Photo by Bill Balfour
The beloved Butler County train exhibit and museum in the tri-state has officially made its last stop—EnterTRAINment Junction closed its doors on Monday, January 5, as owner Don Oeters looks to retire. The world-class museum opened in August 2008 and has been a community staple for local families, showcasing a multi-age appropriate train display, along with a store and a play zone fit for any kid who needs to blow off some steam (sometimes literally, with interactive train displays).
“There was just so much to do all in one place. We would discover something new in the model trains every time we went,” says Shannon Fay, a West Chester mom of three. “It’s a place for all ages and something that could grow with my children. I only wish we could enjoy it for many more years.”
Photo by Bill Balfour
While there were no local buyers for EnterTRAINment Junction, you’ll soon be able to find the business’s beloved trains throughout the community. According to the family entertainment center’s Facebook page, Matthew 25 Ministries will receive the A-Maze-N-Funhouse and Christmas and Halloween walk-throughs. TrainTastic will take the American Railroad Museum, formerly a 5,000-square-foot interactive museum at EnterTRAINment. The Kids Express hand crank car rides are now at Station Road Farm in West Chester. Signage and other items can be spotted at Depot Brewing Company, a new brewery opening in Morrow.
In a January 4 video on their Facebook page, marketing manager Michelle Dodd announced that the major attractions and displays were headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Once there, they will become part of a transportation museum set to open in 2026. New owner Craig Fuller, owner of Firecrown Media, said while the museum won’t be exactly like EnterTRAINment Junction, he plans to honor the memories Oeters and his team created through the years and further build on their legacy.
“It is a chance to relive the past,” said Fuller in the video. “Think of it as going to Epcot and they’ve redesigned the ride. A whole new experience. A whole new museum.”
Photo by Bill Balfour
According to Christy Butler, a West Chester mom of a three-year-old, EnterTRAINment Junction was always impressive and kept items in tip-top shape. Her son is “devastated” at the closing. “We were always impressed by how clean and organized the space was. If something was broken one visit it was fixed the next visit,” Butler said. “It was just a great family-centered activity that will be deeply missed.”
Becky Bode Dekker, a local resident, agrees. “I do in-home daycare and I have brought those children [to EnterTRAINment Junction] for the past 16 years,” she said. “One of them got his first job there, which I thought was very sweet.”
Although the attractions are closed, you can stop by EnterTRAINment Junction from January 11 to 26 for the ongoing liquidation sale. At the sale, EnterTRAINment will let go of all other remaining items from the facility, including office furniture, safes, tables, chairs, doors and lighting. Everything will be sold on a first come, first served basis and all sales are final.
In addition to the physical items, families can hang on to the memories they built at EnterTRAINment Junction throughout the years.
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