Railway Museum

The Spoorwegmuseum occupies Maliebaanstation, built in 1874 for the Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij as a grand terminus that never got the traffic to justify it, closed to passengers in 1939 and given to the railway collection in 1954. The station building holds the historical displays; the platforms and the hall behind hold about sixty locomotives and carriages, from early wooden four-wheelers through the Dutch steam classes to electric stock and a royal train. The museum was rebuilt in 2005 with four themed sections and an emphasis on rides - a dark ride through railway history, a suspended vehicle over the collection, and steam trips on the site - which makes it firmly a family destination. Trains from Utrecht Centraal run direct to the museum's own platform on some days, which is the right way to arrive.

What you actually see

• An 1874 terminus - a grand station that never got the traffic, kept as the museum.
• About sixty locomotives and carriages - from wooden four-wheelers to electric stock.
• A royal train - among the vehicles in the collection.
• Rides through the collection - dark ride, suspended vehicle and steam trips.

When to go

All year. A day.

Honest expectations

Closed Mondays outside school holidays and very busy with families when open. Rides queue. The direct museum train runs on limited days. It is a family attraction as much as a technical museum.

Nearby

Utrecht's old town and Dom tower are a short walk west.