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South Florida Railroad Museum

South Florida Railroad Museum

The museum seeks to provide the public with the history of railroading and how it affected the population growth and industry boom from the 1940's to the 1960's in the South Florida area. It teaches through the use of railroad artifacts and through the design and the building of a model railroad display depicting the area during that time frame. Located in the historic former Seaboard Air Line station building in Deerfield Beach, it is the museum's goal to preserve the history of railroads in southern Florida and educate the public about the importance of railroads in the region in the past and the present. There is also an active model railroad contingent within the organization, with a 16'x18' HO layout in operation, a 4'x30' permanent HOn3 layout display under construction, and a 4'x20' N scale layout. The collection of historic artifacts is constantly growing, and donations are always welcome.

The historic Seaboard Air Line railway station is home to the Museum. The station was built in 1926 during the Seaboard's push into South Florida to compete with Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway. The building is a fine example of the Mediterranean style architecture of the era, with its arched entryway, stucco walls, and barrel tile roof. It is one of the few remaining structures to display the look of old Deerfield. The structure was listed as a Historic Site with the State of Florida Department of Archives in 1974 and earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

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