Ribble Steam Railway & Museum

A lovely museum and railway offering rides behind trains over their 1.5 mile line. I visited on a gala day and found it thoroughly entertaining, there’s also plenty to see in the museum and a nice little tea room. All the volunteers I spoke to were really nice! A great day, with great locos and great volunteers! Thank you Ribble Railway and Museum for a good day!

A great couple of hours spent visiting this museum and heritage railway with family ranging from 2 yo to 70+.

The provision for young children is excellent and there are lots of activities and exhibits they can touch and play with.

The steam train was short and sweet, a very good activity if you’re not looking to spend the entire day on board. Views across the Ribble Marina were attractive and the pedestrians near the route all waved to us train passengers as we were added them by.. thoroughly convivial!

The staff, made up mainly of volunteers (children, adults and seniors), are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and they make the day all the better. I’m not a train person but they made the subject lively and interesting as they spoke with passion.

A real gem of a family day out, heartily recommended.

Good value railway in an interesting location. I visited on a steam gala so there were 4 locomotives working and there was always something happening. The red Furness no. 20 is absolutely stunning and worth the entrance fee to see in steam alone. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

Our family (3 and 7 year old) had a lovely morning here. Enjoyed walking round the museum and a short play in the park. Went on the train twice. (as you can ride as much as you like)
Went on a steam day which I think is worth it.
As other reviews say. No need to book.

Absolutely fantastic visit. Incredibly friendly staff, clean and tidy, plenty to do, lots to engage the children with. Loved it and will definitely be back! A hidden gem!

Came for a visit on the 20th May.
Brilliant day out loads of engines too look at an you can ride the train as many times as you like! My little girls favourite part was sorting out the mail on the mail train. Also the staff an volunteers are amazing.

Excellent trip today Manager Paolo and Julie gave us a first class visit . Would highly recommend a visit here some good engines and coaches to view. Restoration carriage / engine shed, loved seeing the Princess Alexandra carriage . A lovely walk along the River Ribble to the museum. Ty

Great place, I'd totally recommend. Great food with decent children's lunch boxes, comfy MK1 coaches and beautiful steam engines, along with a fabulous museum to put the cherry on top. There is a total ride journey of around 20 minutes, winding through the woodlands beside the river Ribble. All the possible activities fit into the perfect time-frame of a good day out. Overrall, I would recommend to any rail enthusiasts out there, young or old, or even family members just for a nice day out. 5/5 stars!

Well this hidden gem is fantastic. Volunteers and workers are so lovely and enthused by engineering and history. Great for kids to get their imaginations going, and plenty of space to roam! Working railway behind the museum as well. The Santa train is amazing value for money, and everyone is so generous and kind. Free parking is a bonus. Also, amazingly allergy aware, providing gluten free alternatives, so impressive as our party had multiple allergies. So much thought to the place!

Visited the recent steam gala. Food & drinks available.Toilets situated in ticket Hall but non on trains.Round trip 30 mins.Museum open & organised workshop visits available.

£25 for family ticket - 2 adults and 2 children. Friendly staff and volunteers. Small museum but if you are a train enthusiast you'll enjoy it. Steam Train ride was cool for the kids. Didn't try the café as we brought our own food. Little playground beside it. 3-4hrs was good enough for us.

I am a volunteer steam engine Fireman. Attend the railway on Saturdays for passenger services from 11am to 3pm. Large museum and workshops to explore with a guide. Cafe and buffet car on train. Children's soft surface play area out side. Lots of railway memorabilia on display. Friendly staff all willing to make your visit a great day.

When on a family outing, daughter and my two granddaughters we all enjoyed looking at the past transport granddaughter like looking inside some of the transport which you can pop into and have a look at how their work and how people worked inside of them. We enjoyed going on the train ride and they enjoyed the play park

Absolutely lovely family day out. Special thanks to Thea who checked our ticket and then played with our daughter in the play area. She deserves a pay rise!

Excellent visit, took my train mad four year old who adored it. The museum is excellent and the regular train rides are a great experience. Not expensive and pleasant staff throughout. Definitely worth a visit for any train enthusiasts.

Absolutely fantastic railway to visit. Lots to do for children especially on special event days. All volunteers are wonderful people and when you have paid to go into the museum, you can ride the railway all day as many times as you like. Trains run about every 45 to 50 minutes minutes from the museum about a mile and a half along the riverside. All trains have buffet facilities for light snacks and drinks There is also an absolutely smashing café within the museum serving hot and cold drinks, cakes, toasted sandwiches, warm food soup. In fact it’s really nice . Harvey Henderson, Hugo What’s not to like? Visit now.

I didn't go on the train, just checked out the museum. Seems like a nice place to take kids.

Amazing place , get to ride the steam train as well food on the train and if you pay more you can get afternoon tea as well

We had an absolutely fantastic day at the museum. First off though at the end of our visit, I had left my car headlights on and flattened the battery. A lovely member of staff loaned us her car keys and left us with her car to try start it. Eventually it took a couple of the guys there pushing to get us going. After thanking the staff they asked me to leave them a good review. They needn't have bothered, I was going to anyway.
On arrival it was clear the staff had thrown themselves into the spirit of things. The museum itself had been decorated throughout. They had gone to a lot of trouble. Clearly signposted and with the covid in mind, handgel was abundant and it felt like everyone was on board keeping things running smoothly.
I can't understand some of the negative reviews on here. This isn't a corporate theme park, it's a labour of love and dedication and the volunteers are wonderfully dedicated. The museum, whilst small, has plenty of exhibits, information is abundant, the mail car was interesting in its own right. There was a little local history thrown in.
The train ride was a lovely throwback. The carriages clean and looked after. Whilst not a long ride, it was a nice way to cap off a visit. A superb treat for the kids with great Halloween themeing.
I wholeheartedly recommend people check this place out, and once again would like to extend my warmest thanks to the wonderful staff who came to our rescue.

A hidden gem along the old Docks of Preston. Guided tour of their engine house & workshops available. Ride their line as often as you like. Freshly prepared food available in their cafe, with a small souvenir shop. Full amenities on site.