It is a very cool place and a must visit place in York UK So much rail history and so many things to do . You can sit in a bullet train see various old and new engine models and what not If you are into train this is the place . They also have a sit down restaurant and a VR experience read more

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Wonderful place for a train loving kid and his family :) The collection here is nothing short of amazing. The Flying Scottsman was a favorite though I wish we could have gone in. The North Shed is undergoing construction that was the only bummer. Everything else fantastic. Was cool to see the royal cars and get a sense of how the (my favorite was the suite for Queen Victoria) traveled!! The museum has 2 buildings. Both buildings have cafes and gift shops. The better gift shop is in the main entrance building. read more

Definitely worth a visit if you are in town. Free entry but a donation would be courteous. Some good examples of railway history. Pretty decent snack bar too. read more

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My oldest son is a gigantic train fan so we decided to make a day trip out of it from central London. From King's Cross, we took the LNER express north from London to York a couple hours to this museum. Tip - save some time at King's Cross for the Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4 exhibit. It's doable in one day but the train's schedule for returns determines how much time you spend here. And there is a lot to see. We thought the CA state train museum in Sacramento was big but this one is huge and has a lot of famous displays. There are trains the Queen rode throughout the years, Eurostar/Channel Tunnel, classic steam, freight, and passenger trains. The star of the show is the Mallard streamliner, which he has been reading about for years. There are other smaller displays and an extensive archive room but this place is for serious train people. This isn't dominated by Thomas displays or rides, and the gift shop is mostly adult or science oriented items. But if you have a serious train fan, this is the place. read more

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I have never been to a museum that had such a large selection of world wide trains! This place is insane with how many different trains they have from all different time periods. It is not just English trains but they have ones from Japan, China and other countries!! That's what I would say deserves all the hype about this museum. You get to compare and see many, trains while you are here. This museum is quite large and I would say the kids had a lot of fun walking around and getting to sit inside some of the trains. This place is kid friendly for any age and if they love trains, this is a must stop for you!! Overall we all had a fun time just looking at how some of the trains use to be super gigantic I mean huge!! Now a days it's a different story and they also go a bit faster than they did before. I love the comparison between different eras. So if your in a hunt or maybe it's a rainy day, this is a great place to kill some time and look at history on the railway systems across the world. read more

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After being unable to travel to the UK due to COVID for a few years, this year, we decided to add a trip to the National Railway Museum in York. Our son is nearly thirteen, but still quite fascinated by trains, owing to his having watched Thomas the Tank Engine as a child. We knew that his interest in trains was likely to wain as he got older and wanted to take him here before he lost his zeal for engines. While not a train-spotter, myself, the museum is entirely fascinating and we loved every minute of it. We spent several hours there and could easily have spent more. We also learned that The Flying Scotsman (a very old, massive steam engine that once set a speed record) still operates out of here doing excursions. We're intending on visiting again to ride the old beast at some point... read more

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Highly recommend, it's fun for all ages. I'm not super into trains, but even I had a good time. They just opened their VR Flying Scotsman experience, too. Also pretty cool. read more

Trains, trains and trains. Locomotives, passenger cars, model trains, all sorts of displays about train travel and the importance of Britain's national rail, as well as some EuroStar and Japanese Shinkansen. The great hall is fulled with a double dozen of these massive beasts, all in fantastically preserved condition. Many of them are free to be climbed up to and in to. Lots of rail history here, from locomotive badges to old signals to signage. It's just a fantastic exhibit and understandably is the most visited museum in the UK that is outside of London. It's also the biggest railway collection in the UK. If you are even a little bit into trains, it's worth the stop. The museum is connected to the York Railway station by a special bridgeway and there is also a "road train" that tours between here and the York Minster. read more

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Appropriately for the country that gave the world railways, the National Railway Museum is the largest of its type in the world. The museum was opened on the present site in 1975, when it inherited the collection from the British Railways collections previously at Clapham and York. Today, it displays over 50 locomotives (mostly British) and 80 items of other rolling stock. (The national collection comprises around 100 locomotives and 200 other items of rolling stock - the remainder are distributed around other museums, particularly Locomotion at Shildon near Darlington.) As well as rolling stock, the museum has a model railway layout (which runs to scale speed and timetables), a small outdoor miniature railway for small children, a workshop with viewing gallery and a museum store with everything from models to engine nameplates, railway crockery and silverware and furniture! There is also a substantial library and archive open to the public. The museum is huge, and rather sprawling in layout: allow half a day (at least) to do it justice. The station hall, a former goods depot, is laid out like a station, and houses complete trains, as well as the collection of Royal Trains, which is one of the most impressive parts of the collection (Victoria's favourite Royal Train is a lesson in high Victorian sumptuousness - even the ceilings are padded and lined with silk). One of the locomotives here is the Southern Railway's Winston Churchill, which pulled the great man's funeral train from London to his place of burial. Outside, the South Yard depot houses some diesel locomotives and a short walk away is the Interactive Learning Centre for smaller children. Back through the shop and the passage under Leeman Road brings you to the Great Hall, with locomotives set around a turntable. Here are Mallard, which holds the world speed record for steam traction (126mph), a Japanese Bullet Train, reproductions of Stephenson's Rocket of 1830, and a section of the Channel Tunnel. Other locomotives include some built for export, as well as representatives from the various British railway companies prior to the grouping of 1923 and nationalisation in 1948. The balcony area (library and archives) provides an excellent overall vantage point. Below this is the scale model railway. The Works section, adjacent, includes both the workshop (where you can see vehicles undergoing restoration), the history of signalling, a live display of the East Coast Main Line signalling panels (relayed from York Signal Box), a viewing platform next to the entrance to York Station, and the Warehouse, with the collection of other railway artefacts as well as a Deltic locomotive. As you can gather, this is one big museum, so be prepared and don't try and do it one go - a tea break was, after all, an institution on the working railway! As others have said, wear comfy shoes: some of the surfaces are uneven, and you wouldn't want to miss clambering on board a locomotive. If I have a criticism, it's that the curation is a bit haphazard - quite a number of the locomotives had no descriptions, some of the displays clearly haven't been updated to take account of privatisation (references to British Rail abound), and there is no clear logic to the arrangement of many of the exhibits - by timeline, for example. I suspect this is partly to do with the difficulty of re-arranging the locomotives which come and go from the national collection, but it can make it hard to find something specific. The great 'Stirling Single' locomotive was hidden rather forlornly in the Depot next to some diesels, with no description at all. Still, I suspect that won't bother the vast majority of visitors, particularly the vast number of families with excited children! On the upside, there is a huge amount of information on the workings of the railways, there are plays and other special events and entertainment to bring the exhibits to life, as well as special exhibitions. They have a substantial educational programme for schools. Practicalities The main entrance is actually rather indistinct, on the south side of Leeman Road (look out for the 'NRM' flags). It's a short walk from the railway station, and there is parking nearby. The museum has level access throughout, with extensive use of lifts, although not all exhibits are accessible by wheelchair. It has a very good shop, with books, DVDs, toys, prints, posters and the like. There are cafes in the Great Hall and the Station Hall. A self-guided tour is also available. Entrance is free. It won the European Museum of the Year award in 2001, and is the busiest museum in the UK outside London, with three quarters of a million visitors. read more

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This is an amazing museum for rail lovers, and good for the rest of us as well! There is so much to see here. They have the fastest steam train in the world, the Mallard, a Japanese Bullet train, trains from previous royalty, and so many other old interesting trains. They also have lots of rail related art, and artifacts that were on trains. The room "The works" is the workshop for them to work on the trains. You can walk overheard and watch them work. It is a pretty large museum as a whole. I was also surprised that they had great food. We had lunch here one day, and it was one of the best meals I had in York. They have hot food in one section, a cafe in another section, and tea service in a train car outside. We were here with 3 adults, but there were plenty of children of all ages. This place is one of the few places I've been that is equally great for all ages. The Railway Museum is free, but suggested donation of 3 pounds. It is easy walking distance from the York city centre and the York train station. If you love trains, you have to come here! read more

Holy train-awesomeness batman! Whether you're a trainspotter or not (I'm not...) you can't help but be amazed by the size and scope of this place. Free entry with donations very much welcomed (it's £8 to park the car across the road) they have so many decommissioned trains here from the UK and abroad (the Japanese bullet train is amazing to sit in) which you can climb onboard and see what they were like. There's loads of history and lots of info to fill in the gaps in terms of what the railroads did for us as a country (it basically was like the original internet) Lot's of food options from large to small, picnic areas and coffee shops - it's also perfect for letting the kids run free and burn off some energy. Really cool and only 10 mins walk from York so as you can check out this great city at the same time! read more

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Well, I will be honest I wasn't looking forward to looking at loads of trains and engines. How wrong I was, I really enjoyed it. There are talks about various things at different times of the day from the Explainers who work at the museum. All free. You can climb into some of the trains and sit in the driver's seat. I did this on the Mallard, the fastest steam engine in the world in 1936. That was amazing. You can currently see the Winston Churchill exhibition which has the engine and carriage used to bear his coffin to its final resting place. I would encourage anyone to visit even just for an hour. It's well worth the walk. read more

National Railway Museum - The plaque on the side of the Mallard. - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

This is a superb Museum and probably one of the most interesting Museums I've been too. Its a huge place with loads of Trains to look at from many different eras, there is so much to look at! There is one hall with the more older trains and then the great hall with the famous Mallard and the huge locomotives, there is also an old bullet train which you can go on and has monitors to show when it was used, there is also a replica of the Eurostar Train, its a very interesting place and even if you're not a train fan its defiantly worth a look for any age! There are a few nice cafes in the museum and around the trains themselves. its also free but they do like to get a donation if possible. There is also a gift shop to buy some train gifts. read more

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any time I mentioned visiting York, there was one unanimous recommendation from everyone I met: the Railway Museum. I didn't understand how it could be so special, but of course I had to see for myself. I was pleasantly surprised. seeing these historic train engines and cars close up was really impressive. they are massive! there were plenty of tours and events going on, although I just walked around myself and it was great. no fee, but they ask for a donation which seems fair. definitely a must-do in York! read more

Had a great time here in 2004 having taken the train from the Minster. Be prepared to be astonished for several hours and year comfy shoes. York and Britain can be justifiably proud of this museum and their railway heritage. read more

National Railway Museum - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

The museum is free of charge. You'll find over three hundred years of world railway history, from Japanese Bullet trains to Queen Victoria's favourite carriage (which is one of the most impressive things to see). You can also visit the worshop and the warehouse. There is also the Yorkshire wheel (the equivalent of the London Eye but smaller) just outside the museum. read more

National Railway Museum - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

A great museum if you are a fan of train travel (and even if you are not a train buff it is worth a look if you have a spare hour or so while visiting York to see all the cool trains up close). Lots of trains are on display from various countries, lots of train models, train related memorabilia, a history of train travel in the United Kingdom with easy to understand exhibits explaining how train travels operates, some of the trains you can walk inside and take a look at, play area for kids, train related paintings on the 2nd floor, a restaurant and a cafe if you are hungry and a small train you (or your kids can take on a ride around the museum grounds). An excellent (and free) museum well worth visiting. read more

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The best thing about this museum is that it is free of charge and huge- it is the largest railway museum in the world. There is a huge collection of locomotives and you can go inside one or two of them to explore. One of the main exhibition is the Flying Scotsman, where there are a few interactive games (touch screen) for kids to play. I also went for a ride on the Yorkshire Wheel, which you have to pay for. There was no line even though it was a weekend and very few people were on. However, you get to sit for around three rounds, which probably took 7 mins or so. The wheel is quite new and clean, and the view is breathtaking! read more

National Railway Museum - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

My kids absolutely loved this! Free entry, and more trains than you can shake a very big stick at. read more

National Railway Museum - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

I fricking love trains. My childhood was quaking the entire time. Thomas the Tank Engine who?

Love this place. I visit every time that I come to York especially as it is free to get in. They do hold special events that you have to pay for but it goes into the museum I think. I love that it is the home of the Flying Scotsman locomotive. The gift shop is expensive but worth a look read more

Great museum. All about railways and not even bad for scholars of railroads and otherwise. The number of engines to examine, both inside and out, is fantastic, and the museum also has an archive though it's hours are limited. Definitely check out if in York. read more

Well obviously it's awesome isn't it. As I am brutally lacking in technological know how, I have to admit my highlight was seeing the interior of the royal carriages, not that I approve of them travelling in such style of course but they are seriously beautiful and very interesting historically. Seeing the Flying Scotsman and sitting on a Bullet Train were my other favourite moments but I also generally enjoyed reading about the history of the railways (including some targeted immigration to support it!) and the infrastucture it supported - delivering post, fresh fruit etc. It seems like there are some fun dining options here too - either in the middle of some carriages or actually in one! read more

Trains! Lots of them! Need I say more?? There's a reason this is a National Railway Museum! The UK has such a fantastic railway history, it's almost heartbreaking when you think of the state of the railways are in now (there's a little section on this on the museum about some destructive decisions that were made). Very informative and great place for big and little kids and did I mention there is no entrance fee? Also check out the website or ask at the incredibly lovely staff about daily events and talk as well as upcoming special exhibits! read more

Okay, this review might possibly be a review of Yelp's T.O.S. I didn't actually visit this place, but my husband did. So it's based on his impressions. See, I'm married to a railfan. I don't remember the exact British term for them, but I've nicknamed my guy "Railfan Rick". Believe me ladies, they have some sort of innate homing device for places like this. Mine has been to every railroad attraction in our home state of Pennsylvania including the Strasburg Rail Road, Steamtown, Horseshoe Curve, Pennsylvania Railroad Museum and the Railroader's Museum of Pennsylvania. He's been to the one in Sacremento, CA and Portola, CA. About the only one he hasn't been to is the world's largest operating one, the Illinois Railway Museum. How the heck he's missed that one is beyond me. At least he doesn't have jackets with a dozen railroad patches on them and he realizes that others aren't as interested as he is. But I'm rambling here I guess. Anyways while I was visitng another museum, he spent part of the day here. He really liked the comprehensive collection of steam, electric, and especially diesel locomotives. He also enjoyed the collections of posters and railway art. So while it's not an operating museum, it did remind him a little of the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum. So how can I rate a place four stars even though I was never there? Easy! It got him out of my hair for an afternoon! read more

Ok...the focus of the Yelp-sphere in the UK has got to get its collective head out of its London Hagen Daas and out to the rest of the country. Seriously? No one has written up a review of this place? The National Rail Museum (NRM) in York is perhaps one of the best museums I have EVER been to. Permit me to cast my critical yankee aspersions, but Britain is riddled with overly cautious, over priced, stay-behind-the-rope-if-you-please attractions. It cost me £12 just to go into the York Minster and climb the tower. The Beaulieu Motor Museum, as good as that is, keeps you at arms length from everything but the classic double-decker bus, and even that, you can't climb to the top level. Most attractions and museums that attempt to show you old machines lack in the one thing that I always want to do, to sit in, touch, and experience first hand this unique thing. Don't just show me the car that broke the land speed record, let me sit in it, please. But the NRM is so not that. Want to walk through a car from the original Japanese bullet train, step into the cabins of a half-dozen actual steam locomotives, sit in the actual steam engine that still holds the coal-fire engine land speed record, see a cut-away of the interior workings of a steam engine, walk UNDER a steam engine, sit in an old passenger car, and look into the cars of various royalty-of-yore? Well, you can do all of that. My expectations are so low now when I walk into any museum in the UK, that we expected we would kill off an hour here and be done with it. 3 hours later, and we were still raring to go. Not even to mention I couldn't drag my 3-year-old son away from this place. And we didn't even make it out to see the live demonstration of a steam engine. I've been to Travel Town in Griffith Park, both installations of the Air and Space Museum in DC, the Airplane Museum in Munich, Beaulieu, none of these places even touches the hands-on-get-you-in-the-middle-of-it of the NRM. My only regret is that we didn't have the time to head north and check out the other installation of NRM in Shildon. But believe me, it will be first on our list when we visit Durham. And how much would you expect to pay for one of the best museum visits you've ever had? How about...FREE. Yep, that's right. You queue up, make yourself known to the folks at the entrance, and then pay as little or as much as you want. So there you have it, (possibly) the best museum ever, and you are required to pay exactly nothing. My friends, it gets no better than this. read more

I have to admit that York is one of my favorite cities in the UK. This museum is very interesting- You can go back in time and enjoy the view of old locomotives and also trains of the future which are too fast to ride the railways today. If you like trains then you need to spend at least 3 hours at the museum or you'll regret later. I will definitely go there again. read more

I was excited at the prospect of spending a few hours at the rail museum and my enthusiasm was very visible from the start. Part of it is because I am an engineer. But, trust me, you don't have to be one to have a good time at this place! My better half, despite not a keen engineering enthusiast had a great time here exploring different engines, coaches, carriages and the sheer depth and width of the exhibits and the story behind them. There are also a lot of little activities to keep the young and old entertained. it's a fun two hours you will not regret. This place is close to the York Train Station and can be accessed from near Platform 11. entrance is free but certain things like the Mallard Experience have a fee of around £4. read more

Was a bit disappointed not to have seen the Flying Scotsman tbh. All in all quite good for looking at the engines etc but would be good to have seen one or two fired up and actually moving, had imagined this was perhaps a "working" museum but really not any better or worse than the trains you see at Glasgow's Riverside Museum. Also £9 for the parking is very steep! read more

Had a fantastic time! First of all, it's free. Everyday! If our family lived closer I'd bring my 2 1/2 yr old everyday. There's a little play area for kids to run around. Apparently there's some interactive time, story time, and a small train to ride on too (we came with only an hour before closing, so these weren't available then). I'm not that big of a train fan, but I loved this museum. It has now become my favorite (above some of the ones I've visited in London too)! In the great hall you can get on some of the trains there, but I especially loved the South Hall section where you can eat inside a train car and you see what they looked like inside over the years! Nice authentic cafe experiences throughout. read more

Touted as a must visit by some friends of mine I was satisfied with my visit, but it failed to live up to the hype they gave it. It's free so of course you should visit, as even if you don't like it you can leave with no harm. They have the only bullet train outside of Japan and some neat exhibits on all things to do with the Rail way. Stop by for a visit, you may love it or leave after 20 minutes read more

Amazing and huge gathering of all things to do with trains. Mallard, Bullet, Flying Scotsman, Rocket, it's all here. Free to get in but you really should make a donation in support of this fantastic place. Some nice model train layouts but I think they could make more of that - especially for the kids. Enjoyable even if you're not a fan of trains - so many iconic things here. A must do if you're visiting York. read more

National Railway Museum - Luke waves a train off. - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

Absolutely wonderful museum to visit if you are in York. It is easy to access from the train station. You do not have to be a train buff to enjoy this museum. It shows the history of the train system in England and how it has changed over the years for those who want more of a historical background. If you have kids, this a good place to take them so they can also enjoy a day out. read more

I visited here early on, when they were setting it up and then on and off through the years. I have always been pleasantly surprised that it is still free to enter and that children can play all over the exhibits to their heart's content. This also goes for a lot of adults that I know! An absolute must for any transport enthusiast and recommended for others. read more

Great museum. Free. Interesting even if you're not into trains! Comprehensive. Great for kids. read more

National Railway Museum - The museum is so comprehensive, they even had the Hogwart train! - Museums Near Me - York, YOR

From a perspective that I don't have any interest whatever in trains - I still realy enjoy a trip to the National Railway Museum! A couple of good points that are worth mentioning is that it's FREE! yes, totally free of charge! Another thing is that it's mostly indoors so if the weather looks a bit dodgy then theres somewhere to take the kids! As I mentioned I don't like or know anything about trains, so I can't tell you what there is! But the trains are HUGE and kiddies find it fasinating! It's also really interesting to look at the moc ups of how trains used to be, lovely interiors for the upper classes! Theres also an area where kiddies can get interactive with various little activities for them, which I think is a really nice touch. There's a restaurant, which sells suprisingly lovely food, if not a little expensive, but there are plenty of picnic benches if you prefer to bring your own read more

I only had one brief visit to the National Rail Museum and at first when someone in my group suggested a visit here I thought I would be bored. However once inside I was mesmerized by the trains, and want to return again to spend more time there! I spend a lot of time on trains, but this museum has helped me to appreciate some of the technology developments which mean I can now travel to London in relative luxury in just over 2 hours from Manchester. The best thing is that the museum is free so you can easily visit on a number of visits to look at the different areas, and experience the wide range of demonstrations/interactive exhibitions. We spent most time in the area with the Royal Carriages which were beautiful and take you back in time. We also sat down to watch one of the platform side shows/dramas which had us transported on to a 1950s train to the seaside resort of Scarborough. There are a couple of things you do need to pay for, such as the train simulator, but even then the costs were very reasonable. I didn't get a chance to look at any of the Thomas the Tank Engine exhibitions but it must have been fun from the smiles on the faces of returning children. An ideal place to visit with something for all ages and all the family. You certainly don't need to be a train geek to enjoy! read more

The railway museum is a good place to visit whilst in york! better still its free! although a donation box is at the front for a contribution. there are many exhibits from the old steam trains to the modern bullet train. well worth a visit! read more

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A great museum for lovers of trains. And for people like myself who dont really care for them there is the York Eye. Slightly smaller than the London Eye (I think) but still offers superb views across York, and of the York Minster. While we were there, there was a train from China which was the highlight of the museum itself. Although the whole area was rather crowded and there were long queues to see in the cabs of the trains and the turntable demonstration was packed, leaving it difficult for small children to actually see what was happening. The model trains looked good, a lot of work must have been put into them read more

Great day out for the family. Anyone older than 16 this would be a bit boring. But great for train fans read more