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We're open seven days a week. Book your free admission ticket now to visit the museum. 

Schools and groups can book free tickets here.

Please note the museum will close at 15.00 on Monday 18 March.

Station Hall and other parts of our museum are closed, please check the Visit page for the latest info about closures.

Visit

Welcome to the National Railway Museum in York, where you can explore the past, present and future of the railways.

We're open seven days a week, 10.00–17.00. See opening times and travel information.


Home to iconic locomotives and beautiful collections, you can wander through halls and explore the stories, places and engineering marvels behind the railways. See world-changing inventions like the Japanese Bullet Train and stand face-to-face with the world’s fastest steam locomotive, Mallard.

Museum admission is free and you can save time on arrival by booking in advance. Booking is highly recommended, especially for busy times such as school holidays, to guarantee your admission to the museum.

We're proud hold the title of two prestigious awards for 2022:

  • Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice: Best of the Best
  • Little Vikings: Best Family Attraction in York

Opening times

We're open seven days a week, 10.00–17.00.

Last admission is at 16.30.

A typical visit takes 1.5–2 hours.

Wonderlab is open 10.00-16.30, with last admission at 15.30.

Closures

Please note the museum will close at 16.00 on Friday 15 March 2024 and at 15.00 on Monday 18 March 2024.

The under-5s play area in Great Hall is closed from Monday 4 March to Friday 15 March 2024.

Some parts of our museum are closed while it is transformed as part of Vision 2025, including:

We have a new entrance. Our museum is now accessed from Leeman Road, near the main visitor car park. Find out more about the new entrance.

 

Booking tickets

We recommend booking your free museum admission in advance to save time when you get here and guarantee your admission to the museum. When you arrive, just show us your QR code so we can scan it or tell us your order number to collect your tickets.

Tickets are usually released six weeks in advance. Tickets are available further in advance for school holidays.

We're a charity and rely on donations to help us continue to share the stories of railway history. You can add a donation when booking your free tickets or when visiting the museum. You can also donate online. Thank you.

If your plans change, it's best to log in to your account online to cancel your ticket and book a new date if you want to. Alternatively, contact the booking team on 033 0058 0058 or email us at info@ScienceMuseumGroup.ac.uk to exchange or return your ticket. Our phone lines can get very busy so please bear with us.

Food and drink

We have a café in Great Hall serving drinks and cakes, sandwiches and salads and a limited range of hot food. We also have the Wonderlab café serving ice-cream, shakes, drinks and cakes.

Great Hall Café is open 10.00 – 16.00

Wonderlab Café is open 10.00 – 16.30

Picnic space

Visitors are welcome to bring a packed lunch with them to eat on the benches throughout the museum.

Museum shop

Browse our extensive range of railway gifts, memorabilia, models and more at our shop in Great Hall or explore our online selection.

Visit guidelines