A total hidden gem for anyone! Tiny engines, motors, and other devices mostly handcrafted from scratch. All sorts of model vehicles, ships and planes plus a fun dollhouse section. Lots of interesting details and background information to read. read more

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Admission was free. It was very interesting because I love crafting. Also because there was a scavenger hunt that I completed and got a little lizard 3d print. read more

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum - Museums Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This is such a hidden gem! We will absolutely come back. If you appreciate attention to detail, you will surely enjoy this museum. Admission is free! read more

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum - Detailed wood carvings - Museums Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This is a really fascinating small museum in Carlsbad. The tiny engines and machines are remarkable. Worth checking out, especially with kids. It's free to enter and the docents are very helpful. read more

This is the coolest place ever. Having been in the metalworking industry machining, inspection/QC and calibration I have a great appreciation for the craftsmanship of all the scaled down "working" combustion engines, jet engines, aircraft, ships and more. You've got to go and see this place. And it is free admission. read more

Went today and it was amazing and beautiful display areas. Our 11 yr old grandson enjoyed it and my husband loved it especially the steam engine area. Lots to see! read more

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This is an outstanding museum ! The displays are numerous and quite engaging. Plan to spend hours here perusing and enjoying the engineering craftsmanship and precision on display. The docents were quite engaging, and often spun up a display to demonstrate it. Retired engineers, I'm betting. Surprisingly, there is a separate room displaying incredibly detailed doll houses ! This incredible museum has no entrance fee, and lacks a gift shop, so be sure to plunk a donation into the box as you pass by it. read more

My little 9-year old nephew recommended this place cause he had been here before and we were looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon. We were so glad we listened to him because this place is a hidden gem! First of all, there's plenty of free parking and admission is also free. Please consider donating to keep places like this in business. We were greeted by a kind volunteer who was enthusiastic and eager to help and inform us. We must've spent at least 2 hours there just walking around. There was something for all of us to enjoy - model cars, planes, trains, boats, doll houses, antique toys, etc. I would gladly go back and bring more friends and family. read more

So fantastic clearly the engineers have a passion for the craft. Greater was wonderful accepts donations instead of charging A lifetime worth of knowledge read more

Love love love the care and craftsmanship of the artisans and collectors that crafted and donated the pieces in this museum! I found this place when my girlfriend and I were planning a day trip down to San Diego. I thought it would be a fun place to check out since we were working on our own little craft build. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable about all the stuff in the museum and just fun to interact with! This place is just such a special hidden gem in what appeared to be a business complex but great find! Kids and adults would love it here if you are fascinated by the intricate crafts or old doll houses which they had an entire section dedicated to. My favorite thing learned here was the working scale model of their prized car which took the craftsman over a decade to complete which blows my mind the patience and attention to detail it must've taken to complete! Definitely recommend to go check out if you find this review! They accept donations but don't really have a gift shop so bring a $5 if you feel like donating to this awesome museum! read more

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum - White house display - Museums Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This place is a gem. Our visit to Carlsbad and San Diego was great and visiting this museum was a highlight. Since this place isn't as popular as the USS Midway museum, San Diego Zoo, or Balboa Park, I feel that it is my duty to help support by reviewing this establishment. The museum is free but donations are appreciated. When we visited, I spent almost an hour alone soaking in the architectural miniature crafts. The organization and tidiness of the displays were impressive. From planes, trains, and automobiles to tiny furniture and small scale-sized buildings, there's just so much to see and appreciate. "A man who works with his hands is a laborer. A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman. A man who works with his hands, his brain, and his heart is an artist." - Louis Nizer read more

This place was amazing!! This museum has everything imaginable and then some. Staff is very helpful and will take the time to any questions. This is a hidden gem and a fun place to visit in Carlsbad. read more

We love visiting this museum! Every single time you end up discovering something new and leaving amazed by that people and their creations!

A hidden gem!! So cool and so many things to see. The people who work there are super nice and everything is really interesting. Highly recommend stopping in. read more

Much larger than imagined museum showcasing a vast array of impressive handmade miniature engineering marvels. Incredibly well-maintained and laid out displays with a very friendly and knowledgeable docents and engineers showing their crafts. Myron and Pam were truly great stewards when we visited. A little unassuming of a parking entrance, but easy enough to find. read more

If ever in Carlsbad with a penchant for tinkering and an afternoon to kill.... The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum should be absolutely top of your list. Zoom in to these scale models, they are the size of a smallish seagull, yet the detail survives the closest eye. Turned, cast, machined, cut, and all from raw material and all from base stock. I am something of a builder, but I am not even on the same planet as these folks. And the docents are all masters of their crafts, all Wonkas in their own version of a chocolate factory, gleeful and twinkle eyed. And it's free. read more

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum - Museums Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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This is a 10 star organization. It is easy to spend an hour or two. I think on their website they indicate it's not as much a place for kids but I don't agree. This place will really build on the imagination of any child. It shows so many aspects of life. It shows how creative people can be. if there are 50 different things represented , any one of them might offer inspiration. I usually only drop in for about an hour and I see something I did not see before. I could stare at some of the displays for 10 minutes. It's amazing that this little gem is just hidden away waiting to be discovered. If you're looking for something to do with a friend, family or loved one today, you definitely want to visit. read more

This is an very small yet definitely world-class museum in a light-industrial neighborhood of Carlsbad, If you like the details, expect to spend hours here, enjoying hundreds of diverse miniature models built by true craftsmen, many required literally years of work. Logistics: as all the best things in life, the admission is free. Ample parking is available on the right side of the budding. The museum only operates on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays. A hint: unless your young kids truly appreciate the fine details, they can get bored after a very short time (it is still worth a visit to check if they do like the fine details) , some relief can be provided by operational machinery in the back of the museum (many models are fully operational, but the ones in the back actually run during the open hours). read more

Wonderfully entertaining, delightful, inspirational, and educational. So man varieties of machinery mechanics, wood work designs to explore. All sorts of planes, trains, and automobiles. Circus, doll houses, and roller coasters, bridges all created in wood. Amazing!!!! A must see and go several times to take it all in. read more

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****REVIEWED DURING COVID**** Came here on my day off and walked in. There was a docent who greeted me and introduced me to everything. After taking a look at his name tag, it seemed like he was the one who ran the place. When I asked him a question about the museum, he cut me off from speaking, and told me that "he'll get to it, so let him finish." The museum is just a bunch of displays. Nothing mind blowing. The museum is small and can be done in about 30 minutes to an hour. One of the best things was that the museum was requiring people coming in to wear their facial coverings, but the people who were inside weren't wear their facial coverings. So why even bother if you can't follow your own rules? read more

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We absolutely loved this little museum, packed with amazing miniature engineering marvels. It's off the beaten track in an office park venue, but not far from Carlsbad Village, with plenty of free parking available. Don't look for large signs, but yes, there is an amazing gem of a museum located behind the non-descript office building entrance. The first thing you'll notice when you walk in, is how excited the volunteers are to discuss the history of the museum and the highlighted exhibits, such as Louis Chenot's 1/6 scale model 1932 Duesenberg SJ, which claims to be, "the finest automotive model ever made!" It took 20,000 hours to build this model, and over 6000 custom made parts to complete. That's about ten years of labor, at 40 hours a week! Most of the miniatures actually work, from cars to trains, and engines to planes. There are model ships, trucks, cement mixers, wooden toys, doll houses, furniture miniatures and other architectural models. There is a row of engines at the back of the museum that the volunteers turn on, and at 10am and 2pm, there is a Miniature Engine Demonstration. We caught this presentation during our visit, and saw a demonstration of Euler's Disk, a special metal disk used to "illustrate and study the dynamic system of a spinning disk on a flat or curved surface (such as a spinning coin), which has been the subject of a number of scientific papers." The museum is all about craftsmanship and precision. According to their website, Joe Martin was the president and owner of Sherline Products Inc. for over 40 years. The company is one of the few remaining American manufacturers of precision machine tools. Joe was also a model builder and toolmaker. Joe's main reason for establishing the museum and foundation was to make the average person aware of the beauty of great craftsmanship. Craftsmanship level work rises beyond what is needed to complete the job with competence, to a level of perfection that can be recognized by many but achieved by few. Often their work will be building exact scale models of something that interests them, and they do so simply for the love of doing it. Their satisfaction comes from attempting to achieve perfection. Admission is free, though donations are welcome. It's a great place to spend a couple of hours, or more. read more

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Great gem to visit. The displays are purely pieces of art! People there are super nice and knowledgeable.

This is such a fun place! For anyone interested in craftsmanship, this museum will amaze and inspire you. The demonstration of a few of the machines showed the importance of the talents and skills that must be preserved in our society. Thank you to all the creators that created and volunteered these fantastic machines. read more

This is a hidden little gem on the border of Vista/Carlsbad just north of Palomar Airport rd and east of Melrose. Price is free and the staff is super friendly and informative. There are little demonstrations in the machine shop and you are free to walk around. A $10 donation will get you a CD with 450+ pictures. There are miniature to large working models of planes, boats, etc. There are little houses and wooden structures, erector sets, paper airplanes, and all kinds of interesting things to look at. The work involved and the hours that it takes to build some of these things is amazing. read more

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*Best of North County* One of the best free museums / displays in San Diego. I saw one of their flyers at the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society museum and put them on my list of places to try. This museum was amazing, even if you're not a tinker or gearhead. Granted, there are amazing displays of mico-engineering but it's much more than that. Even my kids were interested throughout the whole time, even my girls. There are so many miniatures of engines, guns, models, steam engines, planes, trains, ships, cars.....I could go on and on... I had no clue that there is a whole global community of people out there that spend their free time (maybe their retirement) building small engines and miniatures. Many of them volunteer here at the museum as docents or hand-on craftsman. My favorite yet the most unassuming find was a small model of the USS Pigeon (Submarine Rescue ship). While I was only in middle school at the time I was able to ride on it for the day as a guest of the captain. It was the coolest ship ever!!! Was so fortunate to see a model of it here at the Craftsmanship museum. They also have guided tours of the machine shop in the back of the building a few times a day. 2PM was the last one so we missed it. Maybe call ahead to get the exact times and check that out. A very strong recommendation! Great for young and old, boys or girls. It's free, so why not? read more

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I specifically planned my Saturday afternoon around this place, as it's out of the way. I'm glad I did. Do make a point to stop in and visit. You can see everything in about an hour, not including the time to watch the demos. It's located in a business park, and doesn't look like a museum (They sure do like to hide museums in business/industrial areas in Carlsbad..take the Museum of Making Music for example). There is no fee to enter, and there is something for everyone of most any age to see here. There's trains, dollhouses, mini Navy ships, old erector sets, cars, speed boats, weapons, planes...the list goes on. I highly recommend the engine demo. The machinist truly loves what he does, and is very knowledgeable. Pros: - lots of parking - lots of exhibits - live demo - free Cons: - I wish the trains were moving on a track is all lol, or the rollercoaster really moving. read more

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Very interesting museum, a lot bigger than it looks and filled with many cool, unique, and exciting objects! You could just spend hours looking at one thing! Recommend read more

Both an unusual and interesting find. Lots to see for kids and adults. The amount of times that must have gone into some of these builds is mind boggling. Since this looks like the first post-Covid review, I'll add this: Staff was friendly and social distancing was encouraged but not enforced. Saw one man without a mask and one woman wearing her mask as a chinstrap. Staff noticed as well but said nothing. read more

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Absolutely worth the time, costa nothing but I donated because this needs to stay open! Something for everyone!

What a wonderful little treasure. It has a great collection of working model motors, doll houses, antique and handmade toys of all sorts. It is a very nicely kept facility with super friendly staff. Completely wheel chair/scooter accessible. My dad loved it. read more

Very quaint and unique you can spend a year there all day Seriously, we were absolutely mesmerised by so many artifacts and details... read more

I lined this up for my 14 year old, (and very mechanically inclined) grandson visiting from Central CA. What I didn't realize is that I would be in awe of not only the variety in the collections, but also their excellent condition and functionality! My 11 year old granddaughter herself commented on how many different kinds of motors and engines there were. Of course she and I took time to saunter into the doll house room and we enjoyed each and every crafted piece. The intricacy of each house amazed us! The docents were friendly and knowledgeable. read more

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What a cool place! The guy who started this funded the whole thing so that the community would have something to enjoy! They have fun demonstrations daily! read more

So many working engines here to geek over. Perfect for a field trip or a day out. They even have dollhouses, perfectly crafted. Everything from airplane engines, to train engines, old simple engines, to quirky engines, it's all here. Of course car engines too. I recommend coming when they show the engines running, at 10am noon and 2pm. read more

My friends and I went to this museum today and were just amazed at the wonderful machinery, miniature ships, cars, planes, merry-go-rounds, doll houses and various other miniatures at this museum. All three of us have lived in the area for a greater part of our lives and had no idea that this fantastic place was here. It is in an industrial section of Carlsbad but easy to find once you look at their website directions. We will definitely come back and will make sure our friends know about it. You will not be disappointed. It is also free to see but donations are much appreciated. The gentlemen who greet you are also very, very informative about the items. When in the area, make sure to seek out this hidden gem. read more

THERE IS NO WORD TO DESCRIBE THIS ... Everything is unique ! You can feel the personality of the builder in each construction ! And so many ideas that new generation should be develop today . The team of the museum is awesome too, they have the passion and they are very implicated . YOU WON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, bring your children, bring your fathers and friends ! !!!!!!!!!! AND IT'S A FREE MUSEUM !!!!!!!!!!! read more

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum - Many miniatures engines !!! Awesome !!! - Museums Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Excellent museum. Even have a working machine shop and presentation. It's fun and educational. Surprised to find such a unique collection of doll houses so there was something for everyone. The docents were helpful and knowledgeable too. Highly recommend. read more

This was a surprising find. If you're looking for something to do in San Diego County this place in Carlsbad is a place to go. Engineering marvels from the very simple to the extremely complicated. The volunteers were friendly, knowledgeable on the display items. I'm definitely coming back. read more

Wow! Amazing. What a great find. Sorry Yelp... TripAdvisor #6 recommended place to visit in Carlsbad not too far from Legoland. You can get lost in all the details but it's remarkable what kind of things you'll see in such great detail. It's a must visit and the volunteers that meet you are so nice and friendly. Some of the pieces are functional and the volunteers can demonstrate. There is a functioning machine shop. Came by on a Saturday morning and so it wasn't to busy. I would recommend looking for the tiny wrench and the miniature basement. It's free to get in but try to donate to support the museum. What a treat and a treasure. Thank you Joe Martin for sharing this with us. Most of all thank you to our Creator for giving us the ability to imagine and create however Your intelligent design is matchless and flawless. read more

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Excellent museum with astonishing craftsmanship and artistry on display. Great demonstrations by a resident craftsman. I think more than one trip to this museum is required to absorb it all. Very cool indeed. read more