The Gold Coast Railroad Museum on the grounds of the Miami MetroZoo offers visitors a chance to explore the history of railroads and their contributions to the United States. The museum includes a variety of interesting exhibits and is one of three Official State Railroad Museums in the state of Florida. It is home to more than 30 historic trains and strives to teach the public about railroad history and even allows guests to board vintage trains to get a taste of the past.
Exhibits at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum
The museum features a variety of interesting and interactive exhibits for the public to enjoy. Some of the exhibits currently on display include:
- The Ferdinand Magellan US Number 1 Presidential Rail Car
- Florida East Coast Railway Locomotive No. 153
- EMD GP 7m of Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Nr. 1804
- Silver Crescent
- 40 pieces of rolling stock and equipment
- 6 operational diesel locomotives
- Passenger cars
- Freight cars
- Model trains
- Edwin Link Children’s Railroad rides on weekends at 1pm and 3pm
- Standard gauge coach and cab rides on most weekends
Visiting the Gold Coast Railroad Museum
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is located at 12450 SW 152nd Street, next to the Miami MetroZoo. To get to the museum, take the Florida Turnpike south to exit 16 and make a right onto SW 152nd Street. The entrance to the zoo is approximately one mile down on the left.
The museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am to 4pm and on the weekends from 11am to 4pm. Hours are extended to 7pm on Thursdays for “Trains ‘til Dusk”. The Model Train Building is open weekdays from 10am to 2pm and weekends from 11am to 4pm. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Admission is $8 for adults and children ages 12 and over, $6 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under age 2.
Link rides are available on weekdays from 11:30am to 1:30pm. A link ride is $2.50, caboose or coach ride is $6, and a locomotive cab ride is $12. Tours are available on weekdays at 11am and 2pm and on weekends at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Rates and fees are subject to change without notice.
The museum offers FREE ADMISSION on the first Saturday of each month. Upcoming free days include:
Train Crew Member for a Day
Become a Train Crew Member for a Day at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum! The program enables the general public to act as part of the train crew on museum trains. It provides for thirty minutes or more of run time in one of the museum’s active locomotives. All participants in the program will be under the supervision of instructors at all times. Various packages are available including:
- The Bronze Spike – $85 – includes half hour of locomotive operation and membership to the museum.
- The Silver Spike – $145 – includes instruction, inspection of train, starting of locomotive, and acting as engineer during operation of the train. Also includes membership to museum.
- The Golden Spike – $185 – includes all of the above as well as acting as conductor during a 45 to 60 minute switch move.
More Information
For more information about the Gold Coast Railroad Museum please visit http://gcrm.orgor call 305-253-0063.
