Florida Railroad Museum trying to regain steam for new Parrish home under construction
A 25,000-square-foot, multi-million dollar home for the Florida Railroad Museum promises to help transform the Parrish community while preserving the area’s heritage that might otherwise be lost to rapid-fire development.
During the groundbreaking in 2018, officials for the nonprofit museum at 12210 83rd St. E. declined to forecast a completion date, knowing that it would be a pay-as-you-go process.
One thing that they didn’t count on was a pandemic.
“COVID has really hit us hard. We couldn’t get workers, and the price of steel went up 50%,” community booster Ben Jordan said.
But progress has been made.
The walls for the ticket office/ display area and the “freight room” — a community building with restrooms and space for everything from plays to meetings and weddings — are up and awaiting a roof, as are the massive steel beams that will house rolling stock, such as locomotives and rail cars.
Stanley Kotas, museum president, is hopeful that some of the new museum facilities will be open in two years.
Manatee County commissioners pledged up to $1.7 million in tourist bed tax money in 2017 for the museum project, reimbursing the nonprofit for half of its construction expenses. The museum and the county have also reached an agreement to extend sewer service to the new facility for restrooms.
Kotas wants to reach out to the developers — who have turned Parrish and the North River area into one of Manatee County’s hottest development areas — for financial support to help complete the museum.
The museum represents “a seed for the future, helping create a sense of place and a sense of community, Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said during the groundbreaking in 2018.
Now in its 40th year, the museum started with seven railroad enthusiasts, one locomotive, less than a half dozen rail cars, and no land.
Today, it has 11 locomotives, 69 pieces of rolling stock, as well as Ringling Brothers circus wagons donated by Feld Entertainment, 14 acres in Parrish and 13 acres in the whistle stop of Willow, 6 1/2 miles to the north.
The museum operates under the guidelines of the Federal Railway Administration.
Over the years, the museum has built a strong following. Recently, Thomas the Tank Engine drew thousands of families. The event typically attracts between 8,500 and 10,000 people, Kotas said.
The most popular event, however, is the Polar Express which over a three-week period in December attracts more than 20,000. When tickets go on sale in August, 80% are sold within three weeks, Kotas said.
In addition to its full-size rolling stock, the museum also has a model railroad division that includes miniatures of many Parrish landmarks and model trains from the time period 1925-55.
“The expansion is not the end of our dream process. We would also like to be open to the public seven days a week and offer classes to teach community history,” Kotas said.
While the museum office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, train rides are offered only Saturday and Sunday.
As the years roll on, there are fewer places like the Florida Railroad Museum, where a train buff can take a ride, rent a caboose, or book time in a locomotive.
“A lot of tourist railroads around the country folded during the pandemic,” Kotas said.
For more information about museum events, memberships and donations, visit https://www.frrm.org/ or call 941-776-0906.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
