For more family fun around the Sunshine State, visit our Florida Family Travel Guide.

All Aboard Scenic & Holiday Train Rides in Florida

1. Florida Railroad Museum – Parrish, Florida

At this unique train museum, visitors don’t just view the exhibits - they ride them! The museum hosts a variety of experiences throughout the year. During the fall, take a train ride on the Pumpkin Patch Express to the museum’s own pumpkin patch. During the winter holidays, take a magical trip on the North Pole Express to visit Santa himself. Other themed adventures include an Old West train robbery ride and Von Kessinger’s Express, taking riders to World War II. Beyond special events, visitors can take a 13-mile, round-trip train ride, with a stop in Willow, FL, to see more of the museum’s exhibits and artifacts year-round.

2. Georgia Coastal Railway – St. Marys, Georgia

This railway sits just across the Florida state line, about 30 minutes north of Jacksonville, and is popular with north Florida families. Scenic 1.5-hour train rides from St. Marys to Kingsland are offered on Saturdays, passing through the marshlands of south Georgia. The railway also offers a variety of themed and holiday train rides throughout the year, including the Jurassic Dinosaur Exhibit and Train Ride, Cottontail Special Easter Train, Halloween Train, and Christmas Train. Get more information about the Santa special holiday train ride on their website.

3. Gold Coast Railroad Museum – Miami, Florida

This historic South Florida railroad museum features over 40 railcars, a model train display, and multiple train ride experiences. The 25-minute Standard Gauge Train ride runs the first Saturday of each month, offering a scenic loop around the property—guests can even ride with the engineer. Every Saturday, the railroad speeder car offers a 20-minute ride, while a kid-friendly link train operates on weekends and select weekdays with views of the rail yard. Special events include Track or Treat Spooktacular, Miami Railfest, Free First Saturdays, and more. For a truly unique adventure, try the Engineer Experience, where you can drive a historic NASA locomotive from the Space Shuttle era. Bonus: the museum is right next to Zoo Miami, so guests can visit two great attractions in one day!

Kirby Family Farm offers trains, rides, and a petting zoo. Photo courtesy of the farm

4. Kirby Family Farm – Williston, Florida

Families can explore Florida’s rich railroad history at this nonprofit educational family farm, which combines hands-on learning with classic family fun. The farm features a historic collection of locomotives and open-air passenger cars. Popular annual events include the Six Gun Territory Wild West Weekend, Rock-N-Roll Easter Train, Scary Halloween Train, and Christmas Train. Beyond the rails, visitors can enjoy carnival rides and a petting zoo as well.

5. Largo Central Railroad – Largo, Florida

Largo Central Railroad offers a fun outing for families, where kids can enjoy riding miniature trains through beautifully maintained tracks at Largo Central Park. One of the seasonal highlights is the Rudolph Limited, a holiday train ride that entertains guests with lights, music, and visits from favorite Christmas characters. The trains are run by volunteers and operate on select days.

6. Seminole Gulf Railway – Fort Myers, Florida

The Seminole Gulf Railway is an operating freight railroad that also offers murder mystery dinner trains, including themed mysteries for Halloween and Christmas. The 3.5-hour trip travels from Fort Myers across the Caloosahatchee River, up into rural Lee and Charlotte Counties, and back to the Colonial Station. Note: The dinner show is best suited for ages 8 and up, due to its PG-13 content, adult themes, and the long duration with limited mobility. There is no children’s pricing or menu, making it most appropriate for older kids who can fully enjoy the experience.

Kids (and many adults) love riding trains, especially the SunRail. Photo by the author

7. SunRail – Central Florida

Known as Central Florida’s commuter rail, SunRail offers a convenient and affordable way for Orlando families to explore the city, and it makes for a fun train ride, too. Our family especially loves hopping on at the Sanford station and riding down to the AdventHealth stop. From there, it’s just a short walk to some of Orlando’s best attractions for kids, including the Orlando Science Center, Orlando Family Stage, and Orlando Fire Museum.

8. Amtrak Silver Service – Florida

With stations all across peninsular Florida, Amtrak is a fun way for families to explore the state without stressing about traffic. Some of the best family-friendly destinations include Winter Park, with its charming historic district and Central Park; Kissimmee, the gateway to Walt Disney World; Delray Beach, close to the beach and downtown; Palatka, home to a fun railroad museum; and Tampa Union Station, minutes from Ybor City’s shops, eats, and the TECO Line streetcar.

9. Brightline - Florida

Experience the best of Florida aboard the sleek Brightline trains, which connect South Florida cities like Miami and West Palm Beach with Central Florida’s hub in Orlando. Families will love the BrightKids Zones at the stations, where kids can play before boarding. Once on board, enjoy comfortable group seating, tasty snack options, and a smooth, stylish ride along the scenic Atlantic coast.

10. Sugar Express - Clewiston, Florida

Hop aboard the Sugar Express for train rides through Florida's sugarcane country. Beyond its regular year-round trips, the Sugar Express shines during the holidays with the beloved Santa Express. This magical two-hour journey features sparkling lights, Christmas carols, a special visit with Santa, cookies, and a commemorative gift.

Harry Potter fanatics love the enchanting train ride aboard the Hogwarts Express Train. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando

Theme Park & Attraction Train Rides

11. Animal Kingdom's Wildlife Express Train – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

The Wildlife Express Train at Disney’s Animal Kingdom takes guests on a peaceful 7-minute ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, passing behind-the-scenes areas like animal housing and veterinary facilities. The journey offers a unique look at how the park cares for animals such as rhinos and elephants. After exploring hands-on exhibits and conservation displays, guests return by train to the Harambe station.

12. Brevard Zoo's Cape to Cairo Express – Melbourne, Florida

The Brevard Zoo’s Cape to Cairo Express provides guests a 10-minute ride through the back of the African‑habitat zone past camels, exotic cattle, and antelope. Note: The train has a $4 fee for ages 3 and up in addition to zoo admission.

13. Busch Gardens' Serengeti Railway – Tampa, Florida

The Serengeti Express Train at Busch Gardens offers a relaxing way for families to experience the beauty of the Serengeti Plain. With stops in Nairobi and Stanleyville, this Florida train ride provides incredible views of free-roaming African wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, antelope, ostriches, and more

14. Central Florida Zoo's Train Ride – Sanford, Florida

Located near the entrance of the Zoo, families can hop aboard The Champion Miniature Train, a one-quarter scale replica of the historic Atlantic Coast Line Railroad streamliner. This attraction offers guests of all ages a scenic ride around the Zoo’s grounds, winding through Florida landscapes and over realistic crossings before returning to the depot. 

15. Gatorland's Express Train – Orlando, Florida

Tour the Alligator Capital of the World on a small steam train to learn about the history of the park and get a unique view of the breeding marsh and animal exhibits. The round-trip ride takes about 20 minutes. Note: The train has a $3 fee in addition to park admission.

16. Gulf Breeze Zoo's Safari Express Train Ride - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Hop aboard this Florida train ride for a narrated 15‑minute excursion through the Gulf Breeze Zoo’s 30‑acre free‑range preserve, where you’ll see rhinoceros, deer, and antelope roaming as well as hippos, gorillas, and orangutans. The ride is included with general admission and departs hourly throughout the day.

17. Universal Orlando Resorts' Hogwarts Express – Orlando, Florida

Harry Potter fanatics will love this enchanting train ride that transports guests to and from both lands of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Diagon Alley (at Universal Studios) to Hogsmeade (at Universal’s Islands of Adventure). Passengers will encounter favorite characters from the popular book and film series while on the ride.

18. Walt Disney World Railroad – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Walt Disney loved trains; he actually built his first train in his own backyard! Because of his love for trains, the Walt Disney World Railroad is a great attraction for guests (and a wonderful place to rest your feet). The train is located at Main Street USA, just inside the entrance of Disney’s Magic Kingdom park. Disney runs four historic steam trains on the railroad, all originally built between 1916-1928. Visitors can enjoy a 20-minute, scenic tour around the park, with stops at Frontierland and Fantasyland.