Entry No. 157 — the Denver file — filed under: miniature-town
Tiny Town & Railroad
Built starting in 1915 by a moving-company owner for his daughter, Tiny Town is a genuine foothills curiosity: 100+ hand-crafted one-sixth-scale buildings spread across a shaded creek-side property, with rideable miniature steam trains (and a replica Rio Grande diesel) circling the grounds on 15-inch gauge track. It has operated continuously for over a century and is currently open for the 2026 season daily through Labor Day.
The story
In 1915, George Turner, a Denver moving-company owner, started hammer-and-nailing a miniature city along Turkey Creek to entertain his young daughter. Built on the former site of a Denver-Leadville stagecoach station, "Turnerville" rapidly outgrew family play. By 1924, it was a 125-building sprawling hamlet complete with a miniature hotel, grocery store, barber shop, and a full replica pueblo. Tens of thousands of visitors braved hazardous dirt mountain roads every summer just to tower over a town built at one-sixth scale.
What you're walking through today isn't just an offbeat curiosity; it's a survivor of absurd Colorado misfortune. Over a century, Turkey Creek repeatedly flooded the grounds (1929, 1932, 1969), a 1935 fire burned the pueblo to ash, and the 1948 rerouting of Highway 285 pulled traffic away from its front gates. In the late 1970s, model train enthusiast Lyle Fulkerson bought the decaying park to rebuild it—only to be tragically killed by a runaway train car before finishing his restoration.
It took a civic coalition of volunteer real estate managers in 1989 to rescue the miniature ghost town from total rot. You didn't hear it from us, but you're looking at what may be the oldest continuously operating miniature village in the country. Today, over 100 hand-crafted structures sit along a 15-inch gauge track where real coal-burning miniature steam locomotives still puff legitimate cinder smoke on ten-minute laps around the pine trees.
What it's like
Expect a shady, pine-scented canyon time warp 30 minutes southwest of Denver. You'll pull off US-285 onto South Turkey Creek Road, park for free, pay your five-dollar admission, and immediately wander into what feels like a giant-sized walk through a 1920s scale model. The highlight is catching the miniature train: because the steam engine burns real coal, expect honest train smoke in the air during its 9-to-10 minute circuit around the grounds. Weekends fill up early with local families, so aim for mid-morning, ride the train first, and claim a spot under the trees along Turkey Creek for a long picnic lunch before the midday crowds arrive.
The move: Arrive mid-morning, pay the modest admission ($5/adult), and spend an hour wandering the tiny streets spotting the meticulously detailed buildings before boarding a steam train for a 9-10 minute lap around the park — then spread a picnic blanket under the pines along Turkey Creek and linger over lunch, making it a full lazy morning into afternoon before heading back toward Denver.
📍 Before you go Tiny Town is tucked into a foothills canyon about 30 minutes southwest of Denver via US-285 — take the North Turkey Creek Road exit, cross under the highway, then turn onto South Turkey Creek Road and watch for it on your left within roughly half a mile. There's free parking on site. It's an outdoor, creek-side spot that runs seasonally (warm months only, daily in peak summer and weekends into fall), so come on a clear, mild day and aim for morning before the lots fill; trains run more frequently on weekends and holidays. Hours and the season's end shift year to year, so check ahead. Bring a picnic for the shaded pines, and pair it with downtown Morrison's shops and cafes, Red Rocks, or nearby Dinosaur Ridge.
- 📍 Morrison
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 6249 S Turkey Creek Rd, Morrison, CO 80465
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Walker Mansion Ruins and Unfinished Summer White House — Trade miniature architecture for full-scale ruins just two miles away by hiking to the lightning-scorched stone shell of John Brisben Walker's hilltop mansion.
- Morrison Natural History Museum — Swap small-scale buildings for prehistory 3.5 miles down the canyon at this storefront-sized museum where staff uncovered actual baby dinosaur footprints.
- Hiwan Heritage Park & Museum (Hiwan Homestead) — Head six miles into Evergreen to visit another hand-built oddity: a 25-room log lodge constructed over 50 years without blueprints or right angles.
- Piggin' Out Smokehouse — Follow the trail of smoke seven miles down Morrison Road to an unassuming red house serving slow-smoked brisket.
Good to know
How much does admission cost and when is Tiny Town open?
Adult admission is $5, with train ride tickets purchased separately. It runs seasonally during warm weather—daily through Labor Day in summer and on select weekends into fall—so check current dates before driving out.
Where is Tiny Town located and how do I get there?
It is located at 6249 S Turkey Creek Rd in Morrison, CO. Take US-285 South from Denver into the foothills, exit at North Turkey Creek Road, cross under the highway, and turn onto South Turkey Creek Road; the park is about half a mile down on your left with free parking.
What kind of trains run on the track?
The park operates rideable miniature trains on a 15-inch gauge track, including authentic coal-burning live steam locomotives and a replica Rio Grande diesel engine.
Can I bring my own food?
Yes, bringing a picnic lunch to eat on the grass or at tables under the pine trees along Turkey Creek is recommended, or you can head five minutes down the road to downtown Morrison for local dining.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · denvergazette.com · Atlas Obscura · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07