Place
Railway Museum
Museum
Open3.8(185 reviews)Riverside, Southern Province, Zambia, Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia
Railway Museum is a museum in Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia.
Quaint facility with outdoor locomotives for visitors to explore, plus Jewish heritage exhibits.
Rating
3.8
out of 5 · 185 reviews
Open every day
8:30 AM–4:30 PM
1Opening hours
- Every day
- 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
2Reviews8 excerpts, newest first
Like many other heritage sites, this one too broke my heart. I learnt something new visiting there. Some good history lessons... the history we should really be learning at school. I wish the trains could be maintained more. The interiors of the coaches refurbished somewhat, without losing the originality of it all. Entry fee was like K6 for kids, K12 for adults, maybe so low to encourage people to go but I dont think it helps with maintenance. I really hope that one day our heritage sites will be in the hands of someone who is creative enough to curate and help us see the past.
The train museum is in a state of complete dilapidation. The majestic old trains are rusting away, most with no signage and certainly no TLC. The entrance is an amazing $15; I am sure the museum hasn't had investment equivalent to one ticket in the last ten years. Several of the engines are mundane late steam built in the 1950s,in three or four are old and / or interesting. I suppose it is kind of a graveyard not just of trains but of colonialism. However that isn't intentional, it's just complete disinterest in the history of the railway in Zambia. The Jewish museum (which is in the same…
The museum boasts a fascinating history, but many trains are in poor condition and require restoration. A modern update to the museum is definitely needed.
Rusted and broken playground equipment for kids. Dangerously rusted out train cars. Train cars with swarms of bed living inside. Toilets with no running water or seats or soap. Little to no information about the trains. Several of the trains had human excrement in them. Was very pricey for what it was (non-resident). The Jewish museum was nice.
4 more reviews
We were at the Railway Museum less than 45 min before it closing time of 4:30. After paying for our tickets the gentleman from the museum told us he could keep the museum open until around 5:00 pm. He would be our tour guide and he was sure we would see everything by then. He explained in very detailed the history of the museum, took us to see some of the locomotives that were on display. They were not in very good shape. All the locomotives used to be used by a sawmill to transport lumbers. The varieties were quite limited.
I booked this trip but I think my husband enjoyed it more! If you're engineer or into mechanical vehicles and how they work, you'll certainly enjoy this museum. If you also love railways history, you will enjoy. The tour guide? 10/10. Exceptional. Very knowledgeable and kept your interest. There is no extra fee for the tour guide but you can feel free to tip him. Entry fee is only K8 for locals. You first get the history of how the railway started, what material they used, where it came from and who were the people involved. Then you get to go visit the train models who've the your guide…
I loved it here! I was taken aback by how cheap it was to enter but it was great. I entered some of the carriages and for a while felt like I had returned to the past. A little more maintainance could do some good but it's still okay the way it is. One idea though would be if the museum was open to holding curated events on their premises. Those steam engines would make an excellent backdrop for a cat walk or something.
Had never been on a train and seeing the inside of the first class coach and also the other locomotives/engines was really a great experience. I liked the swings in the play pack too. The place can be made more beautiful by greening the environment. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and our tour was awesome.