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The depot has not only been home to trains, but also to other organizations - such as the Downtown Business Merchants Association.
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The view from the tracks in 1956 was quite different from today’s pictures. This area now includes McCall Park, a train viewing station and several businesses. (Courtesy photo | Plant City Photo Archive & History Center)
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Robert W. Willaford and other museum donors didn’t skimp on museum decor, indoors or outdoors. The museum features hundreds of relics from the railroad industry in and around Plant City, from cars to small signs.
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Several train cars are on display outside of the museum, and guests are occasionally allowed to walk around inside them.
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The museum’s most popular item is a restored Seaboard Air line caboose, No. 5735. The quote, “Long chances shorten lives,” was meant for those that worked on the train to be careful and follow safety procedures.
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Local train enthusiast Evan Gales, seen here blowing into his favorite train whistle, can be found at the depot on a regular basis. Gales enjoys sharing his knowledge with museum guests.
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The viewing platform is open to anyone that wishes to watch the Amtrak and CSX trains pass through town.
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The inside of the museum is filled with old cars and other memorabilia, including a split Seaboard car that ran through the Durant area in 1958.
Plant City’s railroad history predates the city’s incorporation. The city was established in January 1885, but the first steam engines were rolling through town starting Dec. 10, 1883. The Plant City Union Depot was the heart of the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and operated steadily until closing in 1971.
