Like most men of a certain age, and to be fair, probably most men in general — Dad has always had a thing for old trains. He spent most of his working life in the rail industry and is never happier than when he’s travelling on a train or poking around rusty old rail machinery.
Also like most men of a certain age, he’s next to impossible to buy birthday presents for.
So when we discovered that the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish, Florida was only a couple of hours’ drive from our base in Davenport and his birthday fell during the same month as our holiday it felt like two birds well and truly dealt with using one stone
The Florida Railroad Museum
The Florida Railroad Museum is a volunteer-run heritage railway dedicated to preserving Florida’s rail history. Located in rural Parrish, it features a collection of historic steam and diesel locomotives, vintage railcars, and railway memorabilia.
One of the highlights is a six-mile return journey along a preserved section of track that cuts through the Florida countryside — a world away from theme parks, queues and souvenir shops.
You can find more information about the museum, events and train rides on their official website:
A Very Special Surprise
As well as standard train rides, the museum offers the chance to upgrade to a driver experience, allowing passengers to ride up front in the locomotive alongside the engineer.
So before we’d even left the UK, we quietly booked tickets online for Dad and Oscar — and kept it completely under wraps.
The moment we told him he’d be riding up front was priceless. Grandpa and Grandson absolutely loved every minute of it, and it was genuinely one of those moments where you know you’ve absolutely nailed a birthday surprise.
Exploring the Yard and the Journey Itself
Even if you’re not riding up front, there’s plenty to enjoy. We spent time wandering around the yard, looking at the various steam and diesel engines, chatting to volunteers, and soaking up the slower pace of life.
The train journey itself was relaxed and scenic, trundling through open countryside, farmland and woodland — a far cry from the noise and intensity of an Orlando theme park day.
Would We Recommend It?
If you’re not into locomotives or railways, then this probably isn’t the museum for you.
But for us, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day out. Something different. Something calm. And a brilliant excuse to escape the hustle and bustle of a typical Orlando holiday for a few hours.
From us, it gets a definite thumbs up.
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