Unleash your inner trainiac and hop onboard one of the miniature steam engines that chug over bridges, through tunnels and in between ghost towns at Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park. You don't even have to be a kid to do it — no one will give you strange looks, promise. Even if you arrive in overalls and an engineer's cap. Founded in 1956 by train enthusiasts who wanted to educate visitors about railroad history, Los Angeles Live Steamers contains more than 23,000 feet of track, various historical (full-size) train cars, as well as the Disney Barn, which once resided in Walt Disney's Holmby Hills backyard (see its entry in this section). But before you plan your outing, be sure to plan ahead. The nonprofit organization is funded solely by donations and is open on Sundays only. 5202 Zoo Drive, Griffith Park. (323) 662-8030, lals.org.

—Laura Clark