We are no strangers to the National Railway Museum in York, in fact I visited the NRM this time last year with Sandy and her boys from Baby Baby.
This half term the museum is celebrating Big fun with little trains and we were given the opportunity to have a look round and experience some of the attractions with the boys. Entry to the Museum is free and parking is around £10 for the day and you really do not need to spend anymore than that if you take a picnic with you. There are places both indoors and outdoors for you to eat any picnic you might take, which is what we usually do.
However, this time we were treated to a free meal in the restaurant, which was a little hit and miss. We made sure we got the restaurant early as the queues can be terrible, so were served pretty quickly, however, MadDad’s cobbler wasn’t all that nice and had quite a bit of gristle in it. The boys and I had fishcakes and they were really nice, but I would expect no less when paying £7.99 for an adults meal and £5.99 for a children s meal, plus drinks. The boys also had a chocolate muffin each, which I paid for at just under £5 for the two. The tea in the restaurant is great, as it is made with real leaves and teapots, so right up my street.
There is something for every age this half term at the museum. If you have younger children there is a hands on Chuggington area, where they can play with the range of toys and have loads of fun. even my boys at 5 and 6 enjoyed it.
There are loads of model railways dotted around the Great Hall and the volunteers and demonstrators are really knowledgeable and really talk to the children and it is so much fun to watch your child’s eyes light up as they watch the trains go round and round.
For anyone wanting larger trains, well there are so many at the Museum it is hard to remember what we saw, but the boys loved sitting on the bullet train and watching the video.
It was beautiful and sunny for us, so we made a beeline to the South Yard where the boys had fun in the play area and we all went on a steam train ride. You can also take a ride on the miniature railway too.
My Top Tips
- Go early, the museum opens at 9.30am and fills up fast, but if there is something you want to see or do, the best time is before 11.00am
- Take a picnic, there are plenty of eating areas both inside and out
- If the craft area id busy (£1 charge) then do what we did and ask for the materials and take it home to do
- Split the day by taking the road train in to central York. The museum doesn’t shut till 6.00pm and is much quieter at the beginning and end of the day
- Why not let the train take the strain, the museum is really close to York station
- Try and fit in a story telling session, the boys loved joining in with Quick, the Queen is coming
- Do not try and fit it all in in one day, as the museum is free you can always go back again and again
The National Railway Museum currently has a competition to win a £150 toy voucher by identifying whether three close up photographs are of big trains or little trains. Take a look at the NRM Facebook page to find out more.
What are your top tips for visiting museums?
Disclosure: We were provided with free parking, lunch and some vouchers for chargeable activities
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