At the Railway Museum Utrecht your visit starts on a real platform. You walk through the hall of the old Maliebaan station and moments later you stand between locomotives taller than you are. Children run from one train to the next, while adults linger at the old carriages. You can step inside some of the trains and look around. The museum tells how the train changed the Netherlands, from the first steam locomotive to modern times.
- Location
- Maliebaanstation 16, Utrecht
- Highlights
- Steam locomotives, the De Arend replica, the royal waiting room and Steel Monsters
- Good to know
- Reserve a time slot in advance, also with a Museumkaart
- Free entry
- Children aged 3 and under, and Museumkaart holders
- Building
- Station from 1874, restored to its original state in 2005
What you see at the Railway Museum Utrecht
The large halls are full of steam locomotives, electric trains and historic carriages for passengers and freight. Look for the replica of De Arend, the locomotive that ran the first train journey in the Netherlands in 1839; the copy was built a hundred years later. Steam locomotive 3737 and a dining car from the Orient Express also draw a crowd. Beyond the collection, the museum has shows and experiences such as Steel Monsters, Trial by Fire and the Techlab. Outside you find a turntable, a model railway, a water tower and a playground, so a sunny day works just as well as a rainy one.
From station to museum
The Maliebaan station opened in 1874 for the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij. Passenger services stopped in 1939 and it became a goods station. During the Second World War the German occupiers seized the station, and Jews from Utrecht were deported from here. After the war the railway museum, founded in 1927, found a permanent home here and opened in November 1953. Between 2003 and 2005 the station was restored to its original state, and today it is the entrance to the museum. Inside you also find the royal waiting room, which stood in the Staatsspoor station in The Hague until it was moved to Utrecht before that station was demolished in 1973.
Getting to the Railway Museum Utrecht by train
The museum has its own station. From Utrecht Central Station a train runs once an hour to Utrecht Maliebaan, right next to the museum. If you miss it, take bus 4, 8, 28, 50, 55, 73 or 77 from Utrecht Central to the Stadsschouwburg stop, from where the museum is within walking distance. If you come by car, the car park fills up quickly during events and holidays, so public transport is the easier choice. Utrecht has more to see, such as the Centraal Museum, and our page on museums in Utrecht helps you plan the rest of your day.
Planning your visit
Reserving a time slot before your visit is mandatory, even with a valid ticket or a Museumkaart, the Dutch annual museum pass, and reserving is free. Bring the physical card, because only the card itself is accepted at the entrance. Children aged 3 and under get in free, but add them to your reservation. The museum is wheelchair accessible, with the exception of the historic trains themselves and Steel Monsters. With children, the outdoor playground is a welcome break between the halls.
Frequently asked questions about the Railway Museum
Do I need to book the Railway Museum Utrecht in advance?
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Plan your visit
Tickets and attractions in Utrecht are available through our ticket partner Tiqets.
Museums in Utrecht