Best places: Rail museums in England

Narrow gauge railway, vintage vehicle demos, old buildings and exhibitions in a former chalk quarry.

Family-run adventure park with a miniature railway, wildlife-rich lake area, a playground and cafe.

👍👍 Brilliant place! So much to see and do for all ages. Trains, tram rides, an amazing collection of steam engines plus a superb soft play area and climbing wall for children. Refreshments are available and reasonably priced and there are plenty of very well appointed toilet facilities. We will certain...

Railway history & artefacts, with 300 vehicles including steam world record holder, the Mallard.

Restored period village with historic facades and the National Tram Museum's collection of vehicles.

Outfit preserving railway history via exhibits, train stations & rides on steam-powered locomotives.

The only place in the world where you can see 2 full sized steam trains pass each other.

Main station for a 19th-century valley steam railway with a tearoom, model & gift shop.

Preserved railway station & train line offering a museum & rides on vintage steam locomotives.

Heritage railway offering journeys on vintage steam & diesel trains, some with dining service.

👍👍 My recent visit was during the 151 years of the British Postcard Exhibition. A very nice, but small museum housing various collections of Postal History from uniforms and vehicles to Britain's famous curbside Postboxes. Interactive activities for children and a small cinema/theatre showing postal a...

Part of the 2-venue biggest railway museum in the world, with locomotives and interactive displays.

Displays of train life past, with railway memorabilia, steam locomotives and Thomas the Tank Engine.

Veteran engines, carriages and memorabilia, set around a recreated Victorian station (with rides).

👍👍 Visited on a complete off chance. The food was good value and enjoyed by all of us (and plenty of bacon in the bacon rolls). Was given the opportunity for a train ride in the cabin; even though it was not in normal hours (obviously they cannot do this every time) and it was one of the highlights o...

👍👍 I love this place. Used to come here as a kid and now I bring my kids. If you have little ones then you must come, they will love it

Steam train rides on a restored rail line through the hilly North Pennines, plus a small museum.