Welcome to STEAM Museum – A First Class Day Out

STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway is housed in a beautifully restored Grade II listed railway building in the heart of the former Swindon railway works. Located right next to Swindon's Designer Outlet, the Museum tells the story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the Great Western Railway. See famous locomotives, ‘drive’ our train simulator and even work the signals in our interactive GWR signal box!

About us

STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway is housed in a beautifully restored Grade II railway building in the heart of the former Swindon railway works. Situated right opposite the Swindon Designer Outlet, the museum tells the story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the Great Western Railway, often referred to by historians and railway fans as ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’.

The pioneering vision and engineering genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel led to the Great Western Railway network becoming regarded as the most advanced in the world.

Collections

STEAM is the leading museum in the country dedicated to the history of the Great Western Railway. We hold a collection of over 400,000 objects, which include locomotives and rolling stock, photographs and archives, fine art and textiles and everything in between!

The majority of items in the collection have been donated to STEAM (and the former Swindon Railway Museum) over the last 50 years. These items have come from members of the public, railway organisations and other museums.

A large majority of our items are on display in the main exhibition areas, but we do hold items in store, especially our archive material and photographs. All objects and material in our collection is made accessible to the public where possible.

Platform One Café

Be sure to take a well earned break at our Platform One Café where you'll find a whole range of hot and cold snacks and meals - from toasted sandwiches, speciality pies, sausages and chips and salads, to pastries, ice creams and home-made cakes. You'll also find a superb variety of hot and cold drinks, from fine teas and quality coffees, to dreamy hot chocolate and cappuccinos and sparkling fruit juices.

Platform One Café is located on the first floor of the Museum. Platform One Café can also take advance party and group bookings for events like children’s parties and traditional afternoon teas. So whether you fancy just a cake and a cuppa or a hot meal to keep you going through the day, Platform One Café is just the ticket!

We are OPEN DAILY*

Museum 

• Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm
• Sun: 11am - 4pm 

Museum Café 

• Mon - Sat: 10am - 4pm
• Sun: 11am - 3.45pm

*Except 24th, 25th and 26th December

Ticket Prices

You can buy a standard admission ticket for one day or why not pay a little extra to receive a great value STEAM Season Ticket giving you unlimited entry to the Museum for a whole 12 months (excluding special event days).

A STEAM Season Ticket pays for itself in just two visits!

Under 16s: Please note, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

For updated information visit https://www.steam-museum.org.uk/