Lake Wales Depot Museum

The Lake Wales Depot Museum displays trains big and small, including a 1944 diesel locomotive on the outside and a scale-model railroad on the inside.

Officially named The Lake Wales Depot Museum and Cultural Center, but most popularly referred to as The Depot, the museum is housed in a railroad depot that dates back to the early 1920s.

The museum consists of four buildings at 325 S. Scenic Highway, along with a red caboose from 1926 and a 1916 Pullman car.

In addition to railroad-themed history, the museum has several permanent exhibits that explore local industries and the history of Lake Wales.

The 1928 pink Atlantic Coast Line Railroad depot now serves as the main office and exhibit hall for the museum complex.

Part of The Depot also features The Stuart House, which is set up as it was in the 1920s, original furnishings and all.

There's now a children's museum as well.

Besides lots of railroad-themed history, the museum also offers several permanent exhibits that tell the tale of local industries, as well as information and artifacts from Lake Wales history.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

It is closed Sunday and national holidays.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. Donations are accepted.

For more information, call 863-676-5160 or visit the museum's website at www.cityoflakewales.com/depot. The museum's email is lakewalesdepot@gmail.com.