Page 71 - Play Coastal Mississippi - Fall26 - Winter27

pianos, food, an open bar, a champagne toast, a silent auction,
and a split-the-pot raffle. Proceeds support the nonprofit
museum’s mission and educational programming.
Christmas may add the sparkle, but there is plenty to explore
long before the lights come on.
The museum spans 50,000 square feet and features more than
20 traditional train layouts in multiple gauges. There’s a three-
story indoor climber tucked inside the play wing, interactive
exhibits where children can activate scenes, and an outdoor
train ride that welcomes adults and kids alike.
The centerpiece is the $1 million Coast Layout, a sweeping miniature
tribute to South Mississippi featuring familiar landmarks including
the Biloxi Lighthouse, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Keesler Air
Force Base, the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, and Jones
Park. Designed by Board President Glenn Mueller and transported
from Miami in three semi-trucks, the layout lets visitors see the
Mississippi Gulf Coast from an entirely different perspective—just
considerably smaller.
> Traintastic Holiday Model | Katherine Sowers
COASTALMISSISSIPPI.COM > Katherine Sowers
LEGO also plays a major role in the TrainTastic experience, with
massive displays, interactive building opportunities, and special
LEGO events and workshops offered year-round. The museum’s
STEAM programming adds science, technology, engineering,
art, and math to the mix through hands-on educational activities
designed to make learning feel a lot like playing. TrainTastic
continues to offer field trips, homeschool programs, workshops,
and other educational experiences throughout the year.
That combination has helped TrainTastic grow beyond its
beginnings as a model railroad museum and into a year-round
family attraction.
And during the holiday season, it becomes something else again.
The trains are still running. The miniature Coast is still there. Kids
can still climb, build, push buttons, and explore.
There are just a few million more twinkling reasons to come aboard.
TrainTastic
615 Pass Rd., Gulfport 228.284.5731 | www.traintastic.com
> Traintastic and Chandeleur Island Brewing
| Coastal Mississippi & RPF Media
OCT 26-MAR 27 I PLAY COASTAL MISSISSIPPI 71