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Trains & Railways

National Railway Museum York

๐Ÿ“ York, Yorkshire

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โ˜…4.7(32,351 Google reviews)๐Ÿ’ฐFree๐Ÿ‘ถAll ages

The National Railway Museum holds iconic locomotives including Flying Scotsman, with the Wonderlab interactive experience, VR activities, outdoor viewing terrace, and full accessibility throughout. Free entry.

โœ“ Flying Scotsmanโœ“ Wonderlab interactiveโœ“ Free entryโœ“ Full accessibilityโœ“ Plan 3-4 hours

๐Ÿ† Funzaroo Verdict

An outstanding destination for families with children of any age who love trains or interactive science exhibits. The Wonderlab alone justifies a dedicated visit and benefits from advance booking. Allow a minimum of three to four hours - five is more realistic if Wonderlab is included.

โ„น๏ธ What to Know Before You Go

๐Ÿ’กBook Wonderlab tickets in advance - sessions are popular and can sell out
โฐPlan a minimum of three to four hours; five is more realistic with Wonderlab included
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธBring your own food during school holidays when the cafe gets crowded and seating is scarce
๐Ÿš—The road train from outside York Minster provides an easy transfer to the museum entrance

๐Ÿ’ฌ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews โ†’
4.7
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32,351 Google reviews

5โ˜…
25,021
4โ˜…
5,583
3โ˜…
1,138
2โ˜…
280
1โ˜…
329

G Reviews from Google

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Walk and See

10 months ago

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โ€œ๐Ÿš† National Railway Museum - York I visited the National Railway Museum in York, which actually consists of two main locations: the main museum with its vast collection of historic trains and royal carriages, and a secondary hall for special exhibitions and interactive displays. Both locations are very spacious and educational, showcasing steam locomotives, carriages, and railway history from the UK. One highlight is being able to see famous trains up close. There is also a cafรฉ inside the main museum, perfect for resting and enjoying food or drinks. Entry is free, making it accessible for everyone. From an accessibility perspective, both museum areas are wheelchair friendly. Entrances are step-free, floors are flat, and aisles are wide for easy maneuvering. Lifts are available where needed, and accessible toilets with wheelchair logos are clearly marked. Staff are present and ready to assist when required. โ™ฟ Accessibility Checklist โœ… Step-free entrance โœ… Wide aisles and spacious layout ๐Ÿ›— Lifts available ๐Ÿšป Accessible toilets available (wheelchair logo) โ™ฟ Flat and smooth flooring ๐Ÿค Staff assistance available ๐Ÿ“ Note The museum is large and comfortable for wheelchair users. Even during busy hours, the wide aisles make it easy to move around. The cafรฉ provides a nice break spot during a long visit. Both locations are worth exploring for a full experience. #GoogleLocalGuide #WalkAndSee #WheelchairAccessible #AccessibleTravel #York #MuseumVisitโ€

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Kay Young

8 months ago

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โ€œFantastic museum. Bit of a walk to get around to it while they are refurbishing, but worth it. (You can take the road train from outside the Minster if you like.) We booked tickets for the Wonderlab and it was definitely worth it. We could have spent far longer in there, testing out the different exhibits and listening to the talks. Very interactive and super interesting. We attended the fire talk and loved it! We would have happily spent longer pottering in the museum itself, there's plenty to see. Massive thank you to the incredible staff. The only thing letting it down is the cafe. It's very expensive and there's hardly anywhere to sit. We went during half term and it was mayhem. There's no obvious picnic area either, so the cafรฉ tables were full of families with lunch boxes, and there were lots of people carrying trays of cafe food with no where to go. There isn't really a alternative because it's not bear anywhere, so grab some food before you arrive and prepare to hustle for a bench!โ€

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Ed Price

8 months ago

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โ€œExcellent museum with so many exhibits you can't see them all. Incredible history, excellent staff abd there are cafes abd gift shops, as well. They also have a viewing terrace to watch trains go by north of the York station. Highly recommended, and plan on 3-4 hours minimum. Truly extraordinary.โ€

๐Ÿ“Š Commonly mentioned in Google reviews

Based on Google review tags

Free entry

1,039 reviews

Locomotives

782 reviews

Mallard

423 reviews

Flying scotsman

400 reviews

Bullet train

190 reviews

Overview

The National Railway Museum in York houses an extensive collection of historic locomotives including Flying Scotsman, royal carriages, and engineering exhibits across two connected halls. The Wonderlab interactive experience runs alongside VR activities and holiday programmes. An outdoor viewing terrace overlooks active train lines north of York station. Current refurbishment means some detours between sections. Free entry throughout with cafe, shop, and full step-free access.

๐Ÿ• Opening Hours

Monday10:00-17:00
Tuesday10:00-17:00
Wednesday10:00-17:00
Thursday10:00-17:00
Friday10:00-17:00
Saturday10:00-17:00
Sunday10:00-17:00

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