Kyoto Railway Museum Tickets: Prices, Steam Train, Hours

Admission prices

The museum's ticket page and Japanese visitor guide give these prices, tax included:

The disability rate covers the certificate holder and one companion, and you show the certificate when you enter. The museum lists no price for children under 3.

A ticket lets you leave and come back: the museum's FAQ allows re-entry on showing it until 16:30. PiTaPa cards are not accepted at the ticket desk.

Buy ahead or on the day?

The museum sells advance tickets through asoview! (electronic tickets) and Seven-Eleven store machines (Seven Tickets); the English ticket page shows the standard prices above beside its asoview! link. The museum's stated benefit is that you can go in without queuing. asoview! takes credit cards, PayPay, convenience-store payment and bank transfer.

The Afternoon Pass saves an adult ¥300 but leaves about two and a half hours before last entry at 16:30 and closing at 17:00. Take it if you only want the main halls and the steam train. Pay full price and arrive at 10:00 if you also want the driving simulators or a slow look at the collection.

The SL Steam train ride

The SL Steam train is a separate paid ride. According to the experiences page:

• Fare: ¥300 for adults, university and high school students; ¥100 for junior high, elementary and children aged 3 and over.
• Tickets: sold from opening time at the ticket machines on the SL platform. There is no online booking.
• The ride: a round trip of about 1 km.
• Times: not published in advance; check the day's schedule at the museum's information desk.
• No refunds or changes once bought, including if you miss your departure.

The English experience page adds that boarding starts about 10 minutes before departure. Which locomotive pulls the train changes, and the museum publishes the next month's assignment around the 25th.

Driving simulators

The simulators cost ¥100 for a session of about 10 minutes, on top of admission, with conventional-line and Shinkansen versions. They are not sold inside the museum. Buy an electronic ticket on asoview! (credit card only) or a Seven Ticket at a Seven-Eleven, where they can sell out. Electronic tickets can be changed or cancelled until 10:20 on the day of the visit; Seven Tickets cannot be changed, and latecomers get no refund.

Closed days and what is shut this autumn

The museum is closed every Wednesday and from 30 December to 1 January. It opens on public holidays and during school-break periods even if they fall on a Wednesday, and may close temporarily in bad weather. The opening calendar covers October 2026 to March 2027; check it for exceptions before a midweek visit.

Two changes were announced on 25 October 2026. From 17:00 on 27 October, the shop in the former Nijo Station building closes for renovation, and the steam locomotive material inside that building is off-limits. A temporary shop opens in the main building, and the rest of the museum stays open.

Getting there

The museum has no car park and asks visitors to come by public transport. Its access page and the Japanese access page give these routes:

Keihan Kyoto Kotsu buses from stop C2 at Kyoto Station run to the same Umekoji stop on weekends and holidays only.

Food and practical details

The museum has a restaurant on the second floor of the main building, a dining car on the promenade serving light meals, and a bento stall. Pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs.