About Foundation

About the Foundation

We are the non-profit “friends” group for Travel Town, working in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation & Parks – which owns and operates the Griffith Park facility. Our organization was incorporated in 1982 under the official name American Southwestern Railway Association, Inc.

We began working with Travel Town in 1987 on the restoration and preservation of the historic Union Pacific Railroad club car called “The Little Nugget”. Over the years, that once small band of volunteers has grown, evolved, taken on many more responsibilities, and now forms the heart of the Travel Town’s historic preservation and educational outreach operations.

Our Mission

The mission of the Foundation is to educate the public about railroad history as it pertains to the development of the Southwest Region of the United States, particularly the Los Angeles area. We fulfill this mission by supporting the restoration, operation, and interpretation of the historic railroad equipment at the City-operated Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park.

Learn more about how we are
fulfilling our goals here.

We adopted the moniker Travel Town Museum Foundation as our “dba” in 2001 when we assumed operation of the Museum’s Gift Shop. We are extremely proud to say that all of the profits we make from the great little Travel Town Gift Shop are put right back into the Foundation’s work to support and improve the Travel Town Museum!

All of our efforts at Travel Town depend on a support from community members like you. We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization and we cheerfully accept tax-deductible donations, grants and individual volunteer support to carry out a multitude of programs and projects at the Museum. Our hard-working volunteers have logged-in over 64,000 hours towards improving the Travel Town visitor experience!

Please consider joining the Travel Town family by becoming a Member of our Foundation Patron Program, making a special contribution, or being part of our Volunteer Team.

We look forward to seeing you at the Museum very soon! Below are a few highlights of the Foundation’s many accomplishments at Travel Town.

Establishment of the
Craig A. Smith Volunteer Center and
Hershel O’Dell Research Library.

Restoration and installation of two
Union Switch & Signal Co. “Style B” semaphore signals,
originally from Southern Pacific Lines.

Operational restoration of a historic
1945 International Harvester
Railway Express Agency delivery truck.

Creation of weather-resistant exhibit signs around the Travel Town Museum complex,
with sponsorship from Metrolink Trains.

Funding and construction of a new Museum Gift Shop for Travel Town visitors.