Great Scale Model Train Show Returns to Timonium in April 2026

One of the four largest model train shows in the United States sets up at the Cow Palace, Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093, on Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2026. The Great Scale Model Train Show runs Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., filling 3½ acres of single-level floor space with more than 100 vendors working from over 1,000 tables.

That footprint demands a plan. More than an acre of that space is dedicated to operating layouts across every mainstream scale, from Z through S, HO, N, O, and Garden, with the White Table collector area running alongside as the show's signature second-hand swap section. Dealers use the Timonium show to take pre-order deposits on limited runs and to debut samples from smaller manufacturers who don't always appear at larger national venues. If brass or narrow-gauge specialty items are on your list, the 9 a.m. opening bell on Saturday is not optional; those tables move fast.

At-door admission is cash or check only, no credit cards, with an ATM available on-site. Pricing runs $12 for a solo adult weekend pass covering both days, or $10 for Sunday only. Family weekend tickets are $22, and Sunday-only family admission is $17. Children under 16 get in free with a paid adult. Online tickets, which do accept credit cards and carry a discount over walk-up pricing, are expected to go on sale a few weeks before the show via the GSMTS site; buying ahead skips the at-door queue entirely.

Timonium hotels fill fast around major show weekends, so booking lodging now is the practical move. A rolling cart or wagon is worth packing on a 3½-acre floor; carrying a load of boxed rolling stock across that distance without wheels is a problem nobody anticipates until they're halfway through the vendor hall. The show map, available at the entrance, is the fastest way to prioritize your route through the layout hall, the White Table section, and the manufacturer representative tables scattered across the building.

Dealer clinics run throughout both days. Pull the clinic schedule from the GSMTS site before you arrive and structure your Saturday morning lap around the sessions most relevant to your scale and modeling focus. Exhibitors should review the show's white table protocols and venue loading documentation, both posted by GSMTS, well ahead of the weekend. The show has run in the Mid-Atlantic for over 40 years and draws collectors from across the East Coast each April. Reach the organizers at 301-221-7996 or info@gsmts.com for exhibitor inquiries and pre-show logistics.