Address
1920 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, California 94920
Phone Number
Date Visited
04/30/2015
Website
Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum
Description
The Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum is located at 1920 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, California.A small, paved parking lot has one handicapped space close to the entrance.
Steps or a ramp get one to the single door entrance.
The museum has two floors. The second floor is reachable only by stairs.
The main floor has plenty of space. There are several benches.
There are no restrooms at this venue. The closest restroom is located at the ferry terminal. It is multi-stall, with a large, handicapped-accessible stall. There is a baby-changing station there.
There are no food services here.
- Surface of lot: paved
Distance to venue: very close
Terrain: flat
Places to rest: benches on Shoreline Path
Paths and walkways: paved
Doors: single door
Elevators: none
Ramps: ramp to entrance
Steps and staircases: stairs to second floor
Width of aisles: first floor easy to navigate, second floor is more cramped
Places to sit: several benches
Location of restrooms: none in this building - at ferry terminal
Type of restroom: multi-stall, handicapped-accessible
Ease of entry and exit: easy
Baby changing station: yes
Available food services: none at museum
Friendliness of staff: delightful and knowledgeable
In doing our research for Destination:Accessible we have discovered interesting places that we had no idea existed. One such place is Tiburon, California (see Tiburon, California, town of) and this small museum. We did not know anything about the town or this museum. We discovered it as we strolled the Shoreline Path in Tiburon. We think we found somewhat of a hidden gem.
“More than a pretty waterfront town, Tiburon has a rich railroad and maritime history, which is captured in the Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum…The Museum rests on Shoreline Park, with priceless views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Angel Island,” says the Museum’s website. We concurred as we sat on a bench unable to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous scene before us.
Point Tiburon became a major railroad and ferry terminus in 1885, due to its proximity to San Francisco. When trains no longer ran, Southern Pacific Railroad deeded its shoreline property and depot building to the Town of Tiburon, for open space and a museum as a condition of redevelopment. The gray building at Shoreline Park captures the past in two museums. On the ground floor we found a detailed operating HO scale model that shows the railroad town, circa 1900-1910. Upstairs is the Depot House Museum, where the station master’s family lived. Restoration was based on the memories of a daughter of the last station master.
Steps or a ramp will get you to the single-door entrance. The railroad museum on the first floor is easily navigable. The only way to access the second floor is by stairs. If you have time and are interested you can sit in the alcove in the back of the museum and view some interesting historical videos.
There are no restrooms in this building. The closest restrooms are located in the ferry terminal building (quite a distance), where you will find multi-stall restrooms with a large handicapped-accessible stall and baby-changing station.
If you find yourself in Tiburon on a day and at a time this venue is open it is worth a stop.
PS. The two gentlemen volunteers we met were delightful and full of information.
As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to check a venue’s website, www.landmarksociety.com/landmarks/railroad-ferry-museum, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”
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