Have family fun at the Railway Museum
The biggest Railway Museum in Japan is located in Omiya, Saitama City.
In the Railway Museum there are documents relating to railway data, cars from currently running trains and shinkansen, hands-on facilities such as simulations, learning facility that teaches the principle of the railway system, diorama of a model railroads, and restaurants such as a kids cafe and station lunch box shop. The inside of the museum is so large that it will take about half a day just to look around.
When entering the railroad car exhibition section, the first thing you see is the No. 1 locomotive, the real train that was the first to run from Yokohama to Shimbashi in 1852.
Besides this, the train that ran in Hokkaido, the Shinkansen that ran from Tokyo to Osaka, and the train exclusively used by the Imperial family is on display, where you can experience the history and scale size in person.
There are several restaurants in the museum, but I recommend the Train Restaurant that serves Japanese food.
Like the name suggests, you eat in a dining car that makes you feel like you are eating while traveling on a train.The beef stew here is 1,930 yen. You can taste authentic beef stew in this museum. The dishes are also the same ones used in dining cars in the past.
This is the diorama corner. You can watch the trains and the movement of the city, from morning till night, together with narration (Japanese only).
The Railway Museum is not only for adults, since there are also many children that enjoy the exhibits. Children can even experience driving with mini trains.
In addition, there is a place for play rail, an infant play room, and since the kids cafe is next to these, parents can take a break in the cafe while watching their children play.
Access
The Railway Museum is located one station from Omiya Station, at Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station.
Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station is 3 minutes from Omiya Station on the Saitama Shintoshikotsu Line.
If you have the JR TOKYO Wide Pass, you can go to other sections without paying other fares from Tokyo , and if you have a rental car you can park in the parking lot next to the museum.
After leaving Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station, the Railway Museum is just 1 minute away, but on the way you can see train wheels and various other items on display.
The entrance fee for adults is 1,600 yen and children are 600 yen.
You can purchase your ticket from the ticket machine.
Admission Fee adults 1,600 yen / children 600 yen
Address 3-47 Tetsudouhakubutsukan, Onaricho, Omiya-ku Saitama-shi, Saitama, 330-0852, Japan
Official site http://www.railway-museum.jp/en/
CHOKOTABI https://en.chocotabi-saitama.com/spot/20807
