Historic Redwood (a section of the largest known Redwood tree from Mendocino County )
- 319 CA-1, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA
- 09/30/2026
Description
The Mendocino Coast Model Railroad and Historical Society (MCMR&HS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
The Mendocino Coast Model Railroad and Historical Society has created a living history of the Redwood Empire’s loggers and railroads in Fort Bragg and beyond.
Our larger G Scale (G for Garden) model railroad layouts and dioramas illustrate the history of the Redwood Coast. Take your time to meander through our indoor and outdoor displays. You will learn how the fearless and industrious men and women of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries lived and thrived on the Mendocino Coast.
Illustrating modes of transportation on land and sea from Gualala to Westport, our members have meticulously modeled the bustling activity of the industries along our coast between 1850’s and 1940’s.
To complement our Fort Bragg location, we created this informational website. It is a comprehensive compilation of all things of the Mendocino County coastal region. You can enjoy the extensive research on shipwrecks to the myriad of immigrants who shaped the region with their specialized crafts and unique customs.
Please peruse our site and experience the varied history of our coast. It is a wonderful resource to learn about all aspects of the land where towns still exist or are long gone.
Membership Information: Our membership is very diverse from young children to older folks who enjoy history and model railroading. We would love to have you join our group.
Your membership dollars help support our missions.
Click here to find out how to join our group or to support our museum and website.
History: Pictures, videos, maps, and a myriad of historical detail of the Mendocino Coast and the Giant Redwoods, logging towns and more. We have used this information as the basis for our museum and model displays.
Mission: To illustrate the history of railroads, shipping, logging methods and the products from the lumber mills along the Redwood Coast. We accomplish this by maintaining a running model railroad museum and informational website featuring individual stories, facts and descriptions of transportation and logging techniques used by the immigrants to the Mendocino Coast and beyond.
Layouts: A layout, in model railroad jargon, is a diorama containing scale track for operating model trains. The scale of the track here is G for Garden. This larger size model train is “three-eighths scale” meaning 3/8 of an inch on the model represents one foot on the real thing. Our layout features all types of transportation modes available on the Mendocino Coast from the mid nineteenth to the mid twentieth centuries.
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Location
150 W Laurel St, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA
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Sarah Stierch
The Mendocino Coast Model Railroad & Historical Society is an amazing work of volunteer craftsmanship located at the Skunk Train. Worth a visit!
Baron Migs
This is the coolest little museum. And even better it’s free. Great place for the kids and adults that have that inner nerd. If you visit don’t be afraid to make a donation.
Paisa Seeluangsawat
Have about 10 model trains running simultaneously. My children spent an hour there and still didn’t want to leave. Volunteers who build the trains/tracks were onsite and very helpful answering questions.
Serguei Sofinski
Impressive G-scale indoor and outdoor layout of 1940s lumber and passenger railroad including hands-on qqplay area for kids.
Sharon Powers
MENDOCINO MODEL RAILWAY, FORT BRAGG: My family and I, literally, stumbled upon this wonderful little vacation nugget. We had just been out walking and a gentleman struck up a conversation with my husband about the Skunk Train that is across the street from where we were standing. It wasn’t long before he pointed out that since we had been on the Skunk Train we could get into the MENDOCINO MODEL RAILWAY MUSEUM for free. Well, we thought that was a bargain, so we decided to take him up on his offer and ambled through the door. While I was a bit disappointed in the rustic nature of the museum, the dust and the museum having more than that “lived in” look, after I started looking around at the trains, I really began to be impressed. Not being an aficionado or model railroad buff, I didn’t think this place had much to offer me. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed watching the trains. I could tell that many, many hours of work had gone into constructing (and obviously maintaining) the trains and support systems. The docent seemed to have a wealth of knowledge and with apparent love for the subject bubbled over with knowledge of the trains, love of them, and pure delight. It seem he loved talking with us as much as he loved talking about trains–yes–he definitely was a people person.
I think I was fascinated by the miniaturization of things. The taking of large things and reducing them down to such a small size that they fit onto a table for us to peer into with one eye. How fascinating. It seems to give us–even mankind–a different perspective into things of this world. If we observe these things differently, why not the things of the spiritual world? It reminds me about that new movie out, now, with similar themes.
Look, since I highly recommend the Skunk Train to everyone, young and old, and since that ticked will let you into this museum for free, why not take advantage of that sweet deal? What do you have to lose? Nothing, that’s what. You will spend a little while enjoying yourself, being a child again, or, like me, delving the metaphysical plane (ha, ha). Don’t be a do-do head, just go have some fun.