What is Tiny Town?
Some of you are saying, “Well, it’s a ‘tiny town’.”
Yes. It is a tiny town.
Some of you are saying, “Yes. It is a tiny town. It is not a railroad town. Therefore, I will not be shrinking myself to visit this place.”
So what is Tiny Town, and why visit Tiny Town? Located in the city of Hot Springs that is named for its hot springs in the U.S. state of Arkansas, why would you want to take the time to visit Tiny Town?
As you approach Tiny Town, you will want to see more. Why?
You may have heard of a place called Roadside America in a small town known as Shartlesville in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was a model train village designed by one man who handmade each structure in the village. Then you had a place called EnterTrainment Junction, another model train village located in the city of Cincinnati in the U.S. state of Ohio. Sadly, both of these places closed and are places that will not be seen again.
That brings us to Tiny Town in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Like Roadside America and EnterTrainment Junction, Tiny Town is a model railroad village. Each structure is handmade without using any kits like most model train displays. The scenes on this display are from twenty two different U.S. states. You have small towns and carnivals and Indian villages and wild west towns and mountains and valleys. The Ferris wheels and other items actually move. There are waterfalls and rivers and lakes using actual water. Yes, real water goes over the waterfall and real water spring from the fountains.
This may be called Tiny Town, but the story behind it is not tiny nor is the excitement of visiting Tiny Town. You do not have to be a train lover to enjoy this masterpiece in a city known for its natural masterpieces.
Tiny Town is located at 374 Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is just a short drive from Arkansas Route 7 and a short drive and walk from the Hot Springs National Park and the downtown area. Please note that it is only open from March to October. Everything is on one floor making it completely wheelchair accessible. They do not have their own parking, but there is plenty of street parking available. You can get more information about Tiny Town and read more into its history at https://www.tinytowntrains.com/.
It is called Tiny Town. When you visit, you will see that there is nothing tiny about this place.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 