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The Boca Express Train Museum, operated by the Boca Raton History Museum, Boca Raton Historical Society, is housed in a restored 1930 Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) train station in Boca Raton, Florida. designed by Chester G. Henninger, built for Clarence H. Geist. It is located at 747 South Dixie Highway, off U.S. Route 1 in Florida, U.S. 1 (Federal Highway). On October 24, 1980, it was added to the United States, U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
That the building was restored and turned into a museum must be credited to the philanthropist Count and Countess de Hoernle, Countess de Hoernle, who bought the abandoned building as a present for her husband.
Historically, the station served several long-distance trains and one or two local trains. Into the early 1960s, passengers could take one of two Chicago-bound trains (on alternating days), the ''City of Miami (train), City of Miami'' or the ''South Wind (train), South Wind'' (both via Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham) and the New York City-bound ''Champion (train), East Coast Champion,'' ''Havana Special,'' and ''Miamian'' from the FEC's station. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the ''Dixie Flagler'' to Chicago via Atlanta from the station. The FEC operated local passenger service between Jacksonville and the Miami area until July 31, 1968.
Service on the line was restored by Brightline, with Boca Raton station (Brightline), a station north of the museum opening on December 21, 2022.
Boca Express Train Museum
- Boca Raton Historical Society Former Florida East Coast Railway stations, Boca Raton Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Buildings and structures in Boca Raton, Florida Former railway stations in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Palm Beach County, Florida Museums in Palm Beach County, Florida Railroad museums in Florida Transportation buildings and structures in Palm Beach County, Florida Florida East Coast Railway Preserved steam locomotives of the United States 1930 establishments in Florida Seaboard Air Line Railroad Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Budd Company Railway stations in the United States opened in 1930 {{Florida-railstation-stub
Use as a passenger train station
Historically, the station served several long-distance trains and one or two local trains. Into the early 1960s, passengers could take one of two Chicago-bound trains (on alternating days), the ''City of Miami (train), City of Miami'' or the ''South Wind (train), South Wind'' (both via Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham) and the New York City-bound ''Champion (train), East Coast Champion,'' ''Havana Special,'' and ''Miamian'' from the FEC's station. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the ''Dixie Flagler'' to Chicago via Atlanta from the station. The FEC operated local passenger service between Jacksonville and the Miami area until July 31, 1968.
Service on the line was restored by Brightline, with Boca Raton station (Brightline), a station north of the museum opening on December 21, 2022.
Exhibits
The museum contains two restored and unique 1947 Seaboard Air Line Railroad, Seaboard Air Line streamlined rail cars, a dining and a lounge car, built by the Budd Company and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Boca Express Train Museum also includes a 1946 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line caboose and a 1930 Baldwin steam switch engine.For sale
The Boca Raton Historical Society put the Train Museum up for sale in 2017, saying that maintaining two historic buildings (the other is the Society's home, Boca Raton's first city hall) is draining the nonprofit's resources.See also
* Seaboard Air Line 6113 * Seaboard Air Line 6603 * South Florida Railway MuseumReferences
External links
*Boca Express Train Museum
- Boca Raton Historical Society Former Florida East Coast Railway stations, Boca Raton Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Buildings and structures in Boca Raton, Florida Former railway stations in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Palm Beach County, Florida Museums in Palm Beach County, Florida Railroad museums in Florida Transportation buildings and structures in Palm Beach County, Florida Florida East Coast Railway Preserved steam locomotives of the United States 1930 establishments in Florida Seaboard Air Line Railroad Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Budd Company Railway stations in the United States opened in 1930 {{Florida-railstation-stub