1885 Brooksville Train Depot — Attraction in Brooksville

About the Depot

The Train Depot has been in the same location since it was built in 1885 by the Brooksville Railroad Association.

The 1885 Train Depot Museum is made up of three parts.

Office

Visitors enter in the office area, the front of the depot. This is where passengers came to buy their tickets, arrange for freight shipment, and send telegrams. In this area visitors will learn about the history of Hernando County starting with the Seminole Indians Wars to early settlements, and the building of the depot.

Freight Room

The freight room houses train artifacts and displays depicting historical railroad events. Two HO model train exhibits delight the kids and adults alike. See original objects used by early settlers as they struggled to survive in the wilderness of Hernando County.

Dock

On the enclosed dock of the museum take your child’s picture sitting in a restored 1925 Fire Engine. The first fire engine the city of Brooksville bought.

Also on the dock are exhibits of farm equipment, industrial tools and more railroad apparatus.

Train Car

A cooks/utility train car from 1880s. This wood car used for the work crews was abandoned by the railroad in the Green Swamp. With the help of W.R.E.C. the museum hauled it to the depot site. Imagine cooking in this car in the swamp, in Florida, before air conditioning and bug control! Two volunteers, Jim Faller and Anita Thompson, worked hard to restore the train car for our visitors to enjoy.

Exhibits

Telegraph to teletype machines.

A 1913 shelf unit from the Hernando County Courthouse.

Railroad historical event displays.

An 1800’s settlers, (Cracker House) display.

A model train display with replicas of Brooksville houses.

1800’s tools, a civil war scale, a railroad freight scale.

A cobblers shop, citrus display, sugar cane and turpentine displays

Centralia artifacts, logging tools, firefighting equipment, farm equipment, railroad artifacts.

There is something for everyone to enjoy and learn from in the diversity of exhibits and displays at the Train...

My friend and I visited this museum for the first time. There is a $5 admission fee which is well worth it. We were given a tour by a gentleman who told us about various vintage items in the large collection. He did a fine job and seemed to really enjoy showing us around. I have to say, tho, that sometimes less is more, and this museum needs to make the exhibits better and less cluttered. You don't have to display everything that is donated. I visit many historical museums, and I find that the best ones (and the ones that are worth returning to) contain displays that are creatively assembled and not cluttered. What was unique about this museum was that it was in an old train depot dated 1875. If you are a train enthusiast, you will want to visit...

Friendly and helpful docents lead you through a tour of the station and the many artifacts from days gone by.

Several model train layouts will appeal to kids and hobbyists although they aren't always running. The cook car for track workers is a rare treat! Apparently, they pulled that out of the Green Swamp a few years ago.

Beware that the museum hours are short because the place is staffed...