Crewe Heritage Centre

About the museum

Crewe Heritage Centre stands on part of the former Crewe Works site beside the railway junction that made Crewe a major railway town. It was planned in the mid-1980s to mark 150 years since the first train reached Crewe station in 1837 and was opened in July 1987 as part of a town-wide heritage festival.

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council ran the centre at first, and in 1989 it passed to the newly formed Crewe Heritage Trust, a charity that still operates it. The museum was renamed The Railway Age in the early 1990s to stress the wider railway story, and it returned to its original name in 2008 with a plan to cover more of the history of Crewe and the surrounding area.

The collection includes the only preserved Advanced Passenger Train prototype, together with its sister vehicle brought from Coventry in 2018, several locomotives built at Crewe, and signal boxes that were moved or preserved on site, including Exeter West. A 600 metre miniature railway runs inside the grounds, and a viewing area looks over the mainline junction where express trains pass.

Highlights

• Advanced Passenger Train prototype (APT-P)
• Locomotives built at Crewe and visiting engines
• Exeter West and Crewe Station A signal boxes with signalling demonstrations
• 600 metre miniature railway
• Mainline viewing area at Crewe North Junction
• Model railways and the Harry Watson collection

Permanent exhibitions

• Locomotives and rolling stock – Preserved locomotives, the Advanced Passenger Train prototype and other railway vehicles built at or linked to Crewe.
• Signal boxes and signalling – Historic signal boxes on site, with live demonstrations of how signalling worked.
• Exhibition Hall and Crewe story – Displays on how Crewe grew from farmland into a railway town, with model railways and period collections.

Founded

1987

Operated by

Crewe Heritage Trust

Visitors per year

approx. 30,000

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free entry on Wednesdays during Cheshire East school holidays within the season.

Members pay £6 for an adult and £5 for a concession. Free admission for Northern Museums Volunteer Pass holders and Heritage Railway Association Privilege Pass holders. Dogs enter free of charge. Tickets are sold on arrival only; there is no advance booking.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Exhibition Hall is on one level and fully step-free, and the grounds have step-free picnic areas and a flat tarmac path. The signal boxes and parts of the Advanced Passenger Train are reached by stairs; a long ramp serves some of the train vehicles. Visitors may bring their own wheelchair or mobility scooter. A portable accessible toilet with baby changing is provided. Blue Badge spaces are at the main entrance, and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme is supported. Assistance dogs are welcome but cannot ride the miniature railway. Parts of the site can be noisy because of the nearby mainline and the petrol-driven miniature railway.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Children aged 16 and under are free. Families can ride the miniature railway, explore hands-on locomotive and signalling displays, play traditional games in the Exhibition Hall and picnic in the grounds. Easter and half-term craft and activity days are held.

Getting there & parking

Follow the brown signs for Heritage Centre or Railway Age; the address is Vernon Way, near Tesco and Gresty Road. Cycle parking for up to four bikes at the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

The cafe serves cold food, and visitors may bring their own food and drink to the indoor and outdoor seating and picnic areas. There is a gift shop. No luggage storage is available. Cards and mobile payments are accepted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The centre says it can help find a suitable space for events; contact the team for details.

Plan your visit