Florida Railroad Museum, Parrish

About Florida Railroad Museum

The Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish operates diesel-powered train excursions on a six-mile rail line between Parrish and Willow, Florida. Visitors ride in open-air, open-window, and air-conditioned cars on weekend trips including the Willow Express, a 1.5-hour round-trip journey. Special events feature the North Pole Express with activities at the North Pole, the Pumpkin Patch Express where children pick pumpkins to take home, the Train Robbery Experience depicting Old West action, and the Civil War Re-Enactment exploring Union and Confederate history. The museum preserves rolling stock and equipment from the 1940s and 1950s on a rail line originally built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in the early 1900s. On weekdays, the Ticket Office, Gift Shop, and Model Railroad operate with no admission charge. A replica Seaboard Air Line Station in Willow displays railroad artifacts. Volunteer members operate the trains entirely. The museum is located in rural Manatee County.