The Highland Park Historical Society will host its fourth installment of its highly popular History of Toy Trains exhibition beginning Saturday, December 4, 2010, and running through Sunday, January 30, 2011, on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Society’s museum located at 326 Central Avenue, Highland Park, IL. Admission is $5.00 per person and $10.00 per family, and special group tours during the week are available upon request. This year’s event, History of Toy Trains IV, sponsored by Mesirow Financial, will showcase HO Gauge Trains, the most popular and most realistic gauge of model trains, and early manufacturers of ready-to-run HO sets, including American Flyer, Varney, Tyco and Athern. It also will highlight the art of scale modeling and kit manufacturers such as Varney, Main Line, Silver Streak, and Campbell. The History of Toy Trains IV layout will feature hundreds of pieces – many handmade – including brass HO scale locomotives and train cars, plus elaborate scenery and buildings which replicate mid-20th Century downtown Highland Park, as well as the early settlements of St. Johns and Port Clinton, from which Highland Park evolved. Visitors will experience an interactive display, which will allow children of all ages to push buttons to activate operational cars that load and unload coal, pipes, logs, barrels, boxes, and mail and set off the trains traditional whistles and bells. They also will enjoy entertaining presentations about toy trains and real railroads and a display of historic photographs of the first railroads of Highland Park. A separate viewing room will feature videos of the three previous train shows and other toy train videos. The History of Toy Trains is a wonderful family event and a must-see for train enthusiasts of all ages. Most visitors spend over an hour enjoying this remarkable exhibition and sharing childhood memories with a whole new generation! There also will be a raffle with several toy train prizes and a silent auction of the beautifully framed rare Historic Prints of Highland Park’s Railroads. Coffee, hot cocoa, and cookies will be available. In addition to regular museum hours, the History of Toy Trains IV will offer special group tours. For more information, call 847-432-7090, email hphistorical@sbcglobal.net, and visit www.highlandparkhistory.com on the Web.