or two layouts. Our store will be functional and a bit larger providing new and used products at affordable prices. Admission will remain free. We will continue to accept donations during this time of transition. Your donations and community support are what keep us alive.

S.T.E.A.M.
Our S.T.E.A.M. Program is currently on HOLD while we are in the process of moving. We will most likely resume the program in the Fall. All students from K-12 are welcome to sign up with an email and phone number, so we can notify you when we are about to restart. The cost will be $10 per session. Learn how to use science and technology to build railroads and dioramas and have fun at the same time!

The Museum Store

We are partnering with the BYMRR Train Store who will provide ownership and management of our museum store. The store will be located at the address on Lord Dunmore Street listed above. Feel free to come in and browse our new and used products during this transition period. If we don't have what you are looking for, we can order almost anything online. 

STEAM Teens working on an N scale layout at the Model Railroad Museum of Hampton Roads.

More pictures of the Museum:

Carl Lunde's water feature on his layout at the Museum. The water is real and the mill wheel spins!

Greg Warth's N scale layout - 40 feet long

Don’t miss out on observing the changes in the Model Railroad Museum. We can’t wait to show you. Something new and different every week. Stay tuned for more details and special events! Bring your family.

Making Progress! Come by and watch while we build layouts!

Our Mission: Community, Education, Service, Entertainment and Fun

The Model Railroad Museum of Hampton Roads is a non-profit organization [501(c)(3)] born out of a group of highly dedicated model railroaders who wish to display their art and science to the public and provide education regarding the hobby and the history of railroads in the Hampton Roads area and beyond. This will be a charitable and educational organization for the enjoyment and benefit of local residents as well as for tourists who are visiting the area.

We may be relocating but our mission and goals will remain the same. 

Railtown, USA on the Blue Ridge & Southern Model Railroad in Virginia Beach.

Model Railroad Museum: Concept

The basic idea in the beginning was to have a central location in the Hampton Roads area where multiple model railroads of all common scales will be built, maintained and displayed by volunteer local model railroaders. We created a nonprofit organization registered as tax-exempt by the State Corporation Commission and the IRS. It took three years of planning, but finally our persistence and determination paid off. Donors began to step up, one in particular, to provide enough funds for us to get started. We are grateful to all of those people who provided both cash and "trains from the attic" to help us out. MacArthur Mall provided us with the space and advertising at a considerable discount. The wife of the late Jim MacLemore donated all of her husband's fantastic O scale models, which he lovingly created out of sticks, plaster and pieces of plastic.

Some of the railroads are available to be run and operated by visitors and some will be for display only. We have invited all local model railroad groups to participate in the project. In addition, the invitation will be extended to local high schools and colleges for student groups who may wish to join and build their own railroad(s).

Dieter Steinhoff's Fantastic G Scale RR in Virginia Beach.

Education in the Model Railroad Museum

In addition to the model railroad museum displays, we have a library dedicated to railroading, including books, magazines, and DVDs. We have a large classroom dedicated to teaching where students can build their own model railroads, supervised by one or more of our instructors. This includes a video area where people can watch educational displays and even train movies. Free school tours are provided every Wednesday. All children under 18 will require adult supervision.

The education provided will follow the S.T.E.A.M. concept which uses the various disciplines involved in model railroading to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. We are following the program developed at the University of Illinois with their permission.

• Science includes learning about concepts in physics, architecture, electricity, photography, chemistry, 3D printing, laser cutting, computer science, and more.
• Technology in model railroading is an ever-expanding discipline, especially in the area of electronics, automation, creating circuit boards, Arduino projects, using relay switches, capacitors, lighting, wiring, soldering, interfacing computer programming with train control, touch controls, wireless technology, communication devices, etc.
• Engineering - This includes civil, electrical, architectural engineering concepts, building sound architectural structures and bridges from scratch, creating electrical circuitry, woodworking, metal working, etc.
• Art - Blending science and art is the hallmark of model railroading and includes sculpting, creating beautiful three dimensional landscapes, simulating natural scenes of forests, trees, cityscapes, painting backdrops, learning to use an airbrush, learning how to create something out of almost nothing, learning the art of photography, creating scenes and structures from pieces of plastic or wood.
• Mathematics - Calculations are required to determine elevations and inclines, physics and electronic formulas, mixing of chemicals, dilutions, manipulating spreadsheets, keeping track of finances, scale calculations, calculating the proper weights for railcars, and so on.

Lots of other educational benefits include learning about history, industry, how businesses operate, how railroads operate, production and transportation of goods and services along with supply-and-demand economics.

Dieter's RR

Other Benefits to the Community

The Model Railroad Museum provides multiple other benefits to the community including, but not limited to, the following:

• Family fun and enjoyment
• Programs for disabled veterans
• Programs for children with special needs
• Traveling exhibits - Taking trains on the road to visit libraries, schools, churches, nursing facilities and other locations
• Hosting multiple train shows every year
• Holiday displays
• Tourist attraction for the city
• Improve traffic to local and neighboring businesses
• All volunteer staff - model railroaders giving their time and effort to support the community and their neighbors.

Plan and Implementation

The plans for this all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) model railroad museum have been three years in the making, and have been carefully drafted, completed and approved by the Founding Committee. The Model Railroad Museum of Hampton Roads is now incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are located in the MacArthur Center in Norfolk on the second floor, Suite #231, right below the Regal Cinema.

If you have any questions or interest in this project, please send an email to secretary@mrmhr.org, or call 757-816-8399.

Dieter's RR

Some images on these pages have been taken at the Museum. Others are showing examples of other model railroads, but this type of modeling is what you can expect to see at the Museum. We are constantly working on it. Things are changing almost every day.

As a totally non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we really need the support of the community to make this work. Please consider the fun and family entertainment of having a Museum like this in our community, not to mention the educational benefits. With all the difficulties we all face in the world every day, we need fun things to do. We owe it to ourselves to develop these opportunities especially for our children, who will remember these experiences forever. 

This site was last updated on March 25, 2026.

Now Partnering with BYMRR Train Store:

BYMRR/Museum Store

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Recent Articles

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1. Museum Store

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The Birth of Virginia Beach

We have created and published a new historical document on the Birth of Virginia Beach. This has been written by our historian Warren Leister after researching the era and the people involved for several years. Excepts have been published here in our newsletter previously, but the information is now available all together in a 99 page document that you can purchase in our store. It factually explores the events, the dedicated people and the interesting culture in which they lived. Pick up your copy today!

The Model Railroad Museum of Hampton Roads is a fantastic community center based on running, operating and even building your own model railroads! There's something for every age here.

Learn about the real history of this area and how important it was in the building of America. Watch how railroads were built, the people involved, where America's roots were formed. 

As they build their own railroads, students will be learning about science, electronics,  architecture, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the art of 3 dimensional model landscaping. They can earn rewards for completing projects and winning contests.

Try to solve yardmaster problems on a switching layout like getting the lumber from the forest to the furniture store, by way of the saw mill and the lumber yard.

Run your train around blockades and other trains to get to the station on time without speeding or crashing.

Play railroad monopoly using model railroads. Winner is the one who can collect the most cars into his yard within an hour.

There will be programs for autistic and special needs kids, disabled adults and veterans.

School tours. Holiday Shows. Library and video rooms.  Even youngsters will have their own wooden models to enjoy. There are classes and hands-on clinics for adults. Learn how to get started in the hobby. Or just enjoy the fun.

Everybody loves trains and this will prove it!  Just click on the either the blue DONATE button below to make it happen... 

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Blue Ridge & Southern Model RR

BR&S Model RR

BR&S Model RR

John Fallon's Model Railroad

Dieter's RR

BR&S Model Railroad