EnterTRAINment Junction

EnterTRAINment Junction
	EnterTRAINment Junction Logo
Location	7379 Squire Court, West Chester Township, Ohio
Opened	August 1, 2008
Owner	Don Oeters
General manager	Bill Balfour
Operating season	Year round
Area	25,000 sq ft
Website	www.entertrainmentjunction.com

Last updated August 21, 2024

EnterTRAINment Junction is an indoor model railroad display located in West Chester Township, Ohio. This 25,000 square foot (2,300 square metres) display consists of over 90 G-scale trains encompassing the early era of American railroading, the middle era, and the modern era. The facility also includes the American Railroading Museum, an expo center, and a fun house.

History

EnterTRAINment Junction was a result of the vision of its owner, Don Oeters. Oeters, a successful businessman and model railroad enthusiast, wanted to create the world's largest model train display in an amusement park-like setting. He commissioned Bruce Robinson, whose resume' includes the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museums, to create the concept drawings for this massive project. Major construction began in early 2007 with the first track being installed in the Spring of the same year. EnterTRAINment Junction opened to the public on August 1, 2008.^[1] On June 18, 2024, it was announced that EnterTRAINment Junction will be permanently closed down around January 2025.^[2]

Areas

Main lobby

The main lobby of EnterTRAINment Junction is themed to a typical 1930s railroad town. The lobby consists of several party rooms, a cafe', gift shop, and offices - all of which have a façade that creates the look and feel of a classic town.

Train Journey

The Train Journey is the main attraction at EnterTRAINment Junction. This 25,000 square foot (2,300 m²)^[3] train display is billed as the world's largest indoor train display. Over 60,000 man hours were put into this massive display that features intricate models and over 90 G-scale model trains. Each G-scale train engine is roughly a 1/24 scale of a real train engine and the nearly 1,200 box cars are approximately the size of a loaf of bread. Interactive buttons throughout the path allows viewers to control lights, sounds, and moving model pieces. The entire display is separated into three sections displaying the history of rail transport in the United States: the Early Era (1860s through the 1900s), the Middle Era (1940s through the 1950s), and the Modern Era (1970s to the present time).

Early Era (1860s through 1900s)

The first section of the Train Journey explores the Early Era of American Railroading. This section features several trains that were typical to the era.

The trains traverse a mountainous region that represents the lawless labor force that was responsible for the construction of America's first railroad. The section features several early railroad towns including a 6 foot (1.8 m) paddle boat and an 11 foot (3.4 m) tall pouring waterfall. The trains pass through tunnels in a rolling hillside, passing buildings and homes that would be found during that time period.

Middle Era (1940s through 1950s)

The Middle Era section of the Train Journey displays how railroading progressed throughout the middle of the 20th century. This area displays a 1950s American town that would have benefited from the newer technologies in railroading. In addition to the freight and passenger trains reflecting the technology of the time, the town also features moving street cars and a subway system.

Modern Era (1970s to the present)

The Modern Era section of the Train Journey displays railroading as it is today. This section features skyscrapers that are representative of such companies as Boeing, 3M, as well as Seattle's Space Needle. The trains look like the large diesel machines you would find today. Much of the emphasis on rail traffic was converted from passenger transit to cargo transit and that is reflected in the area. Interactive models include a railway turntable, a crane for unloading cargo from the trains, and a hot air balloon.

Coney Island

EnterTRAINment Junction features a scale model of the historic Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio). This display is a recreation of Coney Island as it was seen in the late 1960s. This includes a working model of the famous Shooting Star roller coaster, a 4 foot (1.2 m) tall Ferris Wheel, and several other rides and attractions that would have been found at Coney Island at the time. Due to space limitations some creative license was used in the layout of the model, however all of the models in the display are accurate to the period.

Great Train Expo Center

The Great Train Expo Center is a large multi-purpose facility within EnterTRAINment Junction. During the months of January and March through August, several additional train displays including one donated by the musician Neil Young are on display. A large replica of the Mount Adams Incline can be found in this area as well. During February, the outdoor electric train is brought into the Expo Center for kids to enjoy. The area is also used for special activities for annual activities such as the indoor pumpkin patch for Jack o'Lantern Junction and a special Holiday Trains Expo during Christmas at the Junction. It is also home to the Cincinnati chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society.

In the rear of the expo center, guests can watch volunteers build, repair, and paint the trains and models that will be on display in the Train Journey.

Imagination Junction

Imagination Junction is a 5,000 square foot (460 m²) play area specifically for young children. This area features a climbable tube maze, a kids carousel, and other train themed activities. During the warmer months kids can ride an outdoor narrow gauge train with an electric engine that pulls two cars through 1,000 feet (300 m) of track. Additionally there is the Kids' Express, an outdoor hand-cranked kids train that traverses 400 feet (120 m) of track. Both the electric train and the Kids' Express are an additional charge.

A-Maze-N Funhouse

Guests trying to escape the Mirror Maze at EnterTRAINment Junction. EJFunhouse.jpg — Guests trying to escape the Mirror Maze at EnterTRAINment Junction.

A-Maze-N Funhouse is a section of EnterTRAINment Junction that features five family-friendly mazes with different optical and physical illusions. The main midway is themed to an old-time circus. Within it are five different "tents" that all house a separate maze.^[4]

The first maze is the Mirror Maze and is the largest house of mirrors in North America. Kids can enter and experience dead ends, optical illusions, and disorientation from being surrounded by hundreds of mirrors.

The second maze is called the Clown College and features several illusions such as bent mirrors, objects that seem to defy gravity, and an Ames Room.

The third maze is called Curtain Chaos. Hanging curtains surround guests as they try to figure out which way progresses them to the next room, and which way simply dead ends at a wall.

Outer Limits: Journey Through the Black Hole is a space themed maze. While featuring things such as glowing stars, light effects, and a vortex tunnel, it also has interesting facts and educational pieces about outer space.

The newest maze opened in 2012 and is called Crazy Caper. The story of the maze is that you are on a mission to get the Ring Master's key, which is hidden somewhere in the tent. Along the way you encounter several "booby traps," crazy alarms, and optical illusions such as a Pepper's Ghost effect.

It's a Marbleous Life

In the summer of 2019, EnterTRAINment Junction opened the world's largest marble (toy) display, which is the second largest marble museum in the world.^[5] This was done in conjunction with husband and wife marble enthusiasts Larry and Cathy Svacina.^[6] Marbles in this display date back to the 1800s and include games, collectables, memorabilia, and fun facts about marbles and their multi-generational history.^[7]

Annual events

Jack o'Lantern Junction

Jack o'Lantern Junction is an annual family friendly Halloween Celebration at EnterTRAINment Junction. Families are invited to walk through a trick or treat maze that features family friendly ghosts, skeletons, and more. The outdoor train rides are open with a special Halloween theme.

Christmas at the Junction

Christmas at the Junction is a Holiday themed attraction at EnterTRAINment Junction that runs during the Christmas Season. A special attraction is added to the Fun House Junction area of the property that is themed to the North Pole. Families are invited to walk through this attraction on their way to meet Santa Claus. Along the way they encounter Audio Animatronic penguins, reindeer, elves, and even falling snow. The Great Train Expo Center is opened to the public for free during this time of year and features several miniature train displays on snow covered mountainsides.

Christmas in July

Christmas in July is an annual celebration around the 25th of each July in which the Christmas activities from Christmas at the Junction open for the whole month.

Everything Thomas

Everything Thomas is an annual event that features PBS's Thomas the Tank Engine. Kids are invited to look for small Thomas toys throughout the Train Journey section of EnterTRAINment Junction. Additionally, Thomas themed attractions are added to the Imagination Junction section of the complex. Special Thomas crafts are also added to the A-Maze-N Funhouse.^[8]

Escape the Room Challenge

In the Spring of 2015, EnterTRAINment Junction announced the opening of its sister business Escape the Room Challenge. Situated on the same property as their main complex, it occupies a separate building connected by the main parking lot. Operating as a separate facility, it offers four unique escape room experiences as well as a virtual reality escape room.^[9] All games last one hour. As of 2020, Escape the Room has closed permanently.

Esmeralda's Curse

Themed to a gypsy fortune teller's parlor. You have one hour to escape before the curse steals your soul. This is a 4 out of 4 in difficulty and the most difficult room.

Escape the Mob

The mob has stolen your priceless family heirloom. You must infiltrate their shipping warehouse and escape before the mob arrives. This is considered medium difficulty.

Double Agent Dilemma

Also a medium difficulty, your mission is to expose a double agent and then disarm the bomb that they have planted in the agency.^[10]

Uncle Ernie's Millions

In February 2017, Escape the Room Challenge opened Uncle Ernie's Millions. The story involves your rich uncle passing and you are tasked with finding his will in order to inherit his $50 million.^[11]

DeComposed VR

In April 2019, Escape the Room Challenge opened DeComposed, the first virtual reality escape room experience in the region.^[12] DeComposed consists of up to four players who can work together and interact virtually through the in-game experience.

Related Research Articles

An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often featuring multiple areas with different themes. Unlike temporary and mobile funfairs and carnivals, amusement parks are stationary and built for long-lasting operation. They are more elaborate than city parks and playgrounds, usually providing attractions that cater to a variety of age groups. While amusement parks often contain themed areas, theme parks place a heavier focus with more intricately-designed themes that revolve around a particular subject or group of subjects.

Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park was built by Taft Broadcasting and opened in 1972. It was part of a larger effort to move and expand Coney Island, a popular resort destination along the banks of the Ohio River that was prone to frequent flooding. After more than $300 million in capital investments over the years, the park has grown to feature over a hundred attractions including fifteen roller coasters and a 33-acre (13 ha) water park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollywood</span> Theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee owned by Dolly Parton Productions

Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly 3 million guests in a typical season from mid-March to the Christmas holidays, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. It has won many international awards.

Kings Dominion is an amusement park in the eastern United States, located in Doswell, Virginia, twenty miles (30 km) north of Richmond and 75 miles (120 km) south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the 280-acre (1.1 km²) park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island near Cincinnati, and the nickname for the state of Virginia, "Old Dominion."

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, formerly known simply as Fiesta Texas, is a theme park located in Northwest San Antonio. It opened on March 14, 1992, in the La Cantera master-planned development and district as the first business in that development. Spanning 200 acres (81 ha), the park was originally built to become a destination musical show park with its focus on the musical culture of the state of Texas. The park was purchased by Time Warner in 1995, and branded as a Six Flags park for the 1996 season.

Valleyfair is a 125-acre (51 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Six Flags, the park opened in 1976 and now features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the original company.

Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Commonly abbreviated as CUT, or by its Amtrak station code, CIN, the terminal is served by Amtrak's Cardinal line, passing through Cincinnati three times weekly. The building's largest tenant is the Cincinnati Museum Center, comprising the Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Cincinnati History Library and Archives, and an Omnimax theater.

Silver Dollar City is a 61-acre (25 ha) amusement park in Stone County, Missouri, near the cities of Branson and Branson West. The park is located off of Missouri Route 76 on the Indian Point peninsula of Table Rock Lake. Silver Dollar City opened on May 1, 1960. The park is an 1880s-themed experience. Silver Dollar City's operating season runs from March until December, with the park closed for two months. Silver Dollar City is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a 422-acre (1.71 km²) amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, located approximately 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Virginia Beach. The park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and is owned by United Parks & Resorts. The park opened on May 16, 1975, adjacent to Anheuser-Busch's brewery and near its other developments, including the Kingsmill Resort complex.

Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster is an enclosed steel wild mouse roller coaster located at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia. It is based on the 2002 live action film Scooby-Doo, which was filmed at the studio adjacent to the park at the same time the ride was being constructed. In 2018 the ride underwent a significant theming overhaul and reopened in December under the name Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster: Next Generation with a new ride storyline, new theming and new special effects. It closed for refurbishment in January 2023 and is set to reopen in 2025.

The Miniature Railroad & Village (MRRV) is a large and detailed model train layouts diorama of western Pennsylvania from 1880 to 1930. It is a long-running display currently located in the Kamin Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the MRRV has been a Pittsburgh tradition for over 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantom Theater</span> Former dark ride at Kings Island

Phantom Theater was a dark ride located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Morgan Manufacturing, the ride opened to the public on April 11, 1992. Its design incorporated a continuously moving chain of vehicles similar to Disney's Omnimover ride system. The attraction was furnished with sets and characters created by R&R Creative Amusement Designs, Inc., and it was themed as a haunted, abandoned theater.

Through its history, Hanna-Barbera has operated theme park attractions, mostly as a section in Kings Island, Carowinds, California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and, recently, Six Flags Great America.

Fiesta Shows is a traveling carnival that entertains and visits over 60 communities throughout the New England region. It is New England's largest carnival.

Flight of Fear is the name of two identical enclosed roller coasters located at Kings Island and Kings Dominion amusement parks. Built and designed by Premier Rides, they were the world's first launched roller coasters to feature linear induction motor (LIM) technology. Both locations opened as The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear on June 18, 1996, originally themed after The Outer Limits TV series that began airing in 1995 as a revival of the original 1960s series. Paramount's licensing rights to the TV show eventually expired without renewal, and all references to The Outer Limits were removed from the ride and its name in 2001.

The Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad is a 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. The line is a 5,282-foot (1,610 m) loop. The line has two stations: the Losantiville station also commonly referred to as "Rivertown Station" and a station at Soak City. It is a part of the rides department, and has a thrill rating of "1 - Low Thrill Ride". The entire journey lasts between 9 and 15 minutes, depending on station stops and number of trains in operation. In 2022, the railroad celebrated its 50th anniversary with the park. New changes were added to the ride’s scenery. The Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad continues to be one of the oldest and most popular attractions at Kings Island.

Mystic Timbers is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Constructed by Great Coasters International and designed by Skyline Design, the roller coaster opened in the Rivertown section of the park on April 15, 2017. The ride's fictional theme is set to the site of an abandoned logging company where unexplained events are taking place. During its marketing campaign, the finale element in an enclosed shed was not revealed to the public until opening day.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is a trackless dark ride located in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, and in Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction, the first Mickey Mouse-themed ride-through attraction at a Disney theme park, features an original story based on the stylized world from the Paul Rudish television series.

Orion is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion became the seventh giga coaster in the world when it opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It is the largest investment in Kings Island's history, costing an estimated $30 million. The coaster stands 287 feet (87 m), features a 300-foot drop (91 m), and reaches a maximum speed of 91 mph (146 km/h). It is situated in the Area 72 section of the park on a site formerly occupied by Firehawk.

Holiday Junction Featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains is a rail-themed holiday event held annually since 1996 at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its main attraction is a much older model railroad display, which is owned by CSX Transportation and sponsored by Duke Energy.

References

↑ "Cincinnati Railroad and Train History". Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
↑ Jordan, Felica (June 18, 2024). "'A sad day for us all': EnterTRAINment Junction to permanently close". WCPO 9 Cincinnati . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
↑ "Model Train Journey Attraction | Cincinnati Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
↑ "Fun House | Cincinnati Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
↑ "Marble Display".
↑ "The Marble Lady". 5 June 2019.
↑ "Marble Display: Now Open!". 22 June 2019.
↑ "Train-Themed Entertainment Park Events in Cincinnati, Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
↑ "Escape the Room Challenge | Cincinnati & Dayton". Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
↑ https://www.gettothebc.com/blog/post/think-fast ^{[ bare URL ]}
↑ "Escape the Room Challenge in West Chester adds new attraction".
↑ "This West Chester business takes escape room games to a new (Virtual) level".

39°21′04.4″N84°22′30.4″W / 39.351222°N 84.375111°W / 39.351222; -84.375111

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Cincinnati Railroad and Train History". Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-07.

[2] Jordan, Felica (June 18, 2024). "'A sad day for us all': EnterTRAINment Junction to permanently close". WCPO 9 Cincinnati . Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[3] "Model Train Journey Attraction | Cincinnati Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2016-06-07.

[4] "Fun House | Cincinnati Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2016-06-07.

[5] "Marble Display".

[6] "The Marble Lady". 5 June 2019.

[7] "Marble Display: Now Open!". 22 June 2019.

[8] "Train-Themed Entertainment Park Events in Cincinnati, Ohio". Archived from the original on 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2016-06-07.

[9] "Escape the Room Challenge | Cincinnati & Dayton". Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.

[10] ttps://www.gettothebc.com/blog/post/think-fast ^{[ bare URL ]}

[11] "Escape the Room Challenge in West Chester adds new attraction".

[12] "This West Chester business takes escape room games to a new (Virtual) level".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]