Kyoto Railway Museum

The Kyoto Railway Museum works for families because it plans for them. The Kids Park is a free-play space where children can watch Sagano Line trains run past the windows up close. There is also a driving simulator and a steam locomotive ride, both charged on top of admission.

The practical side is covered inside the building: strollers and wheelchairs can be borrowed free at the entrance hall while numbers last, nursing rooms with changing tables and hot water for formula are spread around the museum, and you can eat at the restaurant in the main building or get a light meal in the dining car on the promenade. Eating and drinking is only allowed in designated areas. Your ticket also lets you leave and come back in the same day, which helps if a child needs a break outside.

The museum is closed on Wednesdays, except on public holidays and during school holidays, and over New Year, with further closed days on top of that, so confirm the date before you go.

The trade-off: simulator sessions are sold only as advance electronic tickets paid by credit card, not at the museum, so a child who discovers the simulator on the day cannot simply queue for it.