Railway Museum
Omiya: Museum
 
Railway Museum: Omiya
Omiya / Museum
Open 10am-6pm (enter by 5:30pm). Closed Tuesdays.
Admission: Adults Y1000; high school students and younger Y500
Average visit time: 30 minutes - 2 hours

Train enthusiasts shouldn't miss this impressive, expensively produced railway-history museum located about thirty minutes north of Shinjuku in Saitama Prefecture. The showpiece here is a collection of thirty-five real train cars and full-size reproductions from various eras, including steam locomotives and passenger cars from the 1870s and 1880s.

Even more popular with younger visitors, though, is the massive, highly detailed HO-gauge model train layout on the second floor, which measures 200 square meters. Younger kids will also get a kick out of the miniature railway located behind the museum's main building (advance reservations needed), and visitors of all ages can try their hand behind the wheel of five different train simulators, including the world's only steam-locomotive simulator.

The ground-floor museum shop sells a lot of cute train-related toys and merchandise, and the second-floor cafeteria is recommended for its Y250 drinks bar, which includes unlimited cappucino and cafe latte.

See also the photo album on Facebook.








Omiya-ku, Saitama City, Onaricho 3-47.
From JR Omiya station take the New Shuttle to Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan station
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区大成町3-47
Follow:
Sister sites:
Bento.com
Japan bar and restaurant guide
Animal Cafes
Cat, rabbit and bird cafe guide
Craft Beer Bars Japan
Bars, festivals and breweries
tokyopicks.com
Neighborhood guides and top-five lists from Tokyo experts