13 of the Worlds Best Railroad Museums

Railroads/railways played a massive part in mobilizing the world, as they linked towns and sometimes whole continents together for the first time, allowing us to reach nearly any part of our country. While they play less of a role today, their heritage is significant, so much so that museums and centers across the globe preserve it for future generations.

America has some fine railroad museums, but so do other countries, with others like the United Kingdom even having entire heritage railroads. These museums showcase the best of the past, from building railroads to seeing steam locomotives in action.

We’ve looked globally to find 13 of the best railroad museums in the world and placed them on this list. We based our choices on the size of the museums, what they have to offer, and their collection, and in some cases, we’ve looked at famous heritage railroads, too.

National Railway Museum – York, England

The National Railway Museum is one of the most prominent railroad museums in the world, located in York, United Kingdom. The museum is home to a vast collection of historic locomotives, mainly from the steam era, including LNER A4 Pacific No.4468 Mallard, the fastest steam locomotive in the world, achieving 126 mph in 1938.

The museum also tells the story of Britain’s railroads and those of the wider globe. The NRM’s main building, the Great Hall, is located in the former York roundhouse, which was used during the days of steam as a depot for locomotives between duties.

Train World – Brussels, Belgium

The stunning Train World museum in Brussels is a relatively recent addition to the world of railroad heritage, opening in 2015. But it has quickly become one of the best in Europe, with highlights including Pays de Waes, a steam locomotive that is reputed to be the oldest preserved on the European continent.

The museum has a vast collection of locomotives and various interactive displays. It also showcases what railroads could look like in the future. Train World is also the official museum of the National Railway Company of Belgium, and it is located in old railroad buildings, including the former ticket hall of Schaerbeek railroad station.

National Railroad Museum – Green Bay, USA

Located in Wisconsin, the National Railroad Museum is one of the most prominent museums in North America and the world. The museum is fundraising for its new Fox River Expansion, which will give it a new building to showcase some of its rolling stock, smaller exhibits, and new interactive exhibits.

The museum is home to some incredible exhibits, including one of the Big Boy heavy freight locomotives, the biggest steam motive power in the world. Other exhibits include sister to Mallard, A4 No.60008 Dwight D Eisenhower, gifted to the United States as Britain withdrew its steam traction.

Cite du Train – Mulhouse, France

France has a rich railroad heritage, and the city of Mulhouse is home to the fantastic Cite du Train museum. The city has many transport museums, but Cite du Train is one of the best. It was set up in 1960 so that French train company SNCF could showcase some of its history, including its locomotives.

Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, becoming a hugely popular tourist attraction for railroad enthusiasts and families alike. It’s one of the best railroad museums in Europe and a must for those wishing to learn about France’s railroad heritage.

Severn Valley Railway – Shropshire, England

The Severn Valley Railway is a 16-mile heritage line between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster in England. The original route was built in 1862 between Hartlebury, near Droitwich Spa, and Shrewsbury. The entire line closed in 1970, but the Severn Valley Railway Preservation Society began reopening the line in stages that same year.

It’s now one of Britain’s best and most popular heritage railroads. It has a vast collection of steam locomotives, ranging from GWR Hall No.4930 Hagley Hall to mundane tank locomotives such as GWR 5700 No.7714. Other stations along the route include Hampton Loade, Highley, Arley, and Bewdley, and the line has an incredible collection of historic railroad carriages stretching back to the 1930s.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway – Yorkshire, England

Located in the gorgeous Yorkshire Moors, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is one of Britain’s biggest. It has 18 miles of track running from Grosmont to Pickering, with an extension shared with the modern network to the seaside town of Whitby.

The NYMR’s intermediate stations are Levisham and Goathland. The latter is famous as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films, an honor the NYMR proudly proclaims. The NYMR is one of the most remote heritage lines in Britain. However, that is a quality that only adds to its charm.

Kyoto Railway Museum – Kyoto, Japan

Japan has some of the most fascinating railroads in the world, particularly regarding high-speed travel. The country is famous for its Shinkansen routes, which were worked by various generations of renowned bullet trains, but the country also has a rich railroad heritage dating back to the days of steam.

The Kyoto Railway Museum, located in the city of the same name, tells the story of Japan’s railroad history from the early 1920s to the present day. On prominent display are an array of steam locomotives and more modern traction. The museum is also home to the former Nijo station, which was moved to the Kyoto Museum for preservation.

West Somerset Railway – Somerset, England

Located in the heart of Somerset, the West Somerset Railway is the longest heritage railroad in the UK and conforms to the standard gauge. It runs for 22 miles between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, the latter of which is a popular seaside town.

As with many of Britain’s heritage lines, West Somerset has had a tough few years financially, but things are looking up for the railroad. The key to its success over the years is its location, with Somerset being a popular holiday destination for people across the United Kingdom.

Madrid Railway Museum – Madrid, Spain

The Madrid Railway Museum is the best place to visit for those seeking to learn about Spain’s railroad heritage. Located in the original Delicias station, it has now been carefully preserved and houses an extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock from throughout Spain’s history.

Delicias station is a tourist attraction in its own right. It opened in 1880 and is one of Spain’s oldest surviving railroad stations. The atmosphere in the museum is incredible, and its location near the center of Madrid makes it easy for both residents and tourists to locate and visit.

Great Central Railway – Leicestershire, England

The Great Central Railway is unique as it is the only heritage line in Britain. It is a former double-track mainline, a high-speed route running out of London Marylebone. The preservationists at the GCR have preserved eight miles of the original route, six of which are double-track, with plans to fully double-track the line currently under discussion.

The double-track nature of the line means it can run more services than other heritage lines. It’s also the only one in the UK that allows two trains to pass each other while traveling instead of sitting in a station waiting for the train to pass.

The Railway Museum – Utrecht, Netherlands

The excellent Railway Museum, which opened in 1927 and is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is the largest in Holland and one of the longest-running in the world. The museum has undergone significant changes over the years, including opening a new building in 2002 containing four “worlds.”

These worlds go through various stages of Dutch railroad history. There is The Great Discovery for the early years of the 19th century, Dream Travels for the glory days around 1900, Steel Monsters for the 1930s and 1940s, and then The Workshop, a large hall full of exhibits. The museum is home to historic locomotives, such as Dutch Railways NS 3737, the last steam locomotive in service with Dutch Railways before they withdrew steam traction.

Exporail – Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada

The largest railroad museum in Canada is the exceptional Exporail, located in Saint-Constant in Quebec and home to over 140 pieces of rolling stock. The museum does an excellent job of showcasing Canada’s railroad heritage. It operates a streetcar line around the grounds and a small heritage railroad to elevate visitors’ experience.

The museum is also home to some locomotives that didn’t operate in Canada. These include the French SNCF 030-841 3-030.C.841 and British locomotives LB&SCR A1 class 54 Waddon & LNER Class A4 4489 Dominion of Canada.

Bluebell Railway – West Sussex, England

The Bluebell Railway is located in the heart of West Sussex. Its services run 11 miles from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park. One of the railroad’s key attractions is its collection of Victorian rolling stock and locomotives, ranging from locomotives like SECR O1 Class No.65 to various coaches from companies such as the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway and the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.

The Bluebell will welcome a new steam locomotive into service in August 2024. The complete replica Brighton H2 Atlantic No.32424 Beachy Head was recently finished and is undergoing final testing at the time of this writing.