Friends of Washington Park and Zoo Railway

Home
United States
Portland, OR
Friends of Washington Park and Zoo Railway

Call Directions Website

This cause is dedicated to restoring the Rose Garden Loop of the Washington Park and Zoo Railway.

11/03/2026

$80,000. 💚🚂

That’s how much this community has raised toward bringing back the Rose Garden Loop, and we are so grateful.

Behind that number are real people: neighbors who signed the petition, volunteers who showed up to clear track, families who shared their memories of the zoo train, and every one of you who gave, shared a post, or told a friend. Thank you. Truly.

Here’s where we stand: once we reach $200,000, we unlock Metro’s $50,000 match. We’re 40% of the way there, with $120,000 to go, and every gift brings us closer.

11/02/2026

One quick thing before you vote for us! 🗳️🚂

Voting in the Best of the Rose City awards is open through November 13 at 5 pm, and there’s one step that’s easy to miss: you need to check the box for your vote to count.

Here’s how to vote:
1️⃣ Tap the link in the first comment. It takes you straight to our voting page.
2️⃣ Check the box next to Nonprofit Organization.
3️⃣ Hit Submit Ballot. If the box isn’t checked, your vote won’t count!

You can vote once a day, so come back tomorrow and do it again. Know someone who loves the zoo train? Send them this post. 💚

First comment: 🔗

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻

In October 1970, the Oregonian announced Halloween at the Portland Zoo: costumed characters, automated ghouls, a man from outer space, a bike-riding ghoul, and a ride on the zoo train. 🚂 Swipe to read the original article.

Halloween at the zoo goes back a long way, and the train has always been part of the fun.

Here’s hoping next October, those quiet tracks in the forest are full of train whistles and costumed kids again.

Happy Halloween from all of us at FWPZR. 🦇

10/28/2026

Calling all volunteers! 🎄🚂

We've adopted a train car with the Oregon Rail Heritage Center to decorate for their Holiday Express, and we need your help bringing it to life.

We're looking for at least 6 volunteers each day:
🎅 Thursday, Nov 5, 10 am to 2 pm
🎅 Sunday, Nov 8, 12:30 to 4:30 pm

Materials are supplied, so all you need to bring is your holiday spirit. Join us for a shift or both!

Want in? Email [email protected] to volunteer.

10/26/2026

We’ve been nominated! 🏆

Friends of Washington Park & Zoo Railway is a nominee for Best Nonprofit Organization in the Best of the Rose City awards, and we’d love your vote. Help introduce more people to our work.

Voting is open Today through November 13 at 5 pm, and you can vote once a day.

Here’s why we hope you’ll vote for us:

🚂 Our mission is to bring joy to children of all ages by restoring the zoo train between the zoo and the Rose Garden.
🚂 This train was built with donations from businesses, civic organizations, labor unions, schools and governments.
🚂 Generations of kids rode it between 1960 and 2013.
🚂 The tracks and the station at Washington Park are still there, and we’re working with Metro and the City of Portland to get the trains running again.

Vote for the little nonprofit that could, so our community can ride through Washington Park on the zoo train once again. Then share this post with one friend who loves Portland and ask them to vote too. 🚂

Vote here 🔗 https://www.voterosecity.com/fwpzr

10/22/2026

Have you seen our new look? 👀

We've refreshed fwpzr.org with a new design, and it's easier than ever to see the plan, follow our progress, and find ways to get involved. Huge thanks to MO Marketing Group for building it.

We've also got new printed materials to help tell the story of the Zoo Railway and the Rose Garden Loop: a postcard, an FAQ sheet, and brochures on our history and the plan. Designed by Daffodil Jill Solutions . We received a generous donation of all our printed materials from Bob Davidson, one of our very dedicated volunteers, and Minuteman Press of Tigard https://minuteman.com/us/locations/or/tigard/! 🚂

Take a look around and discover more about the plan to bring the Rose Garden Loop back.

10/21/2026

Some volunteers show up once. Bill Burgel has been showing up since almost the beginning.

From organizing track-clearing days and outreach tables to whatever needs doing, he's usually there. His 50 years in the rail industry and geology have been invaluable in assessing the track.

This project runs on people like Bill, the ones who don't need to be asked twice. Want to be part of the next track day or table shift? Link Below

10/17/2026

Halloween is almost here, and we've got Zoo Boo on the brain. 🎃

Back when the full railway was running, Zoo Boo was one of its biggest days of the year, with trainloads of costumed kids riding up to the zoo to trick-or-treat. In the 1960s, it was known as the Spook Train. 👻

Do you have photos of Zoo Boo or the Spook Train? Share them in the comments, send us a message, or email them to [email protected]. If we can share them, we'll feature a few of our favorites on Halloween. 🚂

10/16/2026

We got this note from Rob Shoemaker, a Zoo member for decades:

"My kids, and now my grandkids, love the Zoo train. I've been a Zoo member for decades, and I've seen thousands of children enjoy this train."

Thousands of kids, one train, decades of use. That's the kind of return you don't usually get to measure, but it's real, and it's why we're doing this.

10/13/2026

It's here! 🚂 Our new Zoo Train poster just arrived, and we couldn't wait to unwrap it.

It puts the steam locomotive and the Zooliner side by side over a map of Portland, with the line we keep coming back to: Bring Back the Rose Garden Loop.

Designed by Lyn and Stephen.

Want one for your wall? Get yours at the link in the first comment.

Address

P. O. BOX 6822
Portland, OR
97228

Telephone

+19714059797

Website

https://www.fwpzr.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of Washington Park and Zoo Railway posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.