Het Spoorwegmuseum

The Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum (Dutch Railway Museum) in Utrecht is one of the most important institutions of its kind in the Netherlands and is dedicated to the history of rail transport. The museum was founded in 1927, initially focusing on documents and illustrations. After several moves, including a stint in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, it found its present home in 1954 in the listed station building of Maliebaanstation. This closed station, built in 1939, offered the space needed to properly display the growing collection of historic railway vehicles. Over the decades, the grounds were continually expanded, from covered platforms in the 1970s to the creation of an authentic railway landscape with historic operating buildings and an old bridge.

The current exhibition, which opened after a comprehensive renovation in 2003, takes you through four thematic worlds. These range from the early days of the railway in the 19th century and the heyday of international trains around 1900 to the modern developments of the 1930s and 1940s. A particular highlight is the large workshop hall, where numerous trains and cars are on display. The concept is aimed strongly at families and groups, with an emphasis on hands-on experiences. Outdoors, you can visit a historic signal house and a water tower, among other things. The collection itself is so extensive that not all vehicles can be shown at the same time; many are in storage or out on heritage railways.

Among the museum's treasures are numerous steam locomotives, including the famous Jumbo from 1911 and the Bergkoningin from Java, as well as a wide range of electric and diesel locomotives. Passenger cars, freight cars, and a few historic streetcars are also part of the exhibits. The museum is easy to reach, for example by the shuttle service run by the Dutch railways directly to Maliebaanstation, by bus, or by car. Since the presentation was redesigned, the museum has seen steadily rising visitor numbers, underscoring the success of the new concept.