Zoo Train News🚂

Kathy Goeddel — October 26, 2026

Best of the Rose City, New Posters, Updated Website & Holiday Fun!

There’s plenty of news to share as we work toward restoring the historic Rose Garden Loop! Read on for an award nomination, new posters, our updated website, and holiday volunteer opportunities. Here are ways to get involved.

Vote for the Friends: Best of the Rose City - Nonprofit Organization

Friends of the Washington Park & Zoo Railway has been nominated for a Best of the Rose City award in the Nonprofit Organization category! Your vote can help introduce more people to our work to bring the train back to Washington Park.

Voting opens October 26 at 11:55 a.m. and closes November 13 at 5 p.m. You can vote once a day! Support the Friends by voting here: https://www.voterosecity.com/fwpzr or scanning the QR code below, and invite friends and family to join you!

New Zoo Train Posters Are Here

Portland Artists Lyn Nance and Stephen Sasser have created new Zoo Train posters celebrating this beloved Portland treasure. Bring a little railway history into your home—or give a fellow train enthusiast a special gift—with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Friends’ restoration effort. See the poster and find out how to order.

Celebrate the Holidays—and Help Tell Our Story

We’re partnering with the Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) to share our work with the public during the Holiday Express, and we’d love your help!

First up: decorating the 6200 passenger car with our “Holidays with the Zoo Train” theme. Volunteers will be given a free pass to ride on the Holiday Express. Send us an email at info@fwpzr.org if you are interested in joining us at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center for either decorating session:

·       Thursday, November 5 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

·       Sunday, November 8 | 12:30–4:30 p.m.

Help bring the Zoo Train story to the Holiday Express! We’re looking for volunteers to staff our information booth and welcome passengers as hosts in our decorated car. Car hosts will share our restoration efforts and introduce passengers to ORHC’s train and center. There’s even an opportunity to bring Titus, our mascot, to life at our table and aboard our rail car! If you enjoy meeting people and spreading holiday cheer, we have a role for you.

We’re aiming to fill volunteer shifts on December 4–6, December 18–20, and December 21–23. We’d love to have you aboard!

Ready to join the fun? Email info@fwpzr.org for details and help finding a volunteer role you’ll enjoy. We’d love to have you aboard!

Have You Seen Our New Look?

We’ve refreshed fwpzr.org! Our new design makes it easier to explore the restoration plan, follow our progress, and find ways to get involved. Huge thanks to MO Marketing Group for building the refreshed website.

Take a look around our refreshed website!

Speaking of Progress

We’re making steady progress toward our year-end goal of raising $200,000 to fund the comprehensive feasibility phase. Reaching that goal will unlock an additional $50,000 from Metro.

If you would like to support this work, you can do so here:
🚂 Donate Now