HOPETOWN Darlington 2026

Locomotion No. 1 (on loan from NRM)

he original North Road Station opened in 1842 on the route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. It was the only railway station in Darlington until 1887. The former station was converted into a museum in 1975, and further redeveloped into a railway-themed visitor attraction in 2024. Hopetown Darlington is now home to a vast collection of over 30,000 objects including archives, vehicles, art, costumes, ephemera and furniture showcasing the history of the railways in Darlington and the wider North East region from 1825 up to the late 20th Century.

Contacts

Address: McNay Street Darlington Co. Durham DL3 6SW

Telephone: 01325 405 060
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: View website

Social Media Profiles

Follow HOPETOWN Darlington 2026 on Facebook

Open Days & Times

Tue-Sun 1000-1700. Daily in school hols. (Closed 25-26 Dec; 1 Jan 2027.) Visit website or facebook for more details and advance booking.

Travel

By Bus: frequent
By Rail: North Road / 0.25 miles

Facilities

Parking
Refreshments
Souvenir Shop
Full disabled access

Register or log in to view location maps

Go to your account

Highlights include:
North Road Station Museum - Explore the story of Darlington's pioneering progression of rail transport in the early 19th century. Experience the amazing stories of the people connected to this special place. Learn how ideas from the North-East helped launch a network of passenger railway routes across the country. In the museum is the North East’s only permanent railway-themed VR experience ride called Experiment!.

The Carriage Works - a Grade II listed building originally constructed in 1853. Now restored, the Carriage Works houses the Exhibition Hall, which plays host to special events and visiting exhibitions. Also within the Carriage Works is The Stores. In The Stores you can explore our archive and discover artefacts and objects that aren't on permanent display.

Darlington Locomotive Works - See live engineering in action! Cross the bridge from Foundry Green and over the live railway line to visit the high-level viewing gallery in Darlington Locomotive Works, home to The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. From here you can watch staff and volunteers of the Trust build the UK's newest steam locomotive, the P2 class No.2007 Prince of Wales, in the workshop below.

1861 Shed - The 1861 Shed (sometimes known as North Road Locomotive Works) used to be a wagon repair shop and housed railway carriages throughout the 19th century. After sitting empty for over 30 years, it has been brought back into use as the new shared home for the Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS) and the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG).

Steam Rides – Steam train rides operate on an ad hoc basis. The track is approximately 2km (1.25 miles) and the train travels up and down the track for a 20-minute experience. Each ride comes with a souvenir Edmondson ticket.