The National Railway Museum in York is the largest railway museum in the world — a vast collection of over 100 historic locomotives and 300 items of rolling stock housed in three giant halls in the historic railway city of York, telling the story of Britain’s railway revolution from the early 19th century to the present day. Part of the Science Museum Group and free to enter, the NRM is one of the UK’s most popular museums outside London, drawing over 750,000 visitors annually with its extraordinary collection of engineering masterpieces — including the record-breaking Mallard, the only Japanese Shinkansen bullet train outside Japan, and Queen Victoria’s royal saloon.

Quick Facts: National Railway Museum, York

• Best time to visit: Year-round (the museum is indoor); weekdays outside school holidays for the quietest experience
• Top attraction: The Mallard — the world’s fastest steam locomotive (set the still-unbroken record of 203 km/h in 1938) — and the opulent royal carriages used by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII
• How to get there: York is ~2 hours from London by train (LNER East Coast Main Line); the museum is a 5-minute walk from York station
• Entry fee: Free (donations welcome); some special exhibitions may charge
• Combine with: York Minster, the Shambles (medieval shopping street), and the Jorvik Viking Centre — all within walking distance

York National Railway Museum is a museum dedicated to the rail transport in Great Britain. It is located in northeastern England, in the county of North Yorkshire in York. National Railway Museum is a part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry.

National Railway Museum was opened in the current premises in 1975, however the collection originated from the early 19th century. Today, the National Railway Museum has a national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and artifacts associated with the railway, with the various written and visual records. You can see here more than 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other vehicles. In 2001 National Railway Museum was awarded as the Best European Museum (European Museum of the Year Award in 2001). In addition to various exhibits you can also ride the giant Ferris wheel and special small train here.

York National Railway Museum, England, UK by Xerones

York National Railway Museum is open all the year daily from 10:00 to 18:00, except of December 24, 25 and 26. Admission is free. It is the biggest railway museum in England and the largest railroad exhibit of its kind in the world.

Have you visited the National Railway Museum or discovered York’s rich history? Share your favourite locomotives and railway memories in the comments! 🚂

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