Trains and the holidays go together," said John Monti, president of the Masonic Village & Elizabethtown Model Railroad Club. He invites people to embrace their inner child and visit not one, but two elaborate model train displays in town. One will be featured at the railroad club building on Freemason Drive on the Masonic Village campus, and the other will be showcased in the lower level of the Elizabethtown Public Library, 10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown.

To make it easy for people to visit both, a free shuttle service provided by Masonic Village will run between the two displays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20.

"Parking is at a premium at the library, so this is a great way for people to see both displays and not have to worry about parking," Monti said, noting that the Masonic Village display is in a building with a large parking lot. "We love inviting people to both displays. We have people who go to the library's display and don't even know the Masonic trains exist, and vice versa."

Both displays feature operational trains of various scales.

"We have seven different layouts and various sizes, from standard gauge, which is the largest, to Z gauge, which is the smallest, and everything in between," Monti shared.

Scenes change regularly, so even if people have visited the display in the past, they're sure to see something new this year, he noted.

Members of the club will be on hand for the open houses, and they love to answer questions from visitors and highlight what the members have been working on.

The club also gives back to the community. Donations from visitors support Masonic Village projects, including programs at the children's school on-site and funding for fraternal care for residents in need.

Additional donations help maintain the display and keep it running every year.

The partnership with The Train Guys at the Elizabethtown Library is a natural fit and benefits both groups, said Craig Coble, Train Guys coordinator.

"When people come to see our display, they can expect to see a toy train display that grew out of proportion from what people used to do in their homes," he said. "We're all just a bunch of old guys who never outgrew playing with our toys."

Filling a large room on the lower level of library, The Train Guys' display features a variety of gauges as well.

"When people come in the entryway, they'll see a standard-gauge outfit," Coble shared. "This is like stepping back in time about 100 years."

Fifty push buttons are located throughout the display, giving visitors an opportunity to activate trains and accessories.

And like the Masonic Village club, members of The Train Guys will be on-site to answer questions.

"These displays are a chance for both of these groups to teach history," Coble said. "We talk about how the toys were made over a 100-year period, manufacturing techniques and how they changed."

And also like the Masonic Village club, The Train Guys give back through their display, with suggested donations for admission benefitting the library.

Like Monti and Coble, Masonic Village resident Jim Smith loves talking to visitors about trains. He's also the vice president of the on-campus woodshop, and for the third year in a row, that site will be open during the same hours as the train display on four days in December.

"We will not be operating our machines, so that will allow guests to come in and get an up-close-and-personal view of our shop and our equipment," Smith said of the woodshop that produces wood items for sale. "We can custom build anything to fit a certain size or niche."

The woodshop is located just up the road from the train building, and Smith hopes people will visit both sites to ask questions and learn.

"Not only is it fun for the youngsters to look at everything, but especially with the trains, we get to talk about railroad folklore and the history of railroads," he said. "Some of us lived through what these kids only know about from books, and it's great to share that history with them."

All of the guys hope people will make a visit to the train displays and the woodshop a part of their holiday plans.

"Everyone sees the child in themselves when they come here," Monti said, "and when we see that happening, it makes us feel good."

The Train Guys will kick off their display with a First Responders Night on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Regular hours follow from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20, and on Second Friday, Dec. 12; and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 6, 13, 20 and 27, with shuttle service to and from Masonic Village for the first three dates.

The Masonic Village & Elizabethtown Model Railroad Club will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 6, 13 and 20, with shuttle service to and from the library, as well as from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, and Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 3 and 4, 2026. The woodshop will be open the same hours as the train display on Dec. 6, 7, 13 and 20.