National Railway Museum, York
The National Railway Museum in York is one of the largest and greatest attractions of the city of York, especially for families, and what is more, entry is free! It is the largest railway museum in the world and appropriately located in York, which has a long history of the rail industry. The National Railway Museum is worthy of a visit whatever the weather and is a godsend for parents with young children on a rainy day.
The National Railway Museum in York has three large halls of trains plus an interactive learning centre, new library and archive area and an outdoor play area. Highlights of the museum are the Mallard and the Japanese shinkansen (bullet train) which can both be found in Great Hall. Having travelled on a bullet train whilst on a trip to Japan, I can vouch for the fact that they are very fast and efficient. You can also see a replica of Stephenson's Rocket. Royal carriages including Queen Victoria's can be seen in Station Hall.
The National Railway Museum in York is much more than merely a museum as it also organises special exhibitions - this year has a focus on China and the controversial Beijing to Lhasa in Tibet railway - and can also be booked for functions such as wedding receptions, corporat events or Christmas parties. The platform areas can be transformed into an original and impressive venue for a special occasion.
The National Railway Museum has a varied line up of special events throughout the year including a production of the Railway Children in August and a Polish Christmas festival in November 2008.
Situated just behind York railway station in Leeman Road, the National Railway Museum can now be easily reached via a new pedestrian bridge so you can walk through the train station to the far side and down the steps to the entrance. It is open from 10am to 6pm daily except for 24-26 December.
The Yorkshire Wheel towers above the museum (60 metres high - £6.50 for adults / £4.50 for children) and it's not until you are standing below it that you realise how enormous it is! Visit it while you can as it is set to move to a new location shortly, subject to being granted planning permission to do so.
For further information on the National Railway Museum in York, see www.nrm.org.uk.
This entry was posted on Wednesday August 27th, 2008 at 9:57 PM and is filed under Places to Visit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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