1927 Historic Venice Train Depot, Florida
Depot museumTours arranged through the Venice Area Historical Society; check its site for times
Built by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and opened in 1927, the Venice depot was hailed as the finest station on the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Restored in 2003, it is now the heart of a small railroad campus cared for by the Venice Area Historical Society.
- Opened March 27, 1927
- Mediterranean Revival station
- Restored and rededicated in 2003
- Circus Car Museum and caboose
- Legacy Trail southern trailhead
- Centennial in March 2027
1927 Historic Venice Train Depot at a glance
- Hours
- Tour times not posted online; check the Venice Area Historical Society's depot page or call
- Admission
- Not posted online; ask the Historical Society when booking a tour
- Seasonal events
- 1927 Depot Centennial (March 2027), Venice Area Historical Society lecture series
- Plan for
- About 1 hour for the depot campus
- Best for
- Florida history fans, families and Legacy Trail riders
- Best ages
- Ages 5 and up
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Venice.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
The depot a union of engineers built for a new city
Railroading reached this corner of Florida in 1903, when a Seaboard Air Line subsidiary brought the first train into what is now Sarasota County. In 1911 the tracks were pushed 16.5 miles farther south at the request of Bertha Honoré Palmer, the Chicago businesswoman who owned much of the land here, and she gave the new terminal its name: Venice. That first stop and siding sat near today's St. Augustine Avenue and Tampa Avenue West.
In 1925 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers bought land to build a whole city on a plan by John Nolen, and the union knew a proper station would bring in building materials, buyers and visitors. Designed by Walker and Gillette in the Mediterranean Revival style Nolen called for, the depot opened on March 27, 1927. It was the last building the BLE finished before it closed its Venice operations in 1928. Built as a segregated station with two waiting rooms, it was greeted as the finest stop on the Seaboard.
Station agents kept it running for decades, and two are especially remembered for their courtesy and community spirit: DeVon Grady Hough, here from 1949 to 1956, and Donald W. DeCoster, Sr., from 1963 to 1975. The last passenger train left in 1971, freight continued until 1997, and the building closed in 1975 and slid into decline.
Sarasota County bought the depot in 1999 and restored it in 2002 and 2003 for $2.3 million, with funding from the Florida Department of Transportation, the county and the City of Venice. It was rededicated on October 24, 2003. The Venice Area Historical Society, founded in 1991, now leads tours and is already counting down to the depot's centennial in March 2027.
Walking the depot campus
The depot is the centerpiece of a campus at the end of Venice Avenue. Inside, the Donald W. DeCoster, Sr. Exhibit shows what a station agent's working day looked like, from ticketing to freight. A 40-foot addition on the south side, added during the restoration, serves as the hub for Sarasota County Area Transit buses, so the building still sees travelers every day.
Beyond the station, the campus holds the Circus Car Museum in a former circus train car, a caboose, and the Rollins W. Coakley Railroad Park, designated in 2005. The Historical Society has also set up selfie stations around the grounds. The depot is the southern trailhead of the Legacy Trail, which follows the railroad's old right of way, so walkers and cyclists can start their ride where the trains once rolled in.
Don’t miss
- The 1927 depot buildingA Mediterranean Revival station by Walker and Gillette, once called the finest on the Seaboard Air Line and restored in 2003.
- Donald W. DeCoster, Sr. ExhibitNamed for a well-loved agent who served from 1963 to 1975, it explains how a station agent handled tickets, reservations and freight.
- Circus Car MuseumA circus train car on the depot campus that the Historical Society opens for tours alongside the station.
- The caboosePart of the campus and a favorite stop on the Society's student tours.
- Rollins W. Coakley Railroad ParkDesignated on March 22, 2005, it frames the depot grounds.
- Legacy Trail trailheadThe depot marks the south end of a trail built on the railroad's former right of way.
A caboose, a circus car and room to roam
Kids can see a real caboose and a circus train car on the same visit, and the selfie stations make good photo stops. The Historical Society runs age-appropriate tours of the depot, Circus Car Museum, caboose and railroad park for students and teachers, and many children come with home school groups, summer camps and scout troops. Families with bikes can add a stretch of the Legacy Trail, which starts at the depot.
Plan your visit: tips for 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot
- Call (941) 412-0151 before you go to confirm tour times.
- From I-75 take Venice Avenue west; just before the bridge, bear right and the depot is at the end of the road.
- Bring bikes to ride the Legacy Trail from its southern trailhead at the depot.
- School, home school, camp and scout groups can request age-appropriate tours.
The Venice Area Historical Society keeps the depot busy with gatherings in the old Freight Room, lecture series and community events, and it is preparing a celebration for the station's 100th birthday in March 2027. The depot has no holiday train, but our guide to Christmas train rides in Florida lists rides within driving distance.
The Venice Area Historical Society
The Venice Area Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) founded in 1991 as the Venice Historic Preservation League, gives the tours, runs the plaque program, lecture series, scholarships and school outreach, and celebrates the volunteers who make it all happen with an annual appreciation luncheon. You can help by joining as a member, donating, volunteering for depot tours, or shopping the VAHS Shoppe.
More Gulf Coast rail history
The Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish, about 38 miles north, runs train rides. The Railroad Museum of South Florida is about 53 miles south, and the Historic Plant City Union Depot about 66 miles away. Find more on our page of Florida train museums.
- Florida Railroad MuseumParrish, FL · about 38 mi
- Railroad Museum of South FloridaFort Myers, FL · about 53 mi
- Henry B. Plant MuseumTampa, FL · about 58 mi
- Historic Plant City Union DepotPlant City, FL · about 66 mi
- Sugar ExpressClewiston, FL · about 97 mi
- Central Florida Railroad MuseumWinter Garden, FL · about 114 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
The Venice depot remembers its station agents by name, people known for being kind to every traveler. That is exactly who Mr. Conductor is in our story. When Rally reaches the train with Mom and Dad, a man in a blue uniform bends down and offers his hand, and Rally decides right then that trains are wonderful. Small kindnesses at a station stay with you, even if you are a corgi.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
- Train museums in Florida: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in Florida
- Halloween train rides in Florida
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Venice Train Depot: 20 questions answered
Where is the Historic Venice Train Depot?
The 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot is at 303 East Venice Avenue in Venice, Florida. Coming from I-75, follow Venice Avenue west, bear right just before the bridge, and you will find the depot at the end of the road on the right. It also serves as the southern trailhead of the Legacy Trail.
When was the Venice train depot built?
The depot was completed in 1927 and opened on March 27 of that year. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers built it while developing Venice as a planned city, and it was the last structure the BLE finished before closing its Venice operations in 1928. The original building cost $47,500.
Can you tour the Venice train depot?
Yes. The Venice Area Historical Society offers tours of the 1927 depot and the Circus Car Museum on the same campus. Tour times are not listed on its contact page, which points visitors to its depot page, so call (941) 412-0151 or email information@veniceareahistoricalsociety.org to confirm before you go.
What are the Venice Depot hours?
The Historical Society does not post regular public hours online. The depot building also serves as a county bus hub, but museum tours run on the Society's schedule. Check veniceareahistoricalsociety.org or call (941) 412-0151 for current tour times before planning your visit.
How much does it cost to visit the Venice Train Depot?
Admission or tour prices are not posted online. The Venice Area Historical Society is a nonprofit that relies on members and donations, so ask about any fee or suggested donation when you call (941) 412-0151 or email the Society to arrange your visit.
What is the Circus Car Museum in Venice?
The Circus Car Museum is housed in a circus train car on the Venice depot campus, and the Historical Society includes it on depot tours. The Society keeps a history and photo page for the car on its website, and the car is part of its traveling exhibition about Venice history.
Which railroad served the Venice depot?
The Seaboard Air Line Railway. A Seaboard subsidiary brought the first train into what is now Sarasota County in 1903, and in 1911 the line was extended 16.5 miles south to Venice at Bertha Palmer's request. The 1927 depot was called the finest station on the Seaboard.
Who designed the Venice train station?
The architectural firm of Walker and Gillette designed it in the Mediterranean Revival style that city planner John Nolen set for Venice. The station measured 50 feet wide and 400 feet long and was built as a racially segregated building with two separate waiting rooms.
When did passenger trains stop at the Venice depot?
The last passenger train left the Venice depot in 1971. Freight trains kept running until 1997, but the depot building itself closed in 1975 and fell into decline until Sarasota County bought it in 1999 and restored it.
When was the Venice depot restored?
Sarasota County bought the depot in 1999 and renovated it in 2002 and 2003, rededicating it on October 24, 2003. The $2.3 million project was funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, Sarasota County and the City of Venice, and added 40 feet on the south side for the county bus hub.
Is the Venice depot the last depot in Sarasota County?
Yes, it is described as the last surviving railroad depot in Sarasota County. That makes it the best place in the county to see what a 1920s passenger station looked like, and part of why so many local groups worked to save and restore it.
Is there a caboose at the Venice Train Depot?
Yes. A caboose sits on the depot campus along with the Circus Car Museum and the Rollins W. Coakley Railroad Park. The Historical Society includes the caboose on its age-appropriate tours for students and teachers, and it is a natural photo stop for young train fans.
What is the Rollins W. Coakley Railroad Park?
It is the railroad park on part of the Venice Depot Campus, designated on March 22, 2005. It surrounds the depot, caboose and circus car, and student tours from the Historical Society include the park along with the buildings.
Is the Venice depot connected to the Legacy Trail?
Yes. The depot is the southern trailhead of the Legacy Trail, which runs along the former Seaboard right of way. Walkers and cyclists can start at the station and follow the path of the old railroad north.
Is the Venice Train Depot good for kids?
It works well for school-age kids, who can see a caboose, a circus train car and a real 1927 station in one visit, plus selfie stations around the grounds. Many children visit through home school groups, summer camps and scouting programs. The Legacy Trail is a nice add-on for families with bikes.
Can schools or scout groups tour the Venice depot?
Yes. The Venice Area Historical Society invites students and teachers on age-appropriate tours of the depot, the Circus Car Museum, the caboose and the Rollins W. Coakley Railroad Park. Contact the Society's Program Committee through information@veniceareahistoricalsociety.org to set up a visit.
What is happening for the Venice depot's 100th anniversary?
The Historical Society is preparing a centennial celebration for the 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot in March 2027 and has been advertising it around town. Watch the Society's calendar and newsletter for event details as the date gets closer.
Who runs tours at the Venice Train Depot?
The Venice Area Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 as the Venice Historic Preservation League, runs tours of the depot and Circus Car Museum. The Society also offers lectures, a newsletter, school outreach, a historic plaque program and scholarships.
How can I volunteer at the Venice Train Depot?
The Venice Area Historical Society lists volunteer opportunities on its website and keeps a volunteer scheduling system for depot work. You can also join as a member, donate, or shop the VAHS Shoppe. Email information@veniceareahistoricalsociety.org or call (941) 412-0151 to get started.
What train museums are near Venice, Florida?
The Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish is about 38 miles away, the Railroad Museum of South Florida in Fort Myers about 53 miles, and the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa about 58 miles. The Historic Plant City Union Depot is about 66 miles north.
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