1 / 3Victorian Miniature Railway
📍 Harcourt, VIC
A not-for-profit miniature railway on a 65-acre site near Harcourt, best for families wanting a relaxed scenic outing with steam and diesel train rides suitable for all ages.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Great value for young train fans, and the surprise is the scale: not a little train circling an oval, but 2.7 kilometres of track through a 65-acre country property. At $5 a ride it's worth building a Harcourt day around rather than saving for when you're passing. Train-mad toddlers and primary-school kids get the most out of it, while the volunteer-built railway and its station give adults plenty to look at. If riding behind steam matters to your child, check what's running before you make the drive.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →128 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
Musa’s World
3 months ago
“Great weekend activity for families with kids. 1.5 hours away from Melbourne. They built a nice long train tracks. It is about 2.7km long and scenic loop takes about 12-15 minutes per ride. Ticket prices are $5 per person. Under 2 years old is free. There was a food stall outside before station entrance. They are raising $$$ for their local public school. Support the Locals 💯❤️ Plenty of car parking spots for visitors. It is all free parking.”
Just Jays
5 months ago
“Very clean set up and public toilets well maintained. Wheel chair access which is great for any families with rugrats still in a pram. Mr Whippy and sausage sizzle on site. Long queues go quickly with multiple trains. Plenty if parking, but suggested to get there early, it will fill up on a nice day. Fun day overall for families!”
Andries van Wyk (GenDemo)
9 months ago
“Loved the experience. Its a beautiful clean venue with friendly staff and great trains. There are different locos and carriages. That ride is a nice length, and at only $5 its easy to go for multiple rides. Highly recommend.”
💬 What parents mention
Overview
The Victorian Miniature Railway is much bigger than you expect when you arrive. Set across 65 acres of rolling country at Harcourt, it has 2.7 kilometres of 7¼-inch gauge track, worked by miniature steam and diesel locomotives.
The track winds past mature trees and creek frontage, with views towards Mount Alexander, and visitors put a ride at around 12 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye out beyond the miniature tracks too: the real Melbourne to Bendigo line runs along the boundary of the property.
There's a good story behind it. Founder Andrew Mierisch came home from a 2012 visit to Train Mountain in Oregon, where he rode miniature trains for six hours, convinced that Australia needed one. The club's members did about 95 per cent of the work themselves over roughly a decade, and the station is modelled on the historic Maryborough railway station. It opened to the public in December 2025.
Rides are $5 per person, and children under two and Companion Card holders ride free. Tickets are bought at the station ticket booth on the day, with no booking ahead. The railway runs every Sunday from 10am to 4pm, plus Wednesdays in the school holidays. Fire restrictions and volunteer availability decide which trains run, so steam isn't guaranteed.
With the length of the track and the scale of the place, this is more than a quick kiddie train ride, and worth the drive for train-loving kids.
