Welcome to the National Railway Museum in York, where you can explore the past, present and future of the railways.
We're open Wednesday–Sunday 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
Our normal opening hours are Wednesday–Sunday, 10.00–17.00.
Last admission is at 16.30.
A typical visit takes 1.5–2 hours.
Closures
We have a new entrance. From Wednesday 1 March visitors will enter and exit our museum from Leeman Road, near the main visitor car park. Find out more about the new entrance.
Station Hall closed for transformation on Tuesday 3 January 2023. Find out more about the work.
Countess of York, our afternoon tea venue, is closed. It will reopen at the same time as Station Hall.
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 delicious meals, snacks, cakes and drinks.
Great Hall 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.