Step back in time and ride the trams. (National Tramway Museum)

Member Name: jessyclown

Product:	National Tramway Museum
Date:	29/01/02 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plenty to do and see

Disadvantages: Not great for a wet day

In just a couple of weeks it will be half term and a time when you may want to think of things to do with your children. When it is not the school holiday you may be looking for things to do with out children about. You may think it is a bit early in the year to think of outings but the destination I have in mind is open most of the year.

Settled in the middle of Derbyshire is a small town called Crich. This picturesque setting is where you will find one of our national museums, the national Tramway Museum. In 1959 the site in Crich was acquired for the museum. It used to be a mineral railway transporting minerals from the mine. Various buildings have been erected on the site including the original façade of the Derby Assembly Rooms and a fine Victorian Bridge.

This museum is of interest to all ages of people. Did you grow up with trams, did you go by tram to school, doing your homework on the long journeys? If you grew up with trams fifty years ago then a trip to this museum is a trip down memory lane. If you are more familiar with the modern trams, which you find in cities like Sheffield, then you will see quite a difference! When we went to this museum I went with my husband and children, none of us had grown up with trams. As none of us were familiar with trams this was not a nostalgic step back in time but a history lesson.

When you come to the Tramway museum you get the opportunity to ride of several different trams. The trams in the museum come from all over Britain and even from other countries. You get the opportunity to feel how comfortable trams could be and how hard the seats could be. The number of styles of trams is numerous, there are some designed for commuting, and others designed for pleasure trips. Some trams are single decked and others double decked, some are closed topped and others open topped. Some of the trams have very round fronts and others are much more like the modern busses. Although most o
f the trams are run on electricity you may even get to see a horse pulling one.

There is a journey you can take, as many times as you like in as many different trams you want to ride. On the tram you find the conductor checking you tickets. You can choose to get off the tram a various stops there are things of interest to see at all these stops. It will not be long before another tram turns up to take you to the next stop! The journey takes you up hill along a wooded track. If you look out you can see across the beautiful Derbyshire countryside.

While at this museum you can sometimes here bands playing in the bandstand, if you choose the right day you may see people dressed up in costume. Take a look at the mining display, have a rest in the cabman’s shelter, or go to the viewing platform to stare with wonder across the countryside. There are various displays to look at where you can find out about the history of the trams and the demise in the 20th century. There are shops where you can spend your money of various souvenirs and gifts. The café is very reasonable for a cup of tea or a snack.

The Tramway museum is worth a visit for all ages of people you can spend a day travelling up and down the line, if you have children who like transport then this museum is a must as it makes a change from steam trains!

The opening times are
Daily 9 to 24 February - 10.30am - 4.00pm
Sat & Sun in March - 10.30am - 4.00pm
Daily 23 March to 3 November - 10.00am - 5.30pm
Sat & Sun & Mon until 22 December - 10.30am - 4.00pm
Daily 7 ˆ 16 Dec - 10.30am - 4.00pm

As for the prices, I think they are quite reasonable for a good day out. For 2002 it costs:
Adults £7.00, Child (3-15yrs) £3.50, Senior Citizens £6.00, Family (2 Adults & 3 children) £19.00

Summary: