Visitor Info

Our Accessibility statement is available to download in both PDF and Word format for you to view on any device. Please click the relevant version you wish to view.

For pictures of the accessibility facilities at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and other Lake District Estates attractions click here.

Entry to the Ravenglass Railway Museum is FREE, though we rely on visitor donations to remain open and develop.

Hot and cold drinks, meals and snacks are available from the café on Platform 1 of Ravenglass R&ER station when the railway is operating.

Approx. 80 spaces in tarmac car park. Disabled spaces available outside museum. Charges £3 2hrs or £6 all day.

Our collections hold around 6,000 artefacts of every size and shape from locomotives to beermats, plus a photographic archive of over 10,000 images.

For more information about our Collections and to view our objects and photographic collections, please visit our Collections Page

We welcome research enquiries by appointment

Guide Dogs only are permitted within the Museum. There is a ‘Dog Station’ outside with Dog parking and water, and dogs are welcome on R&ER trains and outdoor spaces.

Ravenglass Railway Museum is a registered charity, no.505295. We rely on the support and generosity of the public to enable the Museum to remain open and developing.

Easter Holidays Teddy Bear Trail

4th to 21st April 2025

Pick up a Teddy Trail sheet when you enter the museum. Explore the museum and find the answers.   Suitable for families and children of all ages.

 

3rd to 5th May 2025 – R&ER Steam Gala Weekend

More details to follow soon.

 

Anniversary Train & Guided Walk

Enjoy a special guided walking adventure as part of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway’s 150th-anniversary celebrations! Saturday 24th May marks exactly 150 years since the first R&ER goods train and we have just 30 tickets available for visitors to join us for a unique opportunity to explore the ‘old line’ on foot. The route will follow a scenic railway journey from Ravenglass to Dalegarth stations on a chartered train hauled by River Irt.

Your experience begins at 10:50 with a departure from Ravenglass (RG). Please note that this train journey may take longer than the usual 40 minutes due to crossing points, offering a chance to learn about the railway’s fascinating history and points of interest along the line.

Upon arrival, you’ll embark on a guided walk of the ‘old line’ leading to Boot. Whether you choose to bring your own packed lunch or purchase something delicious at the Dalegarth (DG) café, you’ll have time to refuel before your return train departs from Dalegarth at 14:30, arriving back in Ravenglass approximately 40 minutes later.

Your £30 ticket price per adult includes not only the guided walk and train journey but also admission to the Ravenglass Railway Museum . Feel free to visit the museum either before or after your trip to delve deeper into the railway’s rich heritage.

Visit the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway website to book

What’s included

  • Full line return steam railway journey onboard Ravenglass & Eskdale railway chartered private train. 40 minutes each way ( seven miles)
  • Entry to the Ravenglass Railway Museum
  • Guided walk and tour between Dalegarth station and Boot village

Young Engineers

29th & 30th Oct 2025

Along with the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, we’ll be teaming up with Chris Vine, author of the Peter’s Railway books, to offer a fun, family day of railway activities with a Halloween twist.   More details to follow, pre booking is essential. Sorry, dogs are not permitted at this event.

 

 

 

Archive Talks

The museum hosts a monthly online Archive Talk, usually held on the first Thursday of the month.  In these popular talks, presented by our Photo Archivist Dave Simpson, we delve into our vast archive of over 46 000 images, to explore the fascinating history of the R&ER and the many stories it has to tell.

Details of the talk subjects are publicised on our Facebook page @rermuseum.  To be on our mailing list to receive the monthly talk link, please register your interest at steam@ravenglass-railway.co.uk

Guest speakers are also welcome.  If you have a link to the R&ER or other narrow-gauge railways and think you could offer our audience an engaging, railway themed talk or presentation, please get in touch.

Talks are free of charge, but if you would like to show your appreciation, donations are welcome to the museum here.

To view information about our permanent and temporary exhibitions, please visit our Exhibitions Page

Kids in Museums Logo

We welcome families, though children must be accompanied by an adult at all times

As members of Kids in Museums we have a firm commitment to creating a safe, welcoming museum for family learning and play. You can read the Kids in Museums manifesto HERE

 

 

Food and drink is not allowed in the museum owing to the need to protect our historic objects

Are available from the R&ER gift shop

We welcome group bookings and can provide tours of the museum and behind the scenes on the railway.

Our group offers can be tailored to suit your particular requirements.

We also offer a programme of talks about aspects of the railway’s history.

To discuss a potential booking please get in touch

Group Bookings at Ravenglass Railway Museum
Group Bookings at Ravenglass Railway Museum

The Museum space is available for private bookings – please contact us for details

If you are interested in the museum and the local area, here are some relevant links. The museum is not responsible for the content of these websites.

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society

Millom Discovery Centre

West Cumberland Railway Museum

Cumbrian Railways Association

Heywood Society

The Sankey Photography Archive

Visit our Location Page to view map and details on how to get here.

Winter 2024

The museum is now closed and will reopen on specific dates from 23rd November when the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway runs its popular Santa Express trains.

 

The museum’s core opening hours are 9am to 4pm.  We do open later during the railway’s busier timetables.  Visit the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway website for more info.

 

Still photography is welcome for personal and not commercial use unless by prior arrangement

There are toilets including wheelchair-accessible and baby-change facilities on Platform 1 of Ravenglass R&ER station c150m from the museum.

Several of our locomotives and carriages can be touched or climbed on, but can be sharp or dirty and visitors do so entirely at their own risk

The museum displays are fully wheelchair accessible. Part of the museum is accessed via an internal ramp.