Back in the 80s, when I lived near Sausalito, one free Saturday I visited the US Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model. It is a huge and incredible scale model of the hydrology of the whole Bay Area and a part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta. It is larger than a football field. The day I visited there was almost no one else there and I got a leisurely two hour tour.
I have read that, today, it is very popular with long lines.
The JFK one can be seen in the lobby of the TWA hotel (https://www.twahotel.com/photos). If you have a layover, or can come early, this whole lobby is worth a good 25 minute walkthrough.
Interesting how the older dioramas seem slightly yellowed/sepia-toned. I'd always that thought that was an artifact of older photographs (and I certainly remember the world being just as vividly colored back then), but if these are "historically accurate," maybe I'm mistaken?
All I could think looking at the (amazing) dioramas was how much time they could save with something like the EufyMake Printer that could print out all the textures they're making by hand (or 3d printing).
Big model related:
Back in the 80s, when I lived near Sausalito, one free Saturday I visited the US Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model. It is a huge and incredible scale model of the hydrology of the whole Bay Area and a part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta. It is larger than a football field. The day I visited there was almost no one else there and I got a leisurely two hour tour.
I have read that, today, it is very popular with long lines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_B...
The JFK one can be seen in the lobby of the TWA hotel (https://www.twahotel.com/photos). If you have a layover, or can come early, this whole lobby is worth a good 25 minute walkthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9DEIWOKCIA to see a walk around and build of the diorama.
TWA hotel? Did I wake up in the 1960s? How is TWA hotel a thing in 2025?
The former TWA Flight Center at JFK was converted into a hotel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Hotel
Interesting how the older dioramas seem slightly yellowed/sepia-toned. I'd always that thought that was an artifact of older photographs (and I certainly remember the world being just as vividly colored back then), but if these are "historically accurate," maybe I'm mistaken?
All I could think looking at the (amazing) dioramas was how much time they could save with something like the EufyMake Printer that could print out all the textures they're making by hand (or 3d printing).
Adam Savage review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD8r1UBwLL0