Roadside America - Shartlesville, PA - Miniature Railway and Village

Located off of Interstate 78 at Exit 23 in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, Roadside America is in Berks County. Begun by Laurence Gieringer, Roadside America is an indoor miniature railway and village. Gieringer was fascinated with miniatures since he was a child. When he was 16, he became a carpenter and painter. His hobby was making model buildings. His collection of miniatures grew, as did the word of mouth about his miniature village. In 1935, he set up his display for his children. The Reading Eagle newspaper published a story on his display that year, leading to additional public interest in Gieringer's miniatures. This led to what is now known as Roadside America. The display is roughly 8,000 square feet and consists of approximately 4,000 miniature people and 400 miniature buildings.

Roadside America's summer season runs from July through Labor Day. All other times are considered to be part of the winter season. During the summer season, Roadside America is open 9:00am to 6:30pm on weekdays and 9:00am to 7:00pm on weekends. During the winter season, regular hours of operation are 10:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 6:00pm on weekends. The attraction is closed on Christmas Day.

Admission for adults (ages 12 and up) is $6. The admission fee for children between 6 and 11 years of age is $3. Children 5 years of age and younger receive free admission. Group rates are available by calling 610-488-6241 between 10:00am and 5:00pm. Groups must consist of 25 people or more, and group reservations should be made at least one week in advance. It is recommended that visitors allow at least one hour for their visit. Ample parking is available onsite, and there is no parking fee.

Roadside America is a sprawling exhibit. It depicts villages from different time periods. The display includes detailed villages from the pioneer days through the present era. The detail of each village is remarkable. The exhibit depicts American villages and some villages in foreign countries, but the main focus is rural Pennsylvania. One of the features of the exhibit is a Pennsylvania Dutch farm.

The scale used when creating the exhibit was three-eighths of an inch to one foot. Even using such a scale, there were many materials needed. Some of the materials used in the creation of Roadside America include 4,000 pounds of sheet iron, 17,700 board feet of lumber, 10,000 miniature trees that were handmade, and 2,250 feet of railroad and trolley tracks. The exhibit also uses 5 electric pumps that handle 6,000 gallons of water per hour.

Visitors are welcome to take photographs of the exhibit. The exhibit is an educational one as well since the villages and settings encompass art, geography, landscaping, and history.

In addition to the many miniatures, Roadside America is an exhibit that is constantly moving. Trains glide over bridges and through tunnels, and a miniature zoo features a bubbling fountain. A grist mill grinds grain into flour in one part of the exhibit while a mountain trolley moves through a woodland area in another section of the miniature village.

Additional information regarding Roadside America can be obtained by calling 610-488-6241.