Whitehead Railway Museum
Railway museum in Whitehead, Co. Antrim, run by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, with five galleries and the largest preserved loco collection in Ireland.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Whitehead Railway Museum is the headquarters of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI), a volunteer-run charity formed in 1964 to keep Ireland's steam railway heritage alive. The society's first locomotive, the Guinness engine, was donated in 1965, and over the decades the collection grew into the largest group of preserved locomotives and carriages in Ireland.
The museum is built around the society's own railway workshops at the former excursion station in Whitehead, on the Belfast to Larne line. It opened in 2017 and has received support from heritage funders. Visitors can see professional staff and volunteers restoring historic engines and carriages in the workshops next to the galleries.
The museum has five galleries: the Signal Box, the Stables, the Locomotive Gallery, the Locomotive Workshops and the Carriage Gallery. Together they show how the spread of the railway network in the 19th century changed life across Ireland and in Whitehead in particular. In summer the society runs steam train rides along the siding at weekends, and main-line steam excursions run from Belfast at times such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
Highlights
- Five galleries including the Signal Box, Stables and Locomotive Gallery
- Largest collection of preserved locomotives and carriages in Ireland
- Working restoration workshops beside the galleries
- Guided tours and a free audio tour on your own phone
- Platform 3 Café at the station building
- Steam train rides and special events in season
Permanent exhibition
- Museum galleries – Five galleries (Signal Box, Stables, Locomotive Gallery, Locomotive Workshops and Carriage Gallery) showing Irish locomotives, carriages and railway history.
- Founded
- 2017
- Operated by
- Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £9 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £6free up to age 2 · Child ticket for ages 3 to 16. |
| Groups (10+ people) | £8 per personAdult price per person for groups of 10 or more; children in groups pay £5. The group leader enters free; school group prices on request. |
| Families | £25Two adults and three children. |
| Group child ticket (10 or more) | £5 |
Members of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland enter free with a current membership card, except at special events. Special events such as seasonal family days have their own prices.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- 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
The museum describes itself as wheelchair accessible. Lifts serve the Signal Box Gallery, the Carriage Gallery and the viewing platform of the Locomotive Gallery, and a ramp leads to the Guinness grain van. Some heritage carriages have doors and corridors too narrow for wheelchairs, the platform is uneven in places, and visitors must walk outdoors between galleries. There are two accessible toilets, one in the café and one in the Stables Gallery, and two Blue Badge spaces outside the café entrance. Dementia-friendly signs are placed at key points, a pre-visit accessibility guide and a visual story can be downloaded, and organised groups can arrange a set-down point near the Stables Gallery in advance.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
| Family ticket | £25 · Two adults and three children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
The museum offers a family ticket, tailored tours for schools and pre-school groups, a downloadable colouring book and seasonal family events such as a Halloween event.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Whitehead station
Whitehead station on the NIR Belfast to Larne line has trains about every 30 minutes from Belfast, and Translink buses 163 (Belfast, Greenisland, Whitehead) and 168 (Belfast, Carrickfergus, Whitehead) end at the station. The museum is about half a mile on foot from the station, on the seaward side.
By car
Parking available
Parking is next to the youth centre on Castleview Road; the museum entrance is just beyond it. Blue Badge spaces are directly outside the station building.
- Accessible parking
By car, take the M2 and M5 from Belfast, follow the A2 through Carrickfergus towards Larne, turn right at Whitehead onto Cable Road, left onto Kings Road, cross the bridge, turn left at Chester Avenue and then left onto Castleview Road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Platform 3 Café in the station building is open Thursday to Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A visit takes up to about two hours. A free audio tour is available on the visitor's own smartphone and headphones. Schools and pre-school groups are given a volunteer guide for a tour of 60 to 90 minutes that can be adapted to the group; schools are asked to bring plenty of adults because it is a working site. Groups should book in advance. |
