ANAHEIM, Calif. — Dave Sheegog pitched his wife the idea of creating a miniature model of Disneyland in his backyard as an educational tool for his kids.

“As the years went by, it became very obvious that this was dad’s project,” said Sheegog, an architect by trade. “Over the years, it has just expanded. Then when we started the public open houses here, I was completely taken by surprise that this has meant to many people that we see here, year after year.”

Sheegog named his mini theme park Castle Peak & Thunder Railroad. He opens it up for free public visits periodically via his website, https://www.cptrr.com/. Tickets are typically gone within minutes of release.

Michael Biggerstaff from nearby Costa Mesa was among the lucky few to secure a ticket.

“Just seeing someone who has put so much heart and effort into the mini version of pretty much my childhood, it’s really cool,” said Biggerstaff.