Crewe Heritage Centre reopens for 2025 season, with Railway 200 celebrations this Easter.
Crewe Heritage Centre will reopen its doors on Good Friday, 18th April with a packed programme of activity celebrating 200 years of Railways, just in time for the Easter weekend!
The Heritage Centre team have been busy behind the scenes preparing for their 2025 season and getting ready to welcome thousands of visitors to their site.
Gordon Heddon, the Heritage Centre Chair has said, “Last year was one of our busiest yet. We welcomed over 14,500 people through our doors and we hope to see even more this season.”
Situated on Vernon Way, behind Tesco Extra, Crewe Heritage Centre is uniquely placed between two major railway lines, with a popular viewing platform and a number of locomotives on display. What’s more, as 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, the Heritage Centre will also be joining other venues across the country to deliver a range of railway-themed activities for visitors to take part in.
For example, this Easter weekend, on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th April, community artist Francesca Chinnery will be on site delivering drop-in craft activities where visitors can help create a Railway 200 mural, and make their own train worker hat and badge. The Railway 200 theme will continue later in the year too, with more activities planned for September.
Gordon explains: “Crewe was quite literally born from the railways and the remarkable rail history we have here in our town is an important part of our national story. We were therefore always very keen to take part in this nationwide celebration of our remarkable past.”
Along with permanent displays and a range of specially programmed activities, also included in admission is the Centre’s much-loved miniature railway and visitors can have fun travelling along the tracks. Miniature steam and diesel hauled locomotives run throughout the day, all expertly driven by members of the Centre’s volunteer team.
Meanwhile, the Centre’s model railway will also be back up and running and visitors can expect to be transfixed once again by the model trains as they glide through panoramic views and intricately crafted landscapes.
And, of course, the ever-popular InterCity APT remains on display providing a fantastic opportunity to witness Conservation in Action as it continues to undergo a programme of restoration work.
Along with the return of visitor favorites, the Centre has also made some major changes that are expected to be a big hit with visitors.
Gordon continues “A significant difference this year is the moving of our shop and café out of the North Signal Junction Box and into the main Exhibition Hall. We think our regular visitors will be really pleased with the changes.
“The shop, in particular, has had a major overhaul and we’re really excited to see what people make of it. Meanwhile, café users will now get to enjoy their drinks and snacks whilst sat right next to the Robert Burns Class 87 locomotive!”
Of course, both the Café and the Gift Shop are integral parts of the Heritage Centre’s operation, bringing in vital funds for the organization.
Gordon concludes: “As a registered charity, any income we can generate from admissions, sales, and donations is always gratefully received. -It’s all reinvested straight back in to our cause to protect and share Crewe’s heritage for the benefit of all.”
The Heritage Centre’s 2025 open season runs from 18th April – 2nd November. During that time, the site is open every weekend and bank holiday, plus Wednesdays during the Cheshire East school holidays. Adult Admission is just £8, while children and concessions is £6. Plus, under 5s go free and there are new discounted prices for family groups.