East Anglia Transport Museum
Volunteer-run working museum near Lowestoft with vintage trams, trolleybuses and buses that run on its own streets, plus a narrow-gauge light railway.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum grew from a find in 1962, when four local tramway enthusiasts rescued the body of Lowestoft tramcar No. 14, which was being used as a summerhouse. The idea of a transport museum followed, and the museum was established on its present site at Carlton Colville in 1965, with a society formed to run it. Depots, track and a generator house were built through the late 1960s, and the freehold of the land was bought in 1971.
The first tram ran under power in 1970, and in 1971 a London trolleybus became the first to run under trolleybus wires in a museum anywhere in the country. The museum opened to the public on 28 May 1972, and the East Suffolk Light Railway began running in 1973. Regular trolleybus operation started in 1981, and a tramway extension to a woodland stop opened in 1982.
The 10-acre site is laid out as period street scenes, with buildings such as a post office added over the years. Its fleet of trams, trolleybuses, buses, steam and commercial vehicles is looked after by volunteers, and visitors can ride the trams, trolleybuses, motorbuses and light railway on open days. The museum is run as a registered charity by the East Anglia Transport Museum Society.
Highlights
- Rides on vintage trams, trolleybuses and buses
- East Suffolk Light Railway
- Lowestoft tramcar No. 14, the rescued tram that started the museum
- Trams from London and Blackpool and trolleybuses from London, Bournemouth and Nottingham
- Period street scenes on a 10-acre site
- Steam roller and other historic commercial vehicles
Permanent exhibitions
- Trams – Vintage trams that run on the museum's tramway, including Lowestoft 14, Blackpool 159 and London 1858.
- Trolleybuses – Trolleybuses from London, Bournemouth and Nottingham that run under the museum's overhead wires.
- East Suffolk Light Railway – A light railway running between Chapel Road station and Woodside along the route of the original 1973 line.
- Founded
- 1965
- Operated by
- East Anglia Transport Museum Society Limited (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £10Senior ticket |
| Children & teens | £7Child ticket for ages 5 to 15. |
| Seniors | £10 |
| Visitors with disabilities | –A concession of 1 pound off the ticket price is available for visitors with a disability; it does not extend to carers. |
| Groups | –Group visits are welcome from April to October, but not on Mondays, Fridays or around special event days; groups apply through an enquiry form. |
No advance booking is needed; tickets are bought at the ticket office on regular and event days. Paying the entry fee through Gift Aid lets the museum claim extra funds at no cost to the visitor and gives a season ticket valid for free entry for up to 12 months on any open or event day.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is parking reserved for visitors with disabilities. Because the site and vehicles keep their authentic design from before 1960, visitors with limited mobility may find it hard to board and leave the vehicles, although the site has been adapted where possible.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The museum describes itself as a day out for visitors of all ages, with rides on trams, trolleybuses and buses and special events through the year, including family entertainment on Showtime Sundays in August.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
The museum says it is easy to reach by car, bus, train or taxi.
By car
Parking available
There is an on-site car park. At some event weekends the car park is used as a bus station and cannot be used for parking; the events page says which.
- Accessible parking
The museum is about 3.5 miles from Lowestoft seafront. Its what3words address is telephone.rollers.anode.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The site has a cafe and a shop; dogs are not allowed in either.
Events & venue rental
The museum accepts enquiries for private events, car clubs, vehicle rallies and wedding photography through its group visits page. The vehicles themselves cannot be hired out.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Schools, day centres, coach tours, social clubs and car clubs can enquire about group visits, which can include rides, the shop, the cafe, a guided tour and coach parking. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome on site and, with consideration for others, on the vehicles. |
