The
Ave Maria Grotto,
known throughout the world as "Jerusalem in Miniature", is a
beautifully landscaped, four-acre park designed to provide a
natural setting for the 125 miniature reproductions of some
of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the
world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the
lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk
of St. Bernard Abbey.
ARKANSAS---
Hot Springs, AR
Don't
come to Hot Springs without setting aside a couple of
hours for Tiny Town. Calling themselves the "world's
greatest indoor mechanical display," the miniature town
was developed over 60 years and features building scenes
from throughout the USA.
COLORADO---
Tiny Town, CO
Tiny town was created
at the site of the Denver-Leadville stagecoach stop in a
scenic mountain canyon southwest of Denver in 1915.
Founder George Turner constructed one-sixth-sized
buildings with a turn- of-the-century flavor to delight
his young daughter. The town has been open to the public
since 1920.
Élancourt, France (16 miles southwest of Paris)---
If you lack time
to visit the
many marvels
embodying French
heritage, take
heart. A variety
of these
attractions is
displayed in one
location 16
miles southwest
of Paris. The
catch is you
must be willing
to think small.
At France
Miniature, a
12-acre theme
park in
semirural
Élancourt, 158
noteworthy
attractions have
been reproduced
faithfully at
1/30 their
actual size.
Each exhibit,
from Paris'
tallest monument
to the humblest
Provencal
toolshed, is
built to scale.
ILLINOIS---
Oak Park,IL
Recreations
of bygone days can be seen at the Brookfield Historical
Society Museum at the Grossdale Train Station, at the
corner of Forest and Brookfield avenues.
IOWA---
Pella, IO
Don't miss the 1:24 scale Miniature
Dutch Village. Eighty buildings model traditional
Dutch architecture while miniature people dressed in
authentic costumes go about the business of daily life
in Holland. The miniature LGB train & trolley complete
the scene of 1850’s life in Holland. All Miniature
Village buildings have or had a counterpart in The
Netherlands. "Window peeking" is allowed and
encouraged to view the beautiful interiors.
NEW JERSEY--
Flemington, NJ
Northlandz
is home to the
Great American Railway:
The railroad features a one mile indoor tour through a
miniature world. There are up to 100 trains running
daily. Over 25 years went into sculpting 35 foot
mountains and building 40 foot bridges. Northlandz also
features
La Peep Dollhouse, a
94 room mansion complete with indoor
swimming pool, ballroom with doggie band, and 2 story
library. Northlandz also has a doll museum with
over 200 antique dolls.
NEW YORK--
Queens, NY
The Panorama of the City of New York
is the jewel in the crown of the collection of the
Queens Museum of Art. Built by Robert Moses for the 1964
World’s Fair, in part as a celebration of the City’s
municipal infrastructure, this 9,335 square foot
architectural model includes every single building
constructed before 1992 in all five boroughs. The model
replicates the city's 320 square miles and features more
than 895,000 individual structures. The Panorama was the
world's largest scale model of its time when presented
as the city's premier exhibit at the New York World's
Fair in 1964-65.
OHIO--
Cincinnati, OH
Roll through the history of Cincinnati
with the nation's largest full-motion, S-scale urban
layout, located in the Cincinnati History Museum.
Cincinnati in Motion is a model of the city of
Cincinnati from 1900 through the 1940s with working
trains, streetcars and inclines, as well as interactive
computer stations that bring Cincinnati's history to
life. This permanent exhibit covers many of the city's
neighborhoods, including the Riverfront and Downtown,
Lunken Airfield, Coney Island, Over-the-Rhine, Mount
Auburn, Ivorydale, Price Hill, the West End and Mt.
Adams. Marvel at Cincinnati at 1/64 its actual size.
PENNSYLVANIA--
Shartlesville, PA
Roadside America is billed as the
"World’s Greatest Indoor Miniature Village" (over 8,000
square feet). It tells the story of life in America over
the past 200 years. The slogan on the outside of the
building justifiably proclaims: "Be Prepared to See More
than You Expect." There are over 300 miniature buildings
in a fully landscaped setting with running water,
interactive trains and trolleys, and 4,000 little
people. There is also a patriotic and religious
slideshow every 1/2 hour which begins with a gradual
transformation of the Village into a nocturnal wonder of
lights and chirping crickets.
TEXAS--
Katy, TX
Forbidden Gardens, in Katy, Texas, is a fascinating
outdoor museum replicating some of China's major
historic scenes. Guided tours take
you back to the third century BC to view the first
Emperor's amazing 6,000 piece terra-cotta army
replicated in 1/3 scale. The tour continues to the
intricately detailed miniatures of the famous Forbidden
City in Beijing which served as palaces for nearly 500
years of Imperial rule.
VIRGINIA--
Pulaski, VA
It
took two men some 40 years to recreate the town of
Pulaski, on a miniature basis. They started their
project about 1945. For years, they offered to give the
entire model and trains system to the town. That offer
helped spark long-discussed plans for an expanded town
museum. But now town officials feel they cannot afford
to pursue the project due to pending repair costs for a
regional wastewater treatment system and other expenses.
The collection is now in the basement of the designer.
Roanoke, VA
In the 1980s, an Elvis fan built a
magical miniature hamlet of Elvis landmarks. Sometimes
known as Elvis City, at other times called Mini
Graceland, it features Graceland, the Tupelo birthplace
of Elvis, and various performance halls, including the
Roanoke Civic Auditorium and even created the Elvis
Presley Car Museum in miniature. At the height of the
attraction's unofficial popularity, busloads of tourists
came by. Apparently, the homes have suffered years
of neglect due to illnesses of the artists, but a travel
writer claims that "despite several years of neglect,
this ...is the perfect place for those who are willing
to give it a second look. It is here, hidden by
overgrown weeds, fans can find a Lilliputian-sized world
full of all things Elvis presented in loving detail."
THE
NETHERLANDS--
Madurodam!
For more than 55 years
Madurodam has been the smallest city in the Netherlands.
Canals, gabled houses and all kinds of other typical Dutch
scenes: the miniature city offers you all the highlights of
the Netherlands on a scale 1:25.
If we are missing any miniature
towns, please let us know.
The National Miniatures Trust:
enriching and expanding the
community of miniatures.
