First on the list is the knowledge of the staff at Sommerfelds. They are very helpful and…read moreknowledgeable about all aspects of model railroading. More helpful than any hobby store I have ever been to. Their selection is not quite as big as some stores but the value and pricing is good so I will often order items from them if they do not have them in stock. Not to say their selection is not good. In fact, they have a large variety of used HO scale buildings and train cars for sale more than any hobby shop I have been too. I am always appreciative of them and their ability to answer many questions.

Great selection of train and very knowledgable staff. I need a new 0 Gauge engine, they had many…read moreoptions. They also had a reasonably priced repair manual that will help me work the bugs out of my old engines.

I have used Hiawatha Hobbies for years. Their selection is always excellent, their prices very…read moregood, and a customer service that responds to both emails and phone calls promptly. Generally their shipping is quite fast. In saying that in the past when an item was slow to ship and they could not complete the entire order they did not charge me shipping which was unexpected, but a nice touch I thought. However, their products always arrive well packaged. Never have I had a product damaged when shipped by Hiawatha Hobbies. I absolutely recommend Hiawatha Hobbies and will continue to use them going forward. They are a great stop for model railroaders.

Submitted and on line order, when I received it two items had been damaged by UPS. I called that…read morethey shipped replacements the same day. Great customer service!

My granddaughter is obsessed with NeeDohs, so we were out on a mission to find them. We originally…read morestopped by the Aldi next door, only to discover it was out of business. While we were there, we noticed a line forming nearby and decided to check it out. To our surprise (and my granddaughter's absolute excitement), it was HobbyTown doing a NeeDoh drop at 10am! The line kept growing and at 28 degrees we were freezing, but there was no way we were giving up our spot. Thankfully, the owner opened a little early and everything was very well organized. They limited purchases to two per person, and since we were third in line, we had time to pick exactly what we wanted. Such kind owners and a great experience overall. We'll definitely be back to explore the rest of the store.

We visited today and what a great experience. The employee who helped my son was really an amazing…read moreguy and was so kind to my son and helped him find a model airplane. He was really patient and kind in helping him find what he was looking for. It's a very neat store!

Disclaimer: my father wrote this…read more Amazing store with a HUGE collection of plastic aircraft, armour, cars and ships. Lots of out-of-stock, rare and hard to find kits. Also has a huge selection of paints, toy cars, hobby magazines, decals, trains, and many other hobby necessities. Owner is very knowledgeable and friendly. Some of the aisles could use a little more re-organizing, but this is definitely not a store to pass up. I plan to return on my next trip to Milwaukee!

Could be a good store if the owner didn't run to eBay every time you want to buy something. He will…read morecheck to see what it's currently selling for and pick the absolute highest price it's listed for. Not what it's actually worth. I would love to actually buy some of the older models they carry but the price tag would say $30 and he will charge like $300 because someone listed it for that. Plus the store is filthy and very unorganized. You're better off going to Amazon.

Model Empire is scheduled to close March 28th, 2026. In the mean time they are having a clearance…read moresale to move out their stock.

they say it's a small world. absolute wonder of a spot on one of the greatest strips of retail in…read morethe region! worth it even if you think you've outgrown miniatures.

It's a small shop but has a lot to offer. They can order stuff for you if they don't have it…read more Prices are good. They give out advice and care about their customers.

BEST model train shop that I have found anywhere and we live about 85 miles away. Tom is…read moreexceptionally helpful, goes out of his way to answer any questions or solve any problems that come up. He and his crew were extremely helpful in helping me switch from one scale to another and saved me the time and trouble and expense of trying to sell it on ebay or anywhere else!! I disagree wholeheartedly with the person who had a negative comment about packing and shipping. I have seen what they do so read the information / listing on ebay as most of it is used and/or listed "for repairs" - totally honest and forthwith information!! And what's up with yelp showing two reviews not recommended??? Both are positive!!!! Take care of yourself and stay well Tom and crew, thanks for all your help!!!!

The selection is nice here…read more Unfortunately the place smells gross and becomes more overwhelming the longer you are in there. I had to go wait in the car because it was too much. The owner was very nice What was supposed to be a quick browse to look at the model car choices and paint selection turned into being inside for an hour minimum The paint we picked out has to get returned since there was chunks of something in it. As if it was sitting on the shelf for years

By far the finest hobby shop, possibly in the nation, if you're looking for a mix of old, forgotten…read morestuff and new. Models, minis, trains, board games, RPGs, terrain, dice, you name it. Bob and his wife are warm, genuine, and lovely to talk to, and I discover something interesting every time I visit. A unique experience, to be sure, and the cats are adorable. I wish I had discovered it sooner.

This is a wonderful resource for the Radio Controlled Hobby enthusiast. Knowledgeable staff, great…read moreselection and service!

Great customer service. Helped us understand requirements and provided resources if needed. Amazing…read moreselection.

Disappointed on selection and displays. Hobby shops are hard to come by these days, so I get it…read more I was just hoping to see more.

We stopped in to look around. The owner was very friendly and knowledgeable. They had Christmas…read moremusic and lights strung. Very organized and pleasant shop. We didn't buy anything as we are novel train enthusiasts but the owner was happy to show our son the model trains. Great place!

The coolest thing about this nursery is that it's actually not a nursery at all. You drive in the…read moredirt road of the nursery and can walk around, check out the plants and buy fertilizer and seeds or whatever, but smack in the middle is a huge train shop! They sell everything from Thomas the tank engine all the way up to huge garden scale trains. There are big, working O scale model trains set up inside the store and row after row of trains on the shelves and in glass display cases. They have all different styles and scales, from cheap plastic toys to brass models worth thousands. Totally cool! Bring the kids... They have a web site at staubintrains dot com