---
name: "The Railway Museum"
lat: 35.92173
lng: 139.61786
official_url: "https://www.railway-museum.jp/"
fee: "Advance (by the day before): ¥1,500 general / ¥500 school pupils (primary to high school) / ¥200 children aged 3 to preschool. On the day: ¥1,600 / ¥600 / ¥300. Holders of a disability certificate and one carer pay ¥800 / ¥300 / ¥150. Annual passports are ¥6,200 / ¥2,500 / ¥1,000. Car parking is ¥1,000 per day. The restaurants and museum shop are all inside, so admission is needed to use them"
last_verified: "2026-08-14"
---

# The Railway Museum

The museum opened in Omiya in 2007, built for JR East's 20th anniversary. Inside, five halls cover rolling stock, history, work, science and the future; the largest holds 36 carriages. Mini trains and simulators offer a turn at driving, and the model railway layout is among the largest in Japan. Kids Plaza, a children's library and an outdoor yard with a small Hayabusa train are aimed at younger ones. Old carriages parked as the 455 Lunch Train are free spaces to eat a packed lunch.

- Area: saitama
- Type: sightseeing
- Average stay: 120 min
- Hours: 10:00-17:00 (last admission 16:30). Closed every Tuesday and over the New Year — check the official opening calendar. Re-entry is possible: tell the entrance counter on your way out (they may decline when it is crowded)
- Last verified: 2026-08-14

## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date)

| Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers can be used inside. Rental is through the paid 'Babycal' service (membership registration required); ask at the entrance counter. Wheelchairs are lent by the museum itself | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/contact/) |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing tables are at Kids Plaza, the north toilets on 1F and the south toilets on 2F of the Vehicle Station, and the 1F and 4F toilets of the South Building. Folding tables are also fitted in the ostomate toilets and in some women's toilets. A nappy vending machine (sizes M and L, plus wipes) stands in front of the 455 Lunch Train on 1F | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/contact/) |
| Nursing space | Yes (5) | Nursing rooms at five places: Kids Plaza, the north toilets on 1F and the south toilets on 2F of the Vehicle Station, and the 1F and 4F toilets of the South Building. A formula-mixing water heater is in the baby rest room | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/contact/) |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | Packed lunches are welcome, but eating is only in set places: outdoors on the benches of the Main Building's rooftop Panorama Deck and the South Building's rooftop Train Terrace, indoors in the 3F Shinkansen Lounge. The 455 and 183 Lunch Trains are free spaces to eat inside old carriages. No food or drink in the exhibition rooms | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/contact/) |
| English support | English menu & signs | Exhibit captions are mainly in Japanese, but the museum app gives commentary in English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Korean, Thai, Indonesian, French, German and Spanish. Free Wi-Fi covers the Main Building 1F entrance, the 3F Shinkansen Lounge and the whole South Building | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/contact/) |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Most exhibits are indoors across the Main and South Buildings, but the Mini Driving Train, Teppaku Hiroba and the two rooftop decks are outside, and some of the 42 carriages are displayed outdoors | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.railway-museum.jp/midokoro/) |
| Family restroom | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Elevator | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |  |  |  |