National Railway Museum

Home to iconic locomotives and an unrivalled collection of engineering brilliance, the National Railway Museum celebrates the past, present and future of innovation on the railways.

Work together and follow your curiosity to get the most from our galleries by discovering objects and completing challenges in our Great Object Hunt trails.

Enhance your visit in Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery, an interactive space for children to learn about the science behind the railways.

Bring the STEM curriculum to life by exploring 18 fully interactive exhibits, encouraging children to think like engineers and inventors.  Perfect for KS2 and 3, the gallery is designed around play and hands-on learning, inviting children to predict, design, build, test and improve – all with a railway theme. Wonderlab prompts children to look at the world differently, asking questions such as, ‘Why does that work?’ and ‘How can I make that work better?’

The National Railway Museum is dedicated to igniting our visitors’ curiosity about the people, places and engineering marvels behind the railways, we put our passion for amazing stories into everything we do.

A school trip to the museum will provide a rich context for learning about how engineering and technology shapes our lives, inspiring students’ curiosity and skills across a range of subjects. From engineering, computing and science to history and design technology, we offer a range of interactive science shows, engaging workshops and additional learning resources that can enhance learning for all ages.

Your visit can be tailor made to fit your groups needs through our Online Group Booking Portal.

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Pick and choose from a range of school sessions, object-rich spaces, optional railway rides and special exhibitions.

See the full programme on our website at https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/learning

Pick and choose from a range of school sessions, object-rich spaces, optional railway rides and special exhibitions.

See the full programme on our website at https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/learning

We have a number of learning resources available to download for free on our website.

Groups are permitted to take photography, film or audio as part of their visit. Any equipment used for this needs to be restricted to handheld devices only (no tripods or lighting without prior consent).

When capturing any photography, film or audio we ask group leaders to be mindful of other visitors.

Our website contains all the health and safety information you’ll need to help you write your risk assessment.

If you have any queries, you can get in touch with our Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058 or send an email to info@ScienceMuseumGroup.co.uk

Entry to the museum is free. Wonderlab, including our science shows incur a separate cost – please visit our Learning pages for more information.

Please note all charged offers are available on a pre-booked basis only.

Many of our visiting groups choose to wear distinctive identifiers such as high-vis jackets displaying school information to easily identify their students and make it easier to reunite lost students with their groups.

We have trained staff to provide first-aid treatment – please ask if you require assistance. There is a fully equipped, fully accessible first-aid room in the museum which can be made available if you need it.

For information on getting to the National Railway Museum visit our dedicated Travel Information page.

Bookable picnic spaces are also available to groups. Toilet facilities are available throughout the museum, and these are also open to members of the public.

Changing facilities for students with disabilities can be made available on request. Please contact us for further information.

You can find more information here: https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/visit/facilities-and-accessibility

Our museum is open for all visitors – please find our accessibility page for the provisions we have in place: https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/visit/facilities-and-accessibility

The museum is open Monday-Sunday, 10.00-17.00 (last entry 16.15).

Galleries start to close 30 minutes before the museum closes.

You need to pre-book your educational group visit, even if you don’t intend to take part in any of our events or activities. You can find out more information and contact details at: https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/learning/schools-what-see-and-do-visit