Visiting the Railway Museum in Utrecht was on my family’s bucket list. This museum is the National Railway Museum of the Netherlands. We can learn about the history of the Dutch railway and can also see the old Dutch trains.
Hello traveller,
I have a friend who once lived in the Netherlands. She has two children and often travels for fun activities with her family. Through her experience, she knows interesting places for family activity in the Netherlands.
When she found out that my son has an interest in all things transport-related, she suggested visiting the Railway Museum in Utrecht. She convincingly promoted the museum and said that her children had a really good time during the visit.
Not only the children, but the parents were also enjoying the visit. I was convinced and then decided to put the museum on our family’s bucket list.
Location
The location of the Railway Museum is quite in the center of Utrecht. It is easy to find and we can use public transportation or our private vehicle.
The museum is located in Maliebaanstation 16, Utrecht.
Interestingly, the visitor can go directly to the mini train station inside the museum with a regional train from the Dutch National Railway (Nederlandse Spoorwegen-NS). The museum was previously a train station, which was closed in 1939. So, the rail is already there. They did not build it as an extra attraction.
If you like to go there by train, look at the official site of the Netherlands’ train. Search for the destination: Utrecht Maliebaan. You will find a train that goes directly to the museum from Utrecht Central Station.
Another alternative is to go by bus from Utrecht Central Station. According to the information from the museum’s official site, visitors can ride public buses and make a stop at the bus stop Stadsschouwburg.
The bus stop is located near the museum. The Railway Museum is within walking distance from the bus stop.
The last time, my family and I went there by car. We parked our car in the parking area in front of the museum. The parking ticket cost 12 euros for one day. We paid for the ticket together with the entrance ticket.
For your information, there are three charging stations within the parking area. We used an electric car and could luckily park at the charging station. While we visited the museum, the car was charged.
Utrecht: FC Utrecht Stadium.
Tickets and Opening Hours
You can buy the ticket online or directly in the museum. I bought the ticket directly and had a nice experience of it.
So, we entered the museum from the front entrance. Visitors will enter a large and spacious space like an old station but look new and clean. From this area, if we look straight ahead, we will see the old trains parked on the station platform.
The ticket desk is located on the right side of the entrance. We can easily find it. I can not speak Dutch and communicate with the cashier in English. The tickets were paid with a credit card.
I assume we can also pay with a debit card as long as the card belongs to a bank in European Union countries. Usually, I can pay with this card in other places outside Germany. Other than with cards, visitors can also pay in cash.
Visitors above the age of three should pay 19.50 euros. Babies and toddlers up to three years old can go to the museum for free. If you have a museum card or Holland pass, I think it is also free. For further information, you can see it on the official site of the Railway Museum Utrecht.
The Railway Museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday. People can visit the museum from 10.00 to 17.00. Based on my experience, I suggest visiting the museum in the early hours. The museum is huge and has many trains to see and attractions to experience.
Utrecht: Ulu Cami Mosque.
Visiting the Railway Museum Utrecht
My husband and I realized that visiting the museum would be more enjoyable if we were not rushed. We assumed that our visit would be all day long. It was true!
We were there from around 10 am and went out just before the museum closed. There are many trains in the museum and each has its history which was interesting to read. We tried to experience all the attractions too.
Lunch in the Museum
Lunchtime came!
My family and I were really hungry. We bought lunch in the cafeteria. We preferred to sit outside to enjoy the outdoor space of the museum.
There were soup, french fries, pastries, and more as options. For drinks, the cafeteria offered soft drinks and more.
Utrecht: Eating Spareribs.
Outdoor Area
The exhibition area is not only inside the building. There is also an outdoor area with many trains and attractions.
In this area,we can also see the very first train in the Netherlands. At certain schedule visitors can see the locomotive goes back and forth.
Even if we stayed there for almost seven hours, it was not enough. Maybe we were moving too slowly or we spent too much time on each display.
The information and the history were really interesting. One of the train model display the train which was used in Indonesia. I felt bad when I skipped it.
My husband and my eldest son were enjoying the museum too. They experienced more attractions than me since I was occupied with the baby.
If you come to the Netherlands and would like to see some interesting museums, I recommend the Railway Museum.
Happy travelling,
Amelia
Reference:
- Wikipedia. Railway Museum
- Spoorwegmuseum
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