Monday, October 2, 2017

Tiny Town and Railroad in Morrison, Colorado



Tiny Town is an adorable 1/6 size miniature village that has been delighting children for over 100 years as a Colorado Historic Landmark. Located at 6249 S. Turkey Creek Road, in Morrison, Colorado, it is a short ride west into the foothills from Denver.  It is open in the spring and summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.



Tiny Town began in 1915 at the site of the former Leadville-Denver Stagecoach Station. Property owner George Turner began constructing miniature houses and stores as a project to entertain his daughter. By 1920 he had so many of his miniature buildings on display that he opened his hobby project to the public, calling it "Turnerville." By 1927 it was called Tiny Town, and became as well known countrywide as Pikes Peak and Buffalo Bill's Grave, and attracted many visitors. Unfortunately, many natural disasters and boom and bust cycles subsequently followed Tiny Town through the years--you can see its entire history timeline at this linkHappily, in 1989, a nonprofit Tiny Town Corporation was begun to insure the improvement, operation, and maintenance of Tiny Town for future generations. We are so thankful they did, as visiting Tiny Town has become a tradition for many children living in Colorado ever since!



We were excited to bring our oldest granddaughter to Tiny Town in August, and I wanted to show my blog readers what a charming place this is for anyone contemplating a visit next spring or summer. Our granddaughter was very excited to walk around the almost 100 buildings on display and peek into their windows. 




The detail and scale of the buildings were amazing to see.



My granddaughter was fascinated that many of the houses and stores had diminutive scenes inside...



...and there were a few buildings that were large enough for her to go inside.




We also enjoyed seeing some Historic Colorado Landmark buildings also replicated in miniature.





Another attraction in Tiny Town that is fun to do is taking a ride on the miniature steam engine railroad!



The train circles the Tiny Town property, crossing Turkey Creek, and revealing older, quaint miniature structures, along with some humorous scenes, that can only be seen from the train. We enjoyed the ride so much that we took it twice!



We finished the day by enjoying our picnic lunch and then playing at the playground. We also had an ice cream cone from the concession stand and browsed in the gift shop. It was the perfect day!



Tiny Town is an affordable and fun place to enjoy for all ages, but especially for the little ones.  I loved that it was timelessly old-fashioned and allowed a child to use their imagination. I know we'll revisit it many times next year and I hope you will too!


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33 comments:

diane b said...

Your granddaughter is adorable. (Want to swap for a boy?) It is great that Tiny Town has endured. The buildings are amazing. What a lot of construction>It must have taken a long time.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Patricia, your granddaughter is so cute. I am sure she loved this miniature train town. The houses almost look like doll houses. So pretty and a great attraction. Thanks for sharing your visit. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and week ahead.

Maggie said...

Pat, this is a wonderful place you've taken us to today, a delight for kids of all ages! Your granddaughter must have loved it.
Thanks for sharing your visit with the MM crowd this week.

Vee said...

She is so cute, Pat! It looks like just the sort of place little girls (of all ages) would enjoy. It is true that the perfect excursion ends with ice cream!

Tom said...

...what a cool place this is! A lot of work went into this town and railroad. Who had more fun, your granddaughter or you? Thanks for stopping by.

Snap said...

Looks like your grand-daughter had a great time. I would have enjoyed Tiny Town! And a train ride....Happy Monday!

Tamar SB said...

That is so fun!!!

Ruth Hiebert said...

That looks like a fun way to spend a day or part thereof.

Linda W. said...

Oh what a cool place! I'll bet your granddaughter loved it!

Jackie McGuinness said...

I would like this place! Too bad it wasn't open in September as we were in Denver a couple of weeks ago.

A Colorful World said...

What a truly wonderful place to visit! I had never heard of it. Looks like your granddaughter had a wonderful time!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Your granddaughter is so pretty and looks so much like you! I know I would enjoy this place too. Can't believe how affordable it is too. I would be bent over for days after trying to see inside every house! Hugs!

Gayle said...

Over one hundred years - somebody has been on their toes. I would love to take the ride.

Anonymous said...

Oh, heaven for a little girl! All like doll houses:) I know one happy grand daughter:):) Thanks for sharing all this cuteness of Tiny Town with All Seasons, Pat! Wish you a happy week:)

ellen b. said...

Ahh, she's the perfect size to enjoy this tiny town. Sweet!

Michelle said...

What a perfect day! I love how it is all so small, yet so interesting. How perfect for a child, or someone like me :)

NCSue said...

Absolutely precious!
Thanks for joining us at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/10/at-this-bridge.html

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Awwwww.... I need a little girl in my life. (Even my great-grandsons, at 8 and 10 and sports-minded, are too old to perfectly enjoy Tiny Town.). I'm so glad they saved it!

Angie said...

Pat - I will definitely tuck this away for future reference (hopefully we are still a ways off for grandkids ...) I am so delighted that someone took the initiative to restore this and then keep it going. (My favorite building is the Coney Island hot dog!)

Barb said...

My Grands have all paid visits to Tiny Town. I like that it stirs their imagination and allows them a space for quiet fun. Julia is so cute in her little dress.

handmade by amalia said...

This looks like such a fun place. Your pretty granddaughter is clearly enjoying herself.
Amalia
xo

Sylvia said...

Pat, Tiny Town is absolutely delightful. I love the tea set up in the window. The train ride has to be great. Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Sylvia D.

Ann said...

Oh looks lovely for a trip with the granddaughter. We visited one of these in Holland years ago.
Ann

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Your beautiful little granddaughter looks a lot like her grandmother! What a perfect place for little girls (and big girls) to visit. Looks like a very special and fun outing!

carol l mckenna said...

Oh what fun and sweet grand daughter enjoying every moment ~ great photos! Fun!

A Shutterbug Explores ~ aka (A Creative Harbor)

Molly said...

That looks like a lot of fun

Mollyx

Powell River Books said...

Really cute. When we have a farmer's market from spring to early fall there are train rides for the kids. Not sure who likes it more, the kids or the guys who operate the train for them. - Margy

Nikki said...

What a great trip for grandkids! I would love for my girls to see this. Thanks for sharing.
:) gwingal

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

I saw Tiny Town as a child, but it's been so long ago that I forgot what it looked like. Thanks for this glimpse from my past. Thanks for linking to Blue Monday!

Lady Fi said...

So sweet.

Kay L. Davies said...

How wonderful for you to be able to take your adorable granddaughter to such a fascinating place!
Kay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

aginglikeafinewine.com said...

That little town is just as cute as can be. My grandchildren would love it and not just them, I know I would love visiting as well! Thank you for linking up to the #BloggingGrandothersLinkParty! I've pinned and shared.

Ida said...

What a super fun place. I'd enjoy visiting it.