Kenya Railway Museum
Description
The Nairobi Railway Museum is a railway museum in Nairobi, Kenya, adjacent to Nairobi railway station. Containing exhibits from the defunct East African Railways, it was opened in 1971 by East African Railways and Harbours Corporation. It is operated by Kenya Railways. The museum has maintained its rail connection.
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Description
The Nairobi Railway Museum is a railway museum in Nairobi, Kenya, adjacent to Nairobi railway station. Containing exhibits from the defunct East African Railways, it was opened in 1971 by East African Railways and Harbours Corporation. It is operated by Kenya Railways. The museum has maintained its rail connection.
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Visited in January 2024. The museum is open every single day till 5pm and is easily accessible by walking from the CBD or using private and/or public means. From cBD, you can take no. 15 matatus and ask to alight at Neno Church. The entrance fee for two adult citizens is 200 ksh for each payable via citizen Mpesa prompt. It's 600 for non residents, and you can pay via card. It was a fairly quick payment process. I recommend the guided tour by Lorraine. It's free, but you may offer her a gratuity. She is quite knowledgeable on the history of railways. The inside space definitely needs a face-lift but you may still enjoy learning. The museum's potential is yet to be fully tapped into. We took pictures on the outside near old models of the trains, though I wish the specific coaches were labelled and had information plaques alongside them. All in all a great place for a nice easy date. There is no cafeteria nearby, but there are some street food vendors and a gas station convenience store before the entrance of the museum. If you are a real nerd, you can spend 3-4 hours here or just 2.
First time visiting this museum. I entered through the TUK side and the walk to the museum was a really nice one. There are nicely lined trees and a well maintained walk way with graffiti walls. I was informed that the work was done by the artists that used to be in the small independent art workshop in the museum. They are not related though. I do not know anything about trains nor am I particularly interested in them but I still wanted to visit. Payments are made through e-citizen. There are three rooms with various models of trains, ships, old technology and the history of the railway. I thought it strange that both the current SGR and the old railway both faced interesting obstacles. One was man eating lions and the other was strange weather phenomenon( rumours... But very ear catching rumours either way🤔). There was also a very old calculating device that looked like a lot of work and I would be quite interested to know how it works. Some of the things on display were quite interesting and I had a few ohhh... moments. The last place is outside where the trains are. Unless you have a guide or have a very keen interest in trains, you will just be looking at old trains. I felt that more could be done here. Some trains are quite worn out on the inside as well. Since I don't know anything about trains nor am I particularly interested in trains, I cannot say much about this section. There is an art gallery as you enter the train section. They display art by various artists and they do have a sip and paint. If art is your thing, you can check them out.
Great place to have a very good knowledge about the history of Kenya railways. Though the museum is small, it contains much information and history. You usually gets a guide (for free) to visit it and share knowledge about the history, stories about the lion (photo of its claws) that used to kill the employees constructing the railway lines, important dates, etc. Various objects, and posters with info are displayed. Numerous trains that were used in the past are exposed outside. You can climb on them, visit the inside and take photos and videos. Very cheap paid entrance. Parking available but few slots nearby. Easily accessible by Uber and much cheaper than hiring a taxi. 1-2 hours of visit may be enough. A renovation and better preservation of the museum and especially the trains exposed will be much welcomed.
A museum that seems to be pretty well hidden away, but needs to be better-known. This museum has two parts to it: an outer yard, in which stand locomotives, coaches and other historic railway equipment; and a series of rooms which house other artefacts that trace the history of the railways in Kenya from when, in the late 1800s, the British first started laying the 'Lunatic Line', to the present day. Among the goodies on display are three claws of one of the man-eating lions of Tsavo (the pair disrupted work on the rail line for several months before finally being killed); the coach in which one of the lions killed a hunter who was sitting up for it; porcelain and sofas used by Queen Elizabeth when she travelled by train in Kenya; and an array of bells, benches, maps, photos, telephones, and more. Fascinating.
The Railway Museum in Nairobi celebrates the rich history of the railroad in Kenya and its impact on the nation's development. Among the museum's fascinating collections are train and ship models, photographs from the original construction of the Uganda Railway, railway magazines, maps and drawings, and a silver service set used on overnight trains to Mombasa. A collection of steam locomotives and rolling stock are also on display, including a model of the MV Liemba, built by the Germans and still in use along Lake Tanganyika. A favorite exhibit is the carriage used during the hunt for the Maneater of Kima in 1900. Captain Charles Ryall, a colonial officer, positioned himself in the carriage to shoot a man-eating lion; unfortunately he fell asleep and was dragged out the window by the lion.
This museum is tucked away behind Rubis petrol station off Uhuru Highway & Haile Selassie Avenue. It's reasonably priced and has a lot of unknown historical knowledge about the creation of the East African railway. We had a very knowledgeable & friendly guide called Michael who explained how the railway idea began all the way through to the present time. There were plenty of pictures, articles, models, old & new artefacts to see & any questions regarding the process & progress of the creation of the railway were answered. The actual locomotives & carriages once used in service & even movies are on display in the yard. There is also an art gallery on site.
Nearby Attractions Of Kenya Railway Museum
Uhuru Park
Kenyatta International Convention Centre
August 7th Memorial Park
Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family
Maasai Market
Nairobi Gallery
Xquisite Hair Salon & Barber Shop
Nairobi Nv Lunar Park
Lake Naivasha Sawela Lodge
Msanii Africa Safaris LTD

Uhuru Park

Kenyatta International Convention Centre

August 7th Memorial Park

Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family
Nearby Restaurants Of Kenya Railway Museum
Java House - Mama Ngina St
PRONTO RESTAURANT (Standard Street)
Java House - Reinsurance Plaza
Sizzlin Grills
PRONTO RESTAURANT (City Hall)
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Java House - Embassy House
Java House - Phoenix
La Baita Lounge
Big Square 680 -CBD

Java House - Mama Ngina St

PRONTO RESTAURANT (Standard Street)

Java House - Reinsurance Plaza

Sizzlin Grills
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