📍Locomotion Museum, Shildon, DL4 2RE
This post is from a visit in December 2022, some activities may vary.
This was a great few hours out and it’s FREE TO VISIT. All of the activities we took part in were free too. (Donations are welcome as they are a charitable organisation so rely on donations).
There were lots of different trains to have a look at with information boards next to them all explaining a bit about the history. There were even some where you could look through the windows to see what some of the trains look like inside. Like Queen Alexandra’s Saloon with a living room, dining room and bedroom all onboard! There were some fun little interactive activities next to some of the trains too. As a family we aren’t really into trains but we enjoyed having a look around and reading about some of them.
There were lots of building and creating activities which you could just take part in whenever you wanted at the different areas set up (the particular activities shown in the images will vary regularly). Many of the activities are linked to science at the moment. There were lots of activity sheets in a stand to do in the museum and including some that you could take home to try out. I believe these activity areas are a permanent feature it's just the theme changes every so often and the theme when we visited was 'Festive Science’
They also have an outdoor play area which we visited before heading home to get a bit of fresh air (we did find it got quite warm in the museum). There's also outdoor picnic tables too for when the weather is warmer.
♿️They have disabled toilets and I found the museum is fully accessible with ramps next to areas where there’s steps. There was also disabled parking closer to the car park as the main car park is set a bit further back, probably about a 5 minutes walk from the entrance.
🥪 🥤 There is a cafe area as well as indoor and outdoor picnic areas if you want to bring your own food or drink which is what we did. The prices seemed ok in the cafe though.
🎁 There is also a gift shop with lots of toys and gifts, many train related of course! Great for souvenirs if visiting the area or some gifts to put away for occasions and it helps to support the museum too.
Summary-This place is worth a visit, it’s a short 20 minutes drive from Darlington too, we will definitely visit again. We were even given a free Thomas & Friends book on arrival too at the welcome desk which was a nice touch, I’m not sure if this is a regular thing but everyone got one when we visited 🤗
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Many Thanks
Charlotte (familyfundarlomum)
-Mum to 2 boys, Kamron-7 and Leo-19 months (as well as stepmum to Damon, 14)
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