Willow Express Round-Trip Train Ride

Ride a 13-mile historic railroad excursion in open-air or air-conditioned cars.

From$21/ person

Duration

1.5 Hours

Includes

13-mile train ride, Open & AC cars

Highlights

Climb aboard the Willow Express for a 13-mile, 1.5-hour journey between Parrish and Willow, Florida. Enjoy scenery from open-air cars or relax in air-conditioned coaches as the train rolls rain or shine.

Ride 13 miles from Parrish to Willow
Choose open-air or air-conditioned seating
Experience a 1.5-hour round-trip journey
Upgrade to sit in the locomotive cab
Travel rain or shine through rural Florida

What's Included

1.5-hour round-trip train ride
Open-air cars and air-conditioned coaches

Things to know

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure to park, pick up tickets at the Ticket Office, and board.

Cancellation policy

Tickets, gift cards, service fees and memberships are non-refundable. Contact the museum at least 48 hours before your ride to exchange tickets for another date or convert their value to a gift card. Weather cancellations receive a gift card for future use. If the museum cancels for mechanical or staffing reasons, you will receive a full refund, including service fees.

Meeting location

12210 83rd St East Parrish, FL

Experience provided by Florida Railroad Museum

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Each booking directly supports small businesses in our community.

Willow Express Round-Trip Train Ride

Ride a 13-mile historic railroad excursion in open-air or air-conditioned cars.

From$21/ person

Duration

1.5 Hours

Includes

13-mile train ride, Open & AC cars

Highlights

Ride 13 miles from Parrish to Willow
Choose open-air or air-conditioned seating
Experience a 1.5-hour round-trip journey
Upgrade to sit in the locomotive cab
Travel rain or shine through rural Florida

What's Included

1.5-hour round-trip train ride
Open-air cars and air-conditioned coaches

Things to know

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure to park, pick up tickets at the Ticket Office, and board.

Cancellation policy

Review summary

4.5

Excellent

1.7K reviewsGoogle Maps

This is a charming spot run entirely by passionate volunteers who genuinely love sharing their railroad knowledge with visitors. Families appreciate the donation-based train rides through Florida wilderness, and the volunteers are consistently praised for being friendly and eager to talk about the trains' history and operations. Special events like the North Pole Express and Thomas the Train visits are particularly popular with younger children. Getting there early is smart since lines form quickly, and pre-registering on their website can save time. The experience itself is wonderfully low-key and nostalgic, featuring vintage 1950s-60s trains and even an open-air circus car from Ringling Bros. However, a few visitors felt the ride could use more animation or interactive elements to keep very young kids fully engaged during the journey. The museum portion is modest and can get hot since there's no AC, but the collection at Willow Station offers some interesting historical pieces to explore. Most families find it a worthwhile diversion from typical beach activities, especially if their kids have any interest in trains. Bringing your own drinks and snacks is recommended for the trip.

What people are saying

I took my five year old grandson, thoroughly enjoyed the park. There’s no cost to ride the railroad, but they do ask for a donation since everyone who works there is a volunteer. Check out the website to pre-register, or you could register while standing in line. I recommend getting there early, as a line forms quickly.