The annual Holiday Sound and Light Show hosted by The Model Railroad Club is back for another season at the A. Paul Mallery Model Railroad Center in Union Township. The centerpiece of the festivities is the club’s sprawling, meticulously detailed HO scale layout.
“The Holiday Sound and Light Show is a favorite activity for many people in and around Union County,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Model Railroad Club does a great job of showcasing this unique exhibit, and we Freeholders are proud to support them.”
The Model Railroad Center is located in a mixed-use area of Union County’s Lenape Park, off Route 22 East behind the Home Depot at 930 South Springfield Road.
“We work hard year round to provide a wonderful experience for our visitors,” said Railroad Club President Tim McCollum. “For this show our HO scale layout is transformed into a theatre where the trains are the star of the show.”
This year, the Holiday Sound and Light show opens at noon Friday, November 29. It will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until December 15.
Attendees can stay as long as they like to enjoy an elaborate N-scale layout and other displays at the Railroad Center.
A snack bar, train-themed gift shop, and toddler play-and-rest area are also available.
Tickets are available both online and in person. To purchase tickets online and see details about dates and times visit http://www.themodelrailroadclub.org/advance-show-tickets/. Children age two and under are free.
Tickets can also be purchased at the Railroad Center during regular Saturday public hours between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and during the Sound and Light Show beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, November 29.
The Model Railroad Club has been a part of Union County since its founding in 1949 by Master Model Railroader Paul Mallery. Today, it is one of the largest model railroad clubs in the region.
Members of the Railroad Club built the Railroad Center and run it through an arrangement with the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. Work on the HO display began 40 years ago with the construction of the Railroad Center in Lenape Park. It has been enhanced and expanded since then. Work on a major expansion is under way, practically doubling the size of the original exhibit.
The Model Railroad Club is dedicated to preserving and sharing the art of model railroads while providing the public with a fascinating window on the history of the New Jersey-Pennsylvania rail corridor.
In addition to extra hours for the Holiday Sound and Light Show, the Railroad Center is open to the public every Saturday afternoon and for scheduled events throughout the year.
New members are always welcome to join the Model Railroad Club. Current members are on site during visiting hours and are happy to provide information about Club activities. Prospective members can also request information on joining by email, at info@tmrci.org.
All proceeds from the Holiday Sound and Light Show go towards funding the Railroad Club’s activities.
Directions: The A. Paul Mallery Center is conveniently situated in a mixed-use area of Union County’s Lenape Park, off Route 22 East in Union Township, behind the Home Depot at 930 South Springfield Road. Enter the Home Depot parking lot from Route 22 East or from South Springfield Road, and go to the far (west) end where the Home Depot garden center is located. Follow a small sign to find the service road behind the garden center. The Mallery Center is at the end of the road.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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