Orange Empire Railway Museum

When you have children, people don't tell you that you will at some point be parenting a miniature conductor who blows whistles, "choo-choo's" around the living room and is obsessed with all things trains. It must be an unspoken rite of passage that all children will experience train-mania at some point during their toddler or preschool years.

Recently, my family and I went to Perris to visit the 90-acre site of the Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM). A perfect spot for train lovers of all ages. Upon arrival, we stopped to take a few pictures of the ticket booths and old fashioned lamp posts that transported us back a few decades, removing us for a moment from our busy modern lives.

The ticket booths serve as an entry way, but there are no ticketing agents here. Admission to the site is free. Once you cross the tracks you'll find the Pinacate Station Reception Center. This is where you will find visitor's information, the gift shop and purchase train tickets. All day passes are $12 for 12 and over, $8 for kids 5-11, and free for kids under 5.

The gift shop had an enormous selection of train-related books, toys and memorabilia. I fell in love with the little pink conductors set for little girls, complete with hat, scarf and whistle.

OERM rotates the trains and trolleys they use. Some of the trains include Pacific Electric Red Cars, Santa Fe Railway passenger cars, Southern Pacific diesel locomotives, a selection of train cars from Union Pacific and lots more. There are generally 3 trains to ride. The train parked directly in front of the reception center does a loop around the grounds and the other two trains do a short out and back trip down a straight track path.

When you aren't riding the trains, there is plenty to explore. Lots of carhouses hold historic train cars to explore. Kids can explore the interior of some cars, while others are viewable only from the outside. The grounds are open for you to explore at your leisure, just be careful when crossing the tracks and wear comfortable walking shoes when you visit.

Pack a lunch or plenty of snacks when you go. Food and drinks here are limited to sodas and waters and light snacks available for purchase in the museum store.

Trains only run on weekends and some holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the reception store is open from 9:30 to 4:30 on weekdays and 9:30 to 5:00 on weekends. Physical address is 2201 S. "A" St., Perris CA 92570.

OERM also hosts a variety of events like the upcoming Bunny Train, Day out With Thomas and swap meets. For more information and to plan your trip, visit their website: http://www.oerm.org/.