1 / 3Illawara Light Railway Museum
📍 Albion Park Rail, NSW
Volunteer-run heritage railway museum in Albion Park Rail with narrow gauge steam and diesel locomotives, unlimited train rides on operating days, miniature train, locomotive shed tours, playground, and picnic shelters.
They have steam engine train rides 🚂 on every second Sunday of the month which is absolutely entertaining. This is a beautiful family tourist spot with a bit of nature and machinery. They also have the train history of Illawarra railways which are dated back in the 1960's with og train parts. This is an open museum inside a vast woods in Albion park(kiama district). I went to this place on public transport and got the train from central to kiama and it was totally worth the trip. Breathing scenery and green fields, this trip really helped me relax and made me take a break from my busy city life. They also have this Christmas event which was really fun. It includes cool things like riding the arctic ride, dress up, souvenirs, photo with Santa,etc. They also have a canteen where they serve hot food. Their souvenir shop was economical and they had great designs. They also have a surrounding picnic area with tables, chairs and trees. The public toilet here is very neat and clean. Overall I would recommend 5/5 to check out this amazing place!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for school-age children and adults who have a genuine interest in railways — the volunteer knowledge and historic machinery deliver an experience that engages curious minds for a full half-day. The picnic facilities support a relaxed visit. Operating days are every second Sunday only, so check the schedule before travelling from distance.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →174 Google reviews
Sofia
2 years ago
“They have steam engine train rides 🚂 on every second Sunday of the month which is absolutely entertaining. This is a beautiful family tourist spot with a bit of nature and machinery. They also have the train history of Illawarra railways which are dated back in the 1960's with og train parts. This is an open museum inside a vast woods in Albion park(kiama district). I went to this place on public transport and got the train from central to kiama and it was totally worth the trip. Breathing scenery and green fields, this trip really helped me relax and made me take a break from my busy city life. They also have this Christmas event which was really fun. It includes cool things like riding the arctic ride, dress up, souvenirs, photo with Santa,etc. They also have a canteen where they serve hot food. Their souvenir shop was economical and they had great designs. They also have a surrounding picnic area with tables, chairs and trees. The public toilet here is very neat and clean. Overall I would recommend 5/5 to check out this amazing place!”
Harrison Allen
4 months ago
“ILRMS has the charm of heritage steam narrow gauge rail. From its massive collection of preserved steam and diesel trains (majority of them from Queensland) to the huge amount of old railway memorabilia from Sydney’s South Coast, this historic railway museum has everything a railway fanatic could dream of (narrow gauge anyway) and with the amount of love and care the volunteers and passengers that come to their annual opens, it’s easy to see why this place has stood the test of time since initial opening back in 1972 and how it’ll without a doubt will still be with us for many more generations to come! I highly recommend chatting with the volunteers who have amazing stories to tell about the venue and their previous experiences in the railway industry for personal preferences.”
Val Rigoli
a year ago
“What a fantastic collection of light rail trains and associated equipment, with very passionate volunteers. They have collected over the years a vast range of historical pieces. We went on a workshop tour and our guide was extremely informative, and the history and stories were fascinating. We also went on a train ride around the park, this was fun.”
Christopher Puckeridge
4 months ago
“With a group of blokes, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the museum. The museum volunteers were very welcoming and obviously hard working.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Illawara Light Railway Museum preserves a large collection of narrow gauge steam and diesel locomotives from Australia's industrial railways, the majority from Queensland. Operating days run every second Sunday with unlimited train rides. The site includes a miniature train, the historic Otford Signal Box, a locomotive shed open for tours, a playground, and picnic shelters. Volunteers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, offering detailed histories on request.
