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Tuesday 11am - 3pm Wednesday 11am - 3pm Thursday 11am - 3pm Friday 11am - 3pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

Central Florida Railroad Museum

Name: Central Florida Railroad Museum
Address: 101 S Boyd Street, Winter Garden, FL, 34787, US
Telephone: (407) 656-0559
Price range: Not Applicable

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Central Florida Railroad Museum

The Central Florida Railroad Museum is located in downtown Winter Garden. Free admission.

The Central Florida Railroad Museum, opened in 1983, is located in the historic Tavares and Gulf Railroad depot, located one block south of Winter Garden’s thriving historic Plant Street and the West Orange Trail. The station, built in 1913, was purchased by the Central Florida Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1979 and rehabilitated for use as a railroad museum. In 2003, the W

inter Garden Heritage Foundation became partners with the Central Florida Chapter of the National Railway Society and the City of Winter Garden to make the extensive private collections of local, state and national memorabilia and photographs of Central Florida’s railway history accessible to the public. On January 1, 2013, the Central Florida Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Inc. withdrew from the national organization and reorganized as the Central Florida Railway Historical Society, Inc., a 501c3 educational organization. One of Florida’s virtually undiscovered gems, the museum holds a large collection of dining car china and silverware, a 1938 Fairmont motor car, a velocipede hand car and historical artifacts from railroads in Central Florida and elsewhere. Junior train enthusiasts will be delighted visiting the Chessie System caboose (located at the Heritage Museum on Plant Street), an HO scale train layout, and an interactive Thomas wooden train set and layout. The Central Florida Railway Historical Society hosts several special events throughout the year. To learn more, visit the Central Florida Railway Historical Society web site www.cfrhs.org.

09/03/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

[Reverse]: Charleston Chapter of The National Railroad Historical Society “NUMBER 1776”

This Porter 45 ton siderod locomotive displayed with Seaboard Coast Line’s “The Spirit of ‘76” is yet another tribute to Our Nation’s Bicentennial. Museums, common carrier railroads & industrial railroads have painted locomotives to constantly remind the citizens of this great nation of our heritage.

Photo Courtesy, Kenneth Sexton

In honor of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (or 250th Anniversary), the CFRHS Library and Archives will feature postcards from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration on Mondays and Thursdays. The postcards on Monday evenings will picture the American Freedom Train that toured the 48 contiguous states in 1975 and 1976. Thursday evening postcards will illustrate a wide assortment of locomotives in special livery for the Bicentennial.

Please visit our Museum, Library, and Archives on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.

09/01/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

Livestock Arriving at the Stockyards – Our railroads carry cattle, calves, hogs, sheep, and lambs from the farms to the stockyards in the cities. Stock cars used for this purpose are like box cars except that the side walls are made of slats set two or three inches apart to give the animals plenty of fresh air. Many cars that carry hogs and sheep have two decks. Cars used for carrying poultry have sides of wire net and several decks.

Animals and poultry on their way to market are fed, watered, and looked after by caretakers who travel on the train. On long journeys, the animals are removed from the train somewhere along the way and kept for several hours in “resting pens.”

From the 1940s into the 1960s, the Association of American Railroads produced Teacher’s Kits with photos of railroad scenes and explanatory booklets to educate students and their families about the railroad industry. Our CFRHS Archives is fortunate to have materials from 4 slightly different Kits from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

The weekly posts will feature these photos and the stories behind them. We will also contrast earlier and later photos of the same topic as much as possible. Notice that the rail equipment is either unmarked or is from the “East and West Railroad.”

The CFRHS Library and Archives contain materials from the era of steam to that of diesel. Come visit us on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.

08/31/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

This 1756 edition of Poor Richard’s Almanak and goatskin-covered print inkers are some of the many artifacts chosen for display on the American Freedom Train. Each artifact helps to tell the story of the United States and its peoples over their first 250 years.

In honor of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (or 250th Anniversary), the CFRHS Library and Archives will feature postcards from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration on Mondays and Thursdays. The postcards on Monday evenings will picture the American Freedom Train that toured the 48 contiguous states in 1975 and 1976. Thursday evening postcards will illustrate a wide assortment of locomotives in special livery for the Bicentennial.

Please visit our CFRHS Archives from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturdays.

08/29/2026

We have a lineup of great events in the next two months! Take a look at our Events page for the latest information: https://www.cfrhs.org/events

08/28/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library:

From the Foreword of Orange Blossom Special: The Story of Florida’s Distinguished Winter Train, Expanded Second Edition by Theodore Shrady and Arthur M. Waldrop:

“It is hoped that this book will rekindle the memory of a wonderful train and bring to mind the days when train travel was a luxurious experience. The Orange Blossom Special was the pride of the Seaboard Air Line Railway. It was tended to by a corps of dedicated railroaders whose concern was for nothing but the finest service for thousands of discerning passengers who graced the fine appointments of its interior.”

The CFRHS Library and Archives contain materials from the era of steam to that of diesel. Come visit us on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.

08/27/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

[Reverse]: The Belt Railway Company of Chicago’s “Unit Number 534”
This MP15 Unit, Built By The Electo-Motive Division of General Motors Corporation will serve as a Patriotic Reminder of Our Nation’s Bicentennial while working in the Chicago area.

Photo Courtesy of the Belt Railway Company of Chicago

In honor of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (or 250th Anniversary), the CFRHS Library and Archives will feature postcards from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration on Mondays and Thursdays. The postcards on Monday evenings will picture the American Freedom Train that toured the 48 contiguous states in 1975 and 1976. Thursday evening postcards will illustrate a wide assortment of locomotives in special livery for the Bicentennial.

Please visit our Museum, Library, and Archives on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.

08/25/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

Bananas Come by Ship and Rail – Bananas travel thousands of miles to reach our tables. Most of the bananas we eat grow in Central America, the north coast of South America, and the West Indies. They are first shipped over little railroads to the seaports; then by steamships to our ports; then over our railroads to cities and towns all over the United States.

Sometimes bananas are unloaded from a steamship to refrigerator cars on large car floats, or “lighters,” as seen in the larger picture. The floats are then towed to another dock, their tracks are connected with railroad tracks and the cars are hauled away to a freight yard. There a banana train is “made up” and sent on its way. Sometimes one ship will bring enough bananas to fill two or more trains.

From the 1940s into the 1960s, the Association of American Railroads produced Teacher’s Kits with photos of railroad scenes and explanatory booklets to educate students and their families about the railroad industry. Our CFRHS Archives is fortunate to have materials from 4 slightly different Kits from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

The weekly posts will feature these photos and the stories behind them. We will also contrast earlier and later photos of the same topic as much as possible. Notice that the rail equipment is either unmarked or is from the “East and West Railroad.”

Holdings in the CFRHS Library cover many different aspects of railroading present and past. Open Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm, we invite you to visit us.

08/24/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

These historical documents: the Louisiana Purchase (1803), Oregon Compromise (1846), and Gadsden Purchase (1853) with skippets are some of the many artifacts chosen for display on the American Freedom Train. Each artifact helps to tell the story of the United States and its peoples over their first 250 years.

In honor of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (or 250th Anniversary), the CFRHS Library and Archives will feature postcards from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration on Mondays and Thursdays. The postcards on Monday evenings will picture the American Freedom Train that toured the 48 contiguous states in 1975 and 1976. Thursday evening postcards will illustrate a wide assortment of locomotives in special livery for the Bicentennial.

Holdings in the CFRHS Library cover many different aspects of railroading present and past. Open Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm, we invite you to visit us.

08/21/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

The route map in this reprint of a Colorado Midland timetable illustrated how the railway connected the cities of Denver, Pueblo, and Grand Junction. The vividly colored cover of the timetable is certainly eye-catching.

Also eye-catching is the list of the stage connections available to passengers on the Colorado Midland. Taking the stagecoach to Saint Elmo meant a 6-hour dusty, rough, and generally uncomfortable ride – but your fare for the 20-mile trip was only one dollar each way!

The CFRHS Archives holds materials on railroading from across the United States. Please visit us on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm.

08/20/2026

In the Headlight at CFRHS Library and Archives:

[Reverse]: Beaunit Corporation’s “New Spirit of ‘76”

This 0-6-0 fireless steam locomotive was built by H. K. Porter Company in October 1936 and can be seen doing the switching operations at Beaunit Corporation’s factory at Elizabethton, Tennessee. This steam locomotive from the past is yet another tribute to Our Nation’s Bicentennial.

Photo Courtesy of Mary Jayne Rowe

In honor of our nation’s Semiquincentennial (or 250th Anniversary), the CFRHS Library and Archives will feature postcards from the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration on Mondays and Thursdays. The postcards on Monday evenings will picture the American Freedom Train that toured the 48 contiguous states in 1975 and 1976. Thursday evening postcards will illustrate a wide assortment of locomotives in special livery for the Bicentennial.

Our library and archives house materials covering railroading in North America from the age of steam to that of diesels. We hope you’ll visit us soon!

Address

101 S Boyd Street
Winter Garden, FL
34787

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 3pm
Wednesday	11am - 3pm
Thursday	11am - 3pm
Friday	11am - 3pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

(407) 656-0559

Website

https://www.cfrhs.org/

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