McNay Street, Darlington
DURHAM - Darlington, England, DL3 6SW

Phone: 01325 405060

Website

Hopetown Darlington, previously known as Head of Steam and formerly known as the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, is a railway museum located on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was the world's first steam-powered passenger railway. It is based inside the former station building at the North Road railway station. Its exhibits are devoted to the area formerly served by the North Eastern Railway with a particular focus on the Stockton & Darlington Railway and the railway industry of Darlington. In 2022, plans were submitted to expand the museum as part of the Railway Heritage Quarter. In December 2023, the museum temporarily closed its doors to undergo a £35 million redevelopment.
In October 2023, Darlington's Rail Heritage Quarter was renamed from Head of Steam to Hopetown Darlington, after the area of Darlington in which it is situated, which is so named due to the location of the historic Hopetown Carriage Works and Hope Town Foundry.
Hopetown Darlington is a 7.5 acre site encompassing the former Head of Steam (now renamed North Road Station Museum), an exhibition hall for blockbuster exhibitions, a 4D virtual reality time travel ride, an adventure playpark, a café, shop, and events field for festivals and events, as well as onsite partners including the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, NELPG, and Darlington Railway Preservation Society. Hopetown Darlington reopened to the public in July 2024.
A new The Penny Press[ machine has been installed by Janet & John at the Hopetown 'North Road Station Museum' area. Free entry and access to the machine.

4-Die contactless costing £1.50 per roll. The designs are:
1) Hopetown Main Building
2) Hopetown Ice Cream
3) Hopetown Cafe - Shop Building
4) Skerne Bridge

What is the 2025 update???