Children's Railway 1937 Pedestrian Tunnel

Why is it significant?

Before you opens the arched stone entrance of the historic Children's Railway Pedestrian Tunnel, carved directly into the western flank of Kentron.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Before you opens the arched stone entrance of the historic Children's Railway Pedestrian Tunnel, carved directly into the western flank of Kentron. Excavated in 1937 through four hundred meters of solid volcanic basalt, this straight subterranean passage was engineered to provide downtown residents with immediate, effortless pedestrian access from the central Main Avenue down into the cool parklands of the Hrazdan canyon. It remains one of the most intriguing urban passages in Yerevan.

Step inside the tunnel and feel the immediate rush of refreshing subterranean air. Regardless of how hot the summer reaches outside—even when temperatures exceed forty degrees Celsius on Republic Square—the interior of the tunnel maintains a natural, stable temperature of fourteen degrees Celsius year-round. Moisture seeping through cracks in the basalt ceiling has formed miniature calcium stalactites over the decades, while dim atmospheric lighting reflects on the damp stone walls.

The stone portals at both ends of the tunnel feature monumental bas-reliefs carved by Armenian stonecutters in the late 1930s. Look closely at the carved tuff frames to see stylized Soviet pioneer emblems, open books, and laurel leaves woven together with traditional Armenian grapevine motifs. For generations of Yerevan children, walking through this mysterious cool tunnel was the thrilling preamble to an afternoon ride on the miniature steam train.

Walking through the quiet tunnel with your footsteps echoing against the rock creates a delightfully nostalgic sensation of time travel. Emerging from the dim portal into the sunlit greenery of the canyon feels like arriving in a hidden alpine paradise. The cool mountain passage feels like an adventurous subterranean portal between two different worlds: the busy neoclassical boulevards of central Kentron and the verdant, bird-filled parklands along the Hrazdan riverbed. Emerging back into the open air leaves you with a renewed appreciation for the visionary recreational infrastructure created here in the 1930s.

Step out of the tunnel and walk forward onto the platform of the fairytale Hayrenik Pioneer Station.