This was such a great experience! We did the Murder Mystery ride and it was amazing! The characters were engaging and involved the audience in solving the murder in a fun way. The staff was friendly and welcoming and the food was delicious! Highly recommend this experience! read more

We had high expectations for the North Pole Express at the Florida Railroad Museum, but unfortunately the experience was very disappointing. The weather was extremely poor, which significantly affected the event, yet it still went on without any real adjustments or consideration for guest comfort. Long waits in the cold and rain, general disorganization, and a lack of clear direction made the evening stressful rather than enjoyable -- especially for families with children. The overall experience did not come close to what was advertised or priced. When we reached out afterward, customer service was slow and unresponsive, and a refund was denied despite the circumstances. The alternative offered was a future-use gift card, which isn't helpful if you're unable to return. To make matters worse, the amount offered didn't even match what we actually paid. Between the event itself and the way concerns were handled afterward, this was a frustrating and disappointing experience. We would not recommend this event based on how it was run and how customer issues were addressed. read more

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Went on the Polar Express train tonight...was in a First Class car which was quite comfortable (sadly the parlor car was sold out when we booked). Kristi was our attendant and she was friendly and attentive. There were some carolers going through the cars. When we arrived at the North Pole, there were several tents sent up. We went to the food tent and had a delicious chargrilled chicken pita and fries, although they also offered a delicious smelling London broil sandwich, Nathan's hot dogs, and some other choices. Staff was friendly. We were entertained by four MSA ( Manatee School of the Arts),singing Christmas songs and leading games...but this awesome trip was literally dampened by a large and long thunder storm with torrential rains and flooding. The storm led to the stoppage of campfires, the bouncy house and a bunch of activities we didn't see because we were in the tent the entire time. The rain got so bad the singers literally stopped/ left... Nevertheless, everyone was friendly, the area was beautifully decorated, and most were dressed up in holiday fun wear. Entire trip was supposed to be 3.5 hours, with about 2 hours at the "North Pole" ( the museum and grounds), but the train returned early to take us back. Definitely returning. read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Rain blurring the photo - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

We had a great time on the train rid. An affordable, fun, and unique experience. Very family friendl.

What a gem in the area. It's nice to have a piece of Florida's Gilded Age still around locally. I recently I took my daughter for the Polar Express ride and I cannot say enough good things about it. The railroad museum stop in Wimauma is quite informative and interesting to see. I cannot fathom how life was back then during the time of the operational and travel-centered railroad. Many of the workers are volunteers and it is nice to see a sense of community there. Thanks for everything, Florida Railroad Museum! read more

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We had a fantastic time on the Valentine's Day train. We took my parents and I think all 4 us us smiled the entire time. The train was fun, the food was amazing, and the atmosphere was magical. Be sure to visit Betty's train! read more

I love the Florida Railroad Museum! It's run by volunteers who put their heart into their work, and they made everything so special for us. They were so knowledgeable about the old trains and they made the ride entertaining. I booked an event train for Valentine's Day. We enjoyed a 30 minute train ride, a three course dinner, and live music. They host several events throughout the year. I'm looking forward to bringing more of my family back to the train. read more

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I have been wanting to take my boys to the Polar Express experience at the Florida Railroad Museum for years, but the tickets (especially on Friday and Saturday night) sell out so quickly! Tickets for this holiday event go on sale in August, be we didn't want to commit to a date four months beforehand. My husband frequently checked the Florida Railroad Museum's website for cancellations and were able to purchase four tickets for our family a week prior to our train ride. Our tickets were extremely expensive because we decided to ride in first class, but I think it was worth it because the train is air conditioned/heated and our family of four was seated at a comfortable private booth in the train. Guests are advised to show up 45 minutes early to avoid missing their train, but our train departed at least ten minutes late. Traffic is usually awful on Fridays from Tampa so we left two hours early just incase we encountered any major delays. We ended up arriving over an hour before our departure and saw other families having picnics outside their car. There is a Publix nearby if you want to grab a sandwich or snack. I would advise using the bathroom before arriving because only porta potties are available at the train station. The bathroom facilities at the train stop are much nicer and the sinks don't use reclaimed water. Check-in at the ticket counter was a breeze and we quickly found our assigned seats on the train. I was a little bummed that we received paper wristbands instead of Polar Express train tickets. The train cars are festively decorated for Christmas and we had carolers stop by our train car to sing a few carols, but there is no hot chocolate or any references to the Polar Express movie on the train ride. Passengers on our train car were offered a small selection of complimentary water, sodas, and snacks (chips, chex-mix, cookies). My kids had a wonderful time on the train ride, but I do feel like there were some missed opportunities to make the experience a little more magical. Note: take motion sickness medicine prior to boarding the train if you frequently experience motion sickness. The train does shake a lot! We were greeted by Santa and his helpers when we arrived at the "Polar Express". My boys went nuts over this part of the Polar Express ride and in my opinion, made the entire experience a must-do for Santa Believers. The Polar Express stop was festively decorated with Christmas lights and campfires. I would describe the atmosphere as redneck chic and very campy. Definitely do not wear heels and dress for the outdoors. My 7 year old was almost too old/tall for the majority of the Polar Express activities (lighted maze, bounce house, play area, tractor ride) so I would suggest this experience for younger children. He did love drinking hot cocoa, making s'mores over the campfire, and visiting Santa. I would advise making a beeline to Santa first because this line will only get busier as the night goes on. I decided to finally join the line an hour after we arrived and it was about a 30 minute wait, but the experience was absolutely magical and worth the wait! There was unlimited cookies and cocoa at the Polar Express, but my husband mentioned the cocoa was barely lukewarm so we opted to buy food instead. I am not sure if the vendor offerings change seasonally, but I highly recommend the sausage dog with sautéed onions and peppers. Prices weren't awful and were what you would expect to pay at an event. We managed to skip the foam "snow party" while we waited in line for Santa. This is a newish experience that has been added to the Polar Express Experience and I heard a mix of mostly negative comments about the foam party so I was glad to skip the foam. Plan to bring a change of clothes if your kids insist on doing this experience because the foam party takes place about an hour before the train at the end of the experience boards so your child(ren) may have to suffer in their wet/muddy clothes for about 90 minutes until you return to your car. This is probably a one and done experience for me because my oldest son will be too old for most of the Polar Express activities next year, but I am really glad we got to experience it this year! read more

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It was a great experience we did the hobo cookout train ride. The crew was great it's a great experience

We visited the Florida Railroad Museum for the Polar Express ride to the North Pole, and it was nothing short of amazing! Booking our tickets for the North Pole Express was an easy process, but you have to make sure you try and book the day the tickets are available because they sell out quickly. The night we went was due for a rainstorm (good old Florida weather for ya), but we dodged it while st the 'North Pole' and only experienced getting rain on the way back, which the nice employee told us we could move to the cart ahead of us, which was inside. We will be repeat customers! read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Foam party at the North Pole - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

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Strictly for little kids, do NOT go expecting anything charming or geared to grownups. A big dirt lot with a couple of expensive fried food carts ($8 for a hotdog), no entertainment other than amateur teenagers singing poorly along with karaoke recordings, smoky and smelly firepits that gave my husband an asthma attack. Only "good" thing was our Elf (Debbie, I think?) on the train who sang a couple of Christmas songs with her wonderful voice, and was friendly and talented. read more

I cannot recommend the Polar Express ride enough. My 2 kids (4.5 and 2) had an absolute blast. The conductor was great, we had an outside car and the temperature was cooler so we did bring little blankets for the kids. They had firepits and smores (cost extra) but it was a nice set up and loved it! There were lights, and a mini tractor ride for the kids. The choir was singing on stage which was nice, we waited in line for santa, they had hot cocoa and cookies, ornaments for the kids, a place do make reindeer food, cornhole, a train set toy to play with. It is definitely geared towards younger kids in my opinion but we had a blast. They also had food vendors with hotdogs, fries, italian sausage, funnel cake and more. Water was $3 per bottle but that was my only complaint! read more

Nice train ride and interesting exhibits. Model railroad is nice as well. Worth a visit.

Went on a group outing and everyone had a great time. It's well worth it to take this little trip that gives you a glimpse of old Florida and the future. We had a very knowledgeable and entertaining conductor. read more

Something different a lot of fun and relaxing. The actors were very interactive and friendly! read more

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The Polar Express was well done! My son enjoyed every part of the experience. The staff, volunteers & Santa were all so friendly. I thought two hours would be too long at the North Pole but it was perfect for him to do all the activities. The train arriving back to r North Pole to pick us up provided him another cool train experience. read more

Love this train ride to the north pole! The grandkids had a great time! We've been coming for about seven years every Christmas. Would highly recommend! read more

I have been on the North Pole experience multiple times. As always the decorations were amazing, staff friendly, caroler wonderful, and events and food entertaining. My biggest complaint is the COST of the event overall. Tickets for 6 people were nearly $600 and food was $15 for a sandwich, add drinks and you spend another $100 to have fair food. So, my only complaint is the cost of the event. In fact, all of their events are getting overpriced. But, if the cost doesn't bother you then you will have a good time. read more

We went on the north pole express last night. Had a great time! Staff was really warm and friendly! Would definitely recommend.

Share an original experience on a vintage train with your friend and family both young to old. The Train robbery and ride was so much fun. The volunteers were beyond friendly and kind to everyone. Looking forward to taking my family to the Polar Express event next Christmas. read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

My two sons and I had a wonderful time on our Willow Express train trip!! The train ride waas amazing and everyone volunteering was so friendly! They shared their knowledge of trains with us. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and can't wait to do it again!! read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

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Had a great time with my wife and adult children on the murder mystery train ride. The train was comfortable, the hosts on the train very accommodating, the food excellent, and the performance entertaining. All in all, a superb experience. I am looking forward to trying some of the other available experiences. read more

My family went on the Polar Express train ride and had a great time! Overall it was a fun experience and I was very impressed with the sheer number of volunteers running the event. There were a few things that could be improved such as our train was 10-15 min late; and the included cookies and hot chocolate that were available at the North Pole (Willow stop) would have been better on the train ride instead of the generic chips and soda snack. It is an event very much geared towards small children so my teenager and his friend were a little bored with the activities, but they did seem to have a lot of fun seeing all the lights and going on the tractor wagon ride. My father in law and I really enjoyed the museum displays and we marveled at the amount of history captured in such an interactive way, especially knowing the age of the train cars! read more

This was our first trip for the Polar Express. Girls are 11 and 8 and felt if we didn't this year it may be too late. Parkingveasy. Only port a pots thrre. Wish there was someone at the entrance line telling us to go up and see the train display in the old train car or the gift shop. Found them on our way to the train so had to be quick. The model train world was fascinating. Gift Shop small. Volunteers helpful but don't know how to make change. Charged me $1 too much and didn't understand when I corrected her. Just left it as a donation. Note: almost everything is avaible at Santa's village too. We paid $$$ to be in a car but had to pay for 6 even though we were only 5 in order to sit together. Our conductor was very kind and friendly. Chips and water or soda came with ticket. Carolers came through for two songs on way there and once on way back. As we were inside we had a cozy ride back on a COLD night. Santa and helpers were EXCELLENT. Friendly volunteers. Lots of food but cost $$. 11 year okd was not permitted in the bounce house "too tall" per the kid overseeing the house. VERY hurtful to watch. Took the fun out of the day. There's nit much for preterns to do. Good restroom facilities at village. Use them. Bathroom on train very difficult to use and unisex. Reindeer food craft was oatmeal and glitter so could not even give to birds. Only one ornament craft worth doing. Little kids play area. Little kids mini train ride. Little kids mini maze. Free hot cocoa and cookie. We paid extra for s'mores kit. Little fire pits cozy. Couple of vendors booths. High prices. Small RR museum worth a pop in as you board train. Try to walk through a train car for the vintage experience. Really not wheelchair friendly. Nor ambulatory friendly. Oh yeah. Many folks cane in pajamas. read more

Trains, Hot Dogs & Hobos.... I was the fortunate recipient of a wonderful Christmas present gifted to me by my Fab One. She bought 2 tickets to Paradise....well, almost. She bought 2 tickets to the Museum's Hobo Campfire Cookout train ride! The excitement of looking forward to this trip gave us energy and inspiration like we were The Little Engine That Could. We huffed and puffed up the hill of the holidays and over the crest of January. C'mon January 22nd! The big day finally arrived. It was time for me to virtually unwrap my present. Driving like a safe Casey Jones, I guided my land locomotive into the depot of the Parrish landmark. Silver white streaks glinted across the windshield, reflected off stainless-steel railcars in the pre-dusk sunlight. There was a small crowd of cold-weather coat in hand passengers queued at the gate. The mood was very upbeat. The unified pulse of excitement was palpable. As our boarding time arrived, so did the various train icons. The Conductor. The Train Master. The Engineers. As boarding began, I was hoping to hear that proverbial "All Aboard!" call.... maybe it came but we were too far back? Boarding this rolling museum, we headed towards the rear of the train. We were free to roam the cabins, as it were, settling into the last two seats on the right. In a railcar with an enormous amount of legroom between the rows of seats. A post-trip conversation with Josh, the Train Master, taught me the exciting history of the railcar in which we rode. Every detail of this man showed his love for his work! Built in the early 1950's, our passenger car started life riding the tracks of the Union-Pacific Railroad. Then it moved north to the Alaska Railroad, which explained the huge amount of leg room within! Had to have plenty of room for those bundled up travelers, their boots/gear AND their sled dogs! Wow! After a while the car came back south to warm up on the Amtrak lines. Its last paydays were with the New Georgia Railroad, before the Florida Railroad Museum acquired it. We were literally riding in a museum masterpiece! 5:30 departure time. We felt a low clunk as that mighty Number 204 diesel engine five cars ahead of us eased out of the station. Slowly slipping past our vintage windows were other remnants of the glory days of rail travel. Steam engine. Baggage cars. Railyard artifacts. The lullaby of the rail with its clickety clack lilt and the car's slow rocking tilt hypnotized and romanticized. For the next few hours, we were the baggage being handled with extreme care. Giving way to the panorama of potato row, Florida flora and orange tree 'graveyard' at Periwinkle Junction (as explained by our car's guide and docent Caroline), we soon sighted Willow, our next stop, as ol' 204 began to brake. 220 passengers (as counted by Edward, the Conductor) began to disembark the train. Oak-infused columns of campfire smoke triggered the olfactory OH!-factory of the mind. Inhaled remembrances of campfires past. Of food, fun and family. Our detraining path took us to a table where we were presented with the icon of the hobo world, a red or blue bandana hanging off of a stick. Tucked safely inside was our hobo meal of a hot dog, bun, condiments and marshmallows. With a glance to the left, our hobo tables were set! Steel rings of fire surrounded by 4 bales of hay or 4 low benches. I did not count them all, but surely there were 20 or more of these blazing fire rings! As did the other hobos, Fab One and I found a set of comfy bales to call our own, next to another hobo couple. Opening hobo sacks and unwrapping foil-wrapped weinies to kabob onto the sack stick was our next order of business. Believe me, there is something about cooking a hot dog over an open fire on a cold night with the murmur of ol' 204 in the background as ambiance. Once I'd perfected the char on my dog, I inverted the bun saddle-style on top, balancing it over the coals to get a nice crunchy heated munch. There was plenty of lemonade to wash it all down. Graciously, this was an All-You-Can-Eat hobo feast! The air was alive with an intoxicating mix of franks and marshmallows, music and mirth. Did I mention there was a 7-man Bluegrass band playing? Plenty of train tunes to pick and pluck. The gray cover of cozy campfire smoke, memories of my grandparent's train travel did evoke. Those smoke belching stacks as their locomotives idled on the tracks. With an "All Aboard" and campfires to our backs, this load of hobos was getting back ON the train. No need to ride in boxcar or under a car. For 2 1/2 hours, 220 people plus crew were transported not only to a place of music, food & fires, but also to a place that inspires. A soothing stop in an oft-crowded station we call life. Life on the rails, a lot of wonderful tales... Best Christmas present ever! Thank you Fab One AND the Florida Railroad Museum! read more

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Took my granddaughters for their first train ride and they really enjoyed it. The staff was amazing amd very engaged with the passengers. They have a train robbery version I would like to ride later in the year read more

I've tried for 3 years to get tickets, and finally it happened. It was worth it! It was our first visit to the museum, and we'll have to go back in the daylight. It was very very dark around the station, and we needed flashlights to find our way to our boarding gate. I highly recommend the enclosed car. It was very cold the night we visited (11/30/24). The North Pole was great. We did not wait in the long line to see Santa. Other families told me it took about an hour. We used that time to make s'mores, drink hot chocolate, and see other things. The kids singing were great. And, all the staff was helpful. Real food and items not purchased ahead of time were expensive, but that was expected. read more

Great experience the whole crew fabulous big shout out to Evan, I did the locomotive cab ride best time Evan knew everything about the railroad, I think he knows every tie and spike thank you Evan. I will be back soon. read more

Joshua was a great engineer, very knowledgeable. Locomotive rental is an awesome opportunity to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience. read more

The Polar express ride was a complete waste of time. We had tickets for a Saturday night at 7:15 over 100 people waiting for the train that was supposed to be on time. The tickets tell you to get there 45 minutes early only to wait around in a dirt parking lot with disgusting potties. The train was over 30 minutes late when you get onto the train there is no entertainment, barely any music and definitely no hot chocolate or cookies. What's worse is you take a 35 minute train ride completely cramped in only for them to drop you off in another dirt parking lot for 2 1/2 hours. You have to pay for all of the food and all of the s'mores kids. Nothing is free except for one cup of hot chocolate a bland, not even decorated sugar cookie. I cannot be more disappointed with my experience with this situation, even after driving over 2 1/half hours to get there. I would not recommend this event or this facility to anyone. read more

We have done the Polar Express for the last several years and this year is even more magical than ever! The night ended with a musical performance that my grandson was chosen to participate in! simply magical! thank you so much! read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

We had an enjoyable experience on the Polar Express. The kids had a great time. It took a while to get it to see Santa but the line moved pretty well. Kids had fun in bounce house, making reindeer food. Barrel train ride, hay wagon ride. Great singers on the train. We appreciated the snacks on the train and plenty of food offerings once you arrive at the North Pole. The kids got to make S'mores with the kits for purchase. I don't think I would spend the money for the climate controlled cars. It was nice having a table for all six of us but very pricey. $588. Dress for the weather and rough it. Our kiddos were 2 years and 2 of them were 3 1/2. Glad we had three adults. Pretty dark in some areas. Can't forget the free sugar cookies and hot chocolate. Good for all ages. Train ride was great. This is not very handicap friendly. Not a criticism, just something to be aware of. read more

It was our first time here this last Saturday because it's a 2 hour drive for us. Well worth it for my husband and I. Conductor Evan, Guide Dakota and Debbie were amazing! I'd mention all the volunteers here but I can't remember their names. LOL The train ride was so much fun (albeit a lot of swaying since it was an old track) and I loved Dakota's availability to ask lots of questions. It's my birthday month and I had no idea that the team also honored birthdays! The crew and passengers sand me happy birthday and I was even given an awesome gift. Wow! I love that we had Debbie (and Al?) sing for us on the way back. Debbie has got the voice of an angelic jazz singer which is my favorite style of music. We learned a lot on the grounds of Willow, Florida (now considered a ghost town when we chatted with Dakota about it). On the grounds we were allowed to disembark and look at all the railroad memorability, train parts and more. I even picked up a free train magazine copy at the Train Office. I also LOVED the model train room. We'll be back for the Bank Robbery tour also. I mentioned to my niece (whom lives in Parrish) about their Easter tour. I'll be promoting the Florida Railroad Museum. Great team of volunteers and it was a wonderful experience! A+ read more

We have ridden the Polar Express for 7 years and it has gotten better and better each time! The Grinch and "snow to play in, arts and crafts to do, reindeer food to make, Santa (the best one we have encountered) to meet, Musical Sing-A-Longs, barrel car rides for the kids, and fun fair foods all after a wonderous train ride. What could be more fun and memory-making? Highly recommend! read more

Great stop for the whole family. There's a super cute train museum with an interactive train town setup that the kids can push buttons to make the trains stop and go, work the railroad crossing lights, etc. They have different events throughout the year. This weekend was a train robbery. The actors did a great job playing their characters and getting the crowd involved. If your kids love trains this is definitely a great spot to check out! read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

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What an amazing afternoon! My sister & I brought our mom to Florida Railroad Museum on the first Sunday in February to celebrate her birthday. I'll definitely return again soon, but the visiting Jeddo Coal #85 steam engine was the main attraction for our visit! At FRRM for three weekends only, I was excited to ride behind this restored beauty & enjoy hearing train history from volunteers in every car. The round-trip train ride was quite long, about 90 minutes in total, which included moving the engine from one end of the 4-car train to other end for the return ride, and a 15-minute layover in Willow. Once we'd decided on the Sunday excursion at noon, I bought our tickets online the night prior. As this was a special event, adult tickets were $18 each, which is $4 more than the usual FRRM weekend rides. I also paid $2 extra per ticket for the convenience of ordering online, but I felt that fee was completely worthwhile. Although it was Superbowl Sunday, I know that steam engines are a big deal, and we did not want to risk disappointment upon arriving at the station in Parrish. Via www.frrm.org: "Jeddo Coal Company #85, 'Mack', is a standard gauge, coal burning, 0-4-0 Tank Steam Engine owned and restored by Gramling Locomotive Works". Restoration began in 2007 & was completed in 2017. This engine was a lot of fun to see in action, but the coal's smoke exhaust was conversely just as impressive! On the trip to Willow, we rode inside the first-class lounge car but made frequent trips to the open-air flat car at the rear of the train. Before arriving at the Willow Depot, I ventured up to the open-air gondola to get some photos of #85 steaming along the track. As the day warmed up significantly, I spent most of the return trip on the open-air gondola, now at the rear of the train, enjoying the raw Florida scrub & the train sway. Unfortunately, the exhaust fumes were bothering my mom & sister by this point, so we also rode in the other enclosed coach for some of the return trip. Both enclosed passenger cars had bathrooms available. The first class lounge had a large facility with several sinks plus two water-closet-style toilets. Though the entire train is non-smoking now, it was interesting to see an ashtray opposite the toilet in this bathroom. The other coach had a small bathroom at either end. Also, the gift shop at the Parrish station has two small bathrooms (its a renovated train car, too!), and the parking lot has a couple of port-o-lets. Atlantic Coast Line #250, First Class Lounge: built in 1954 by Pullman Company; in regular service through 1983; renovated & redecorated before purchase by FRRM in 2013. This lounge car has a snack bar & accepts cash or credit card! We enjoyed sitting in here because the seating was more open & our group of 5 could chat more easily. FRRM 86902, Open-air Flat Car: built as a freight car to haul semi-trailers; later used by Ringling Circus to transport circus equipment & wagons; FRRM acquired the car from Ringling in late '90's; converted to "open air" in 2002. Seating in this car was simply a single 2-sided wooden bench running the length of the car. FRRM 91982, Open-air Gondola: built as a freight gondola; acquired by FRRM in 2002 & converted to an "open air coach". The seating in this car looked more comfortable with vinyl upholstered bench seats in rows. Seaboard Air Line #821, Excursion Class Coach: built in 1926 by American Car & Foundry as a "Jim Crow" coach and converted to a smoking coach in the mid-60's; owned by FRRM since 2009 via trade with the Kentucky Railway Museum. The windows opened in this car; seating was in the traditional train-style with upholstered seats in rows facing other travelers. I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Florida Railroad Museum, as did my entire group. The staff & volunteers were very friendly & incredibly knowledgeable. I definitely want to return soon for the regular weekend train rides or to attend one of their special events. read more

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What a fun excursion. Very low key. A cute train robbery and nice ride on a Sunday. The entertainers seemed to enjoy what they were doing and interacted with the passengers. read more

We did the polar express here and it was so much fun. It's definitely pricey, but it's a 15 minute train ride to the "North Pole" and then they have photos with Santa, a bounce house, crafts, and unlimited cookies and hot chocolate. The north pole could of been decorated a bit more hence the 4 stars, but such a great experience for kids of all ages read more

I've taken a few of the trips offered by Florida Railroad Museum and what a great time. The Hole in the gang, Hobo trip, and a few others. A great time was had by everyone. I'd recommend a trip when friends come into town to see how old time Florida once was and missed. read more

Florida Railroad Museum - Judy and I enjoying a trip on the railroad - Museums Near Me - Parrish, Florida

This is a review specifically about the North Pole Express from 12/17/22. This ride to the North Pole has been a tradition for my son and I for the past 3 years making this year 4 and I am really sad to say, I probably will not come back again. We paid for the first class service, car 214, which had no A/C and the windows didn't open. It was stuffy and uncomfortable. The seats were facing each other, so we ended up paired with other guests that we didn't even know. Usually all the rows are facing the same direction. The snack/drink that comes with First Class didn't arrive until we were 5 mins from the North Pole, we were literally getting our drinks as we were getting off the train and the event stop. The reindeer food station was unattended and they had completely run out of oats by 730PM. That has NEVER happened before. The toy/play area was a nightmare. Last year they had train tables and train tracks but no trains. So this year we brought our own trains and it turns out they had tables but no tracks! There was a corn hole station and kids were hurling the bean bags OVERhand hard at each other and hitting people around them. My son got hit twice and I ducked at the last minute to avoid getting hit in the head. Some parents were wildly irresponsible and did not watch their kids and endangered many others and it really took away from the experience, big time. On the way home, the same situation with the First Class car 214 persisted. No A/C. Usually on the way home the lights are turned down so kids start to wind down or even sleep... The lights were OFF on the way to the North Pole site and ON during the ride back. Completely opposite. The food was good. The carolling under the tent was good. The cookies and hot cocoa were good and the s'mores making area was good. I paid $175 for two tickets for this experience and this was absolutely not even close to the value for what we pay. Sadly, this will likely be our very last time on this train. I'll have to find another way to continue our train ride tradition and seeing Santa. read more